The Rest is Investing: Gary Lineker-backed Goalhanger launches venture capital arm May 26, 2026 The UK’s biggest independent podcast group is launching its own venture capital arm, Morning Wire can reveal, as it reinvests the fruits of its success by building stakes in other media startups. The Kennington-based business, which was co-founded by former BBC presenter Gary Lineker and produces The Rest is History, The Rest is Entertainment and [...]
Ex-KPMG led accounting giant stalls £1bn sale May 25, 2026 One of the UK’s largest accounting firms founded by a former KPMG head has put a £1bn auction on hold despite receiving a wealth of interest from investors. Sumer, a ‘consolidator’ firm that buys majority stakes in smaller independent accounting companies, had hired advisors at boutique advisory Continuum last September to oversee a review on [...]
Investec eyes City hiring spree in major move into UK private banking May 21, 2026 Investec, the FTSE 250 financier, has unveiled plans to boost its UK private bank in a major strategic move that will include hiring new talent in the City. The expansion will boost its banking presence in London, as it seeks out wealthy clients for what will become a ‘full service primary bank”. It has identified [...]
London leads European investment despite wider UK decline May 21, 2026 London retained its crown as the most attractive destination in Europe for foreign direct investment last year, despite a fall in UK projects and overall numbers across the continent tumbling. Greater London outperformed both the wider UK and Europe by recording a five per cent year on year increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) projects [...]
As it happened: Choppy finish for FTSE 100 as global markets rocked by AI sell-off May 19, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Businesses have raised the alarm over falling vacancies as new data showed a further weakening in the jobs market. Vacancies remained at a five-year low in April 2026, with a leading industry group saying recruiters were “pausing” plans to hire workers. The British Chambers of Commerce’s head of [...]
UK Private Capital raises alarm over ‘slow and unclear’ progress from Mansion House signatories May 19, 2026 A leading private capital trade body has raised the alarm over the lack of urgency from Mansion House signatories to meet their commitments and increase allocations into venture capital. UK Private Capital, which was previously known as the British Venture Capital Association, has called on signatories to work faster, after uncovering limited evidence of any [...]
ETF demand surges and cash appetite grows amid Iran conflict May 18, 2026 Demand for ETFs has surged in the first quarter of the financial year as investors look to further diversify their portfolios to avoid market concentration and the fallout of the Iran war, with some increasing their cash holdings. The average exchange traded-funds (ETFs) holding has doubled in the past five years, increasing from six per [...]
Platinum prices soar amid supply deficit and AI demand May 18, 2026 Platinum group metals saw significant price gains over the course of 2025, after tightening physical supplies and increasing retail and institutional investor interest hiked costs. Platinum’s average price rocketed 33 per cent last year, hitting $1,280 (£985.5) per ounce, up from $960 the prior year, according to the latest report from Metals Focus. The price [...]
Spire Healthcare shares rocket after £1bn bid approach May 14, 2026 Shares in Spire Healthcare shot to the top of the FTSE 250 on Wednesday, after the firm’s board signalled it would back a £1bn bid approach for the company from its second-biggest existing investor. Private equity outfit Toscafund said it would offer 250p per share, a hefty 66 per cent premium from Wednesday’s closing price [...]
Investing in space tech is the new frontier May 13, 2026 After SpaceX, more investors are looking to the stars. Maisie Grice talks to the co-founder of Seraphim Space Investment Trust about investing’s final frontier Twelve years ago, investing in space technology was perceived as science fiction, but Mark Boggett saw an opportunity. While some investment trusts had fund allocation to companies investing in the technology, [...]