By: Samuel Norman

City Reporter Samuel is a City Reporter covering banking, fintech and more across the City. He can be contacted at samuel.norman@cityam.com and posts at x.com/samnormanwrites.

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Shawbrook eyes £5bn Starling merger instead of IPO

April 24, 2025

Shawbrook Group is weighing up a £5bn merger with fintech giant Starling, in a move that would be emblematic of a tougher outlook on stock market listings. The mid-cap lender has reached out to Starling in the last two months to initiate talks on a potential deal, as reported by Sky News. The proposal remains [...]
Green finance withers as Trump effect spreads

April 24, 2025

Financial hubs are ditching green finance, fresh research shows, after President Donald Trump’s return to the White House triggered a global retreat. Centres across the world had their green finance rating reduced in the 15th edition of Z/Yen Global Green Finance Index (GFFI). Despite topping the index, London’s rating reduced 36 points to 598. Zurich [...]
Zopa Bank: UK fintech doubles profit amid IPO speculation

April 24, 2025

Digital bank Zopa doubled its pre-tax profit in its second full year of profitability as the London fintech continued its upward trajectory ahead of a possible IPO. The Canary Wharf-based business pocketed £34.2m in the 2024 financial year, up from £16.8m in 2023. Revenue grew 30.2 per cent to £303.4m. This was driven by an [...]
Crisis, debt and a £46bn bailout: Inside Natwest’s return to private ownership

April 24, 2025

Natwest is set to end one of British banking’s longest running sagas, as the lender stands inches away from returning to private ownership for the first time in nearly two decades. The FTSE 100 giant has whittled the UK government’s share in the bank to under three per cent, with a full exit expected in [...]
FTSE 100 surges as Trump retreats on trade war

April 23, 2025

The FTSE 100 inched closer to a full pre-’Liberation Day’ recovery on Wednesday as President Donald Trump dialled down on his bombastic trade rhetoric. The blue-chip index rose by over two per cent in early trading as stocks exposed to China surged. This followed the index finishing in the green for the seventh consecutive day [...]
Argentex considers sale to IFX Payments after tariffs trigger cash squeeze

April 23, 2025

Currency management company Argentex is in “advanced discussions” over an acquisition by IFX Payments after the firm faced a critical cash crunch amid President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff agenda. In a statement on Wednesday, Argentex said whilst discussions had progressed with IFX, no certainty had been reached. But, its board had “unequivocally rejected” an offer [...]
FTSE 100 sees best winning streak in two years as trade war fears abate

April 22, 2025

The FTSE 100 finished in the green on Tuesday for the seventh consecutive day, notching its best run of gains in two years as investor worries over protracted trade wars began to soften. London’s blue-chip index closed on a 0.64 per cent gain at 8328.60. Distribution firm Bunzl ended trading as one of the top [...]
City bonuses beat Wall Street after cap scrapped

April 22, 2025

UK financial services handed out the industry’s highest bonuses last year after taking advantage of the lifting of pay restrictions. Workers pocketed an average $149k (£114k) bonus in 2024, according to fresh data from jobs platform eFinancialCareers. This marked a 25.7 per cent jump from 2023 and sent the UK above North America, which rose [...]
Pound on best run since 1971 as FTSE 100 claws back gains

April 22, 2025

The pound and the FTSE 100 continued their strong runs on Tuesday on the back of US instability. Sterling was on track for its 11th day of gains, which would be its longest streak since January 1971 – when the currency switched to the decimal system. It was up 0.6 per cent to $1.34 against [...]
Ford on the hook for £61m in motor finance scandal

April 22, 2025

Ford has set aside as much as £61m as it becomes the latest company to be stung by the motor finance scandal. The American car manufacturer’s subsidiary FCE Bank made the provision for its British motor finance division in its latest accounts. The Essex-based FCE Bank said the provision reflected “estimated economic outflow” should a [...]

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Premiership run-in: Saints and Bath will impact top four

Here We Are, National Theatre, review: Stephen Sondheim musical is more Severance than sing-a-long

By: Samuel Norman

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