Astrazeneca share price tumbles on $400bn megamerger talks Investing Astrazeneca’s share price slumped sharply on Monday as investors baulked at a potential $400bn megamerger with US rival Bristol Myers Squibb. Shares in the UK drugmaker slid six per cent in early trading to 11,866p after the Financial Times reported it has been holding talks regarding a potential tie-up with the US group in recent [...]
Astrazeneca explores $400bn megadeal with US rival Markets Astrazeneca is exploring a $400bn (£300bn) merger with US rival Bristol Myers Squibb, in a deal that would create one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical groups. The FTSE 100 giant has held talks with the US group in recent months about a possible tie-up, according to reports in the Financial Times. Talks could lead to a [...]
Sweeping job cuts at GSK to fund £400m Cambridge campus Pharma GSK is poised to slash its back office headcount to help fund a £400m mega-campus in Cambridge, in a move it hopes will bolster its drugs pipeline anFd stave off a looming patent cliff-edge. In his first major update as chief executive, Luke Miels unveiled plans to find £1.9bn of savings over the next three [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise; oil falls after Trump pauses Iran strikes July 27, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Monday and the FTSE 100 has made a positive start to the week, gaining more than 70 points on the market open after oil prices began to fall from last week’s two-month highs. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, slipped to $90.58 in early trading [...]
LSE draws up ‘worst case scenario’ US listing flight risk June 28, 2026 The London Stock Exchange is preparing for as many as 20 FTSE 100-listed companies to move their direct listings to New York, according to reports, in a move that would leave a £2bn gap in the Treasury’s earnings from stamp duty on share trades. The exchange has drawn up a worst-case scenario plan in which [...]
Astrazeneca ploughs £300m into UK in surprise U-turn April 29, 2026 British drugs giant Astrazeneca has promised to plough £300m into its UK operations, just months after cancelling a nine-figure investment in a new lab after getting in a spat with the UK government over drug pricing. In a stunning volte-face, the UK’s largest pharmaceutical company said it would revive its £200m investment into a megalab [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks drop as oil holds firm over $110; UK growth slashed April 29, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Oil prices are holding firm tipping over the $110 mark, bringing the cost of a barrel closer to the highs of $118 it peaked at earlier in the Iran war. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – advanced another one per cent on [...]
FTSE 100 Live: BP tumbles on buyback suspension, Barclays profit boost February 10, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. It was a rocky day for bond markets on Monday as political jitters rippled through the City. The 10-year gilt yield – a key benchmark for the government – rose as much as 10 basis points to 4.62 per cent following news that Scottish Labour [...]
Don’t overlook UK stocks in 2026 December 1, 2025 The UK stock market has long been shunned by retail investors, as the AI boom, inflation woes and gloomy economic conditions spark the search for greater returns in overseas markets, particularly the US. While this narrative has held back many investors from tapping into the UK, the London index has bounced back in 2025, with [...]
UK and US agree to zero tariff deal on pharmaceuticals December 1, 2025 The government has agreed to a major deal with Washington that will see the UK become the only country to secure zero import tariffs on pharmaceutical products into the US for at least three years. The deal follows months of negotiations between the government and the Trump administration, after the June trade deal left the [...]