IG pockets £75m after disposal of future exchange platform to beef up crypto capabilities October 16, 2025 Investment broker IG has disposed of its future exchange platform, Small Exchange Inc, as part of a partnership with global crypto exchange Kraken. IG sold the Chicago-based company, which it purchased in 2023, to Payward Inc., the parent company of popular cryptocurrency platform Kraken, for $100m (£74.9m). The sale consisted of $32.5m in cash and [...]
Merz calls for pan-European stock exchange October 16, 2025 Friedrich Merz has called for the creation of a pan-European stock exchange in a move that would help it compete with Asian and US counterparts and eclipse the liquidity offered on London’s ailing bourse. In an address to parliament in Berlin, the German Chancellor said European businesses need a “sufficiently broad and deep European capital [...]
British chipmaker Ensilica becomes latest victim of Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack October 16, 2025 British chipmaker Ensilica is thought to have become the latest supplier to Jaguar Land Rover to take a hit from the carmaker’s cyberattack, as the firm cut its supply expectations for the forthcoming year. The Oxford-based business saw its shares tumble on Thursday after it revised down its revenue expectations to £28-30m for the year [...]
FTSE 100 Live: GDP ‘stumbles’ to end of year, Premier Inn owner’s earnings dip October 16, 2025 Good morning from the Morning Wire liveblog team. Amid all the doom and gloom, it was a moment to cheer for bankers in the Square Mile yesterday. Rules governing bonuses are getting relaxed, which could lead to a tastier payout come the new year. The new rules will allow part-payment of bonuses for the most [...]
Should we be worried about AI market concentration? October 16, 2025 An interesting statistic caught my eye this week on reading the IMF’s report into global financial stability. The report cited a decades-old measure known as the Herfindahl-Hirschman index. While hardly catchy, the Herfindahl-Hirschman index is a simple tool for assessing the dominance of certain players within the market. The higher the number, the greater the [...]
Reeves revives plan to cut cash ISA despite backlash October 15, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to use the looming Autumn Budget to kickstart plans for a major overhaul of tax-free ISAs, in a bid to get people’s cash savings into domestic stocks. The Chancellor is understood to be reviving a plan to cut the tax-free limit on cash ISAs, potentially halving it from £20,000 to [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Ofcom fines Royal Mail, CMA’s vet crackdown October 15, 2025 Good morning from the Morning Wire liveblog team. 15 months on from Labour’s stunning general election victory and a month out from its next budget, how is the City feeling about the current government? It’s safe to say that enthusiasm has waned a little since high expectations were set last year. Some City analysts are [...]
Treasury eyes ISA season for financial advice scheme rollout October 15, 2025 A flurry of fresh financial advice could be aimed at savers as soon as February as the Treasury seeks to fast-track the rollout of its flagship scheme to get more Brits investing in the stock market. In a speech to the Investment Association last night, Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby confirmed the government [...]
Will London meet tinned tuna giant Prince’s expectations? October 14, 2025 The City heaved a sigh of relief last week after tinned tuna heavyweight Princes confirmed its intention to proceed with its IPO to list on London’s main index. The group, which has a £2bn portfolio of familiar household food brands including margarine brand Flora and Olivio olive oil, expects trading to begin at the end [...]
It’s a strike for Hollywood Bowl as record revenue drives continued expansion plans October 14, 2025 Hollywood Bowl is rolling into its new financial year on a high after reporting record revenues and pre-tax earnings. The Hemel Hempstead-based bowling and entertainment business saw its shares lift after it reported a 6.4 per cent rise in revenue to £212.4m for the year to end September. The firm said its earnings before interest, [...]