FTSE 100 firm agrees £5.7bn takeover in latest private equity swoop Markets FTSE 100 energy group DCC has agreed to a £5.75bn takeover by a group of private equity firms in another blow to the London Stock Exchange after a flurry of takeovers this year. US private equity firm KKR and Energy Capital Partners, a subsidiary of London-listed Bridgepoint, said this morning they would pay a total [...]
Bank of England unveils Armageddon stress test scenario ‘more severe than the financial crisis’ Regulation The Bank of England is poised to probe how private markets’ respond to a theoretical financial Armageddon scenario in which stocks plummet and prices soars that industry figures have said is more severe than the global financial crisis. Watchdog officials will scrutinise how alternative asset managers react to the scenario’s five-year downturn in financial conditions [...]
Citadel founder questions understanding of private credit risks Markets Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin has questioned whether wealthy individuals understand the risks that come with investing in private credit, as the industry wobbles under pressure from investors looking to pull money out. Griffin, who founded $67bn hedge fund Citadel and trading firm Citadel Securities, is the latest in a string of high-profile financial leaders [...]
KKR-backed fintech takes £13m hit from motor finance scandal March 10, 2026 A UK fintech backed by investment giant KKR has posted a hefty loss after being forced to set aside cash for the brewing motor finance scandal. Oodle Finanical Services recorded a pre-tax loss of £38m for the financial year ending 30 June 2025, after the firm was forced to set aside a whopping £12.8m in [...]
Why KKR-Arctos is not just about private equity getting bigger February 12, 2026 The announcement that US giant KKR has acquired Arctos Partners for a reported $1.4bn (£1bn) is a significant moment in both the sports investment and private equity worlds. At first glance, the deal looks like a straightforward bet by KKR on the growing institutional appetite for sports assets. However, look closer and it says something [...]
Global Counsel loses more clients as Epstein scandal deepens February 11, 2026 The crisis engulfing the lobbying firm founded by Peter Mandelson, Global Counsel, deepened on Tuesday, after three more of its blue-chip clients parted ways with the advisory over its links to co-founder Mandelson and the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Morning Wire understands that pensions giant Phoenix, Tesco and Bank of America have all severed [...]
Darts, private equity and fuelling the booming sport’s growth in America January 27, 2026 Nodor Group CEO Tom Brown and PDC chief Matt Porter on private equity in darts and how to realise the sport’s potential in North America. To the south-east of Nairobi, a world away from Alexandra Palace, 2,000 Kenyans are working diligently to feed the global explosion in popularity of darts. There, at the Nodor Group’s [...]
Why does no one want to buy Costa Coffee? January 15, 2026 The coffee’s gone cold and the milk has soured for the once dominant high street staple Costa, as owner Coca-Cola struggles to find a buyer to take the chain off its hands. The US beverage giant suspended talks with remaining bidders earlier this week, blaming the decision on low offers, bringing the months-long auction process [...]
Oxford Biomedica share prices jumps after takeover talks January 15, 2026 Oxford Biomedica’s share price has rocketed in early morning trading after Swedish private equity firm EQT entered takeover talks for the gene and cell therapy group. Shares jumped 10.65 per cent to 889 pence, with shares rocketing 121.4 per cent over the past year. The FTSE 250 company said it has received an unsolicited approach [...]
Coca-Cola abandons Costa Coffee sale plans as Asda owner bids low January 14, 2026 US beverage giant Coca-Cola has reportedly scrapped plans to sell the world’s second-largest coffee chain after offers from private equity firms came in below expectations. The company brought talks with remaining bidders for Costa Coffee to a halt in December, ending an auction process which had lasted several months, according to the Financial Times. Sources [...]