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Spectris has accepted a £4.2 billion takeover by KKR. The agreement follows months of public bidding and multiple revised offers, marking the conclusion of a high-stakes battle between two major private equity groups and signalling renewed global interest in UK mid-cap industrials.
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LoopUp’s strategic pivot is a masterclass in modern business resilience. Steve Flavell led the company through disruption, delisting, and reinvention, turning a near-collapse into a new growth story. As cloud communications gets smarter, LoopUp’s challenge now is to match operational excellence with innovation in a rapidly shifting market.
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UK green energy tariffs decline sharply amid cost of living crisis. Green energy deals have dropped from 85% to 18% of the market due to rising costs, with consumers prioritising affordability over sustainability. Suppliers now focus on balancing green credentials with consumer expectations.
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New powers for the Small Business Commissioner aim to tackle late payments. The average UK SME is owed more than £20,000, according to FSB data. Chronic late payment is now a defining risk, amplifying the impact of high costs, inflation, and energy prices for small businesses.
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Britain’s steelmakers regain EU tariff-free access for Category 17. From 1 August, UK producers can export up to 27,000 tonnes of structural steel to Europe each quarter, restoring trade volumes and offering vital certainty for the sector after years of Brexit-linked restrictions.
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US tariffs are reshaping the UK’s trading relationship with America. British businesses face a 10% baseline tariff on most exports, with new sector-specific quotas and compliance hurdles fundamentally altering access to the world’s largest market.
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A new transatlantic trade era begins with a 15% tariff. European business leaders face lasting uncertainty as the US and EU strike a high-stakes deal that averts a full trade war but cements tariffs at levels unseen in nearly a century.
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Curiosity and connection shaped Dr Megha Kumar’s path to CyXcel. Now, as digital risk becomes boardroom priority, her interdisciplinary leadership helps companies navigate trust gaps and a new era of accountability.
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Unilever’s sales rose 3.4% amid challenging profit figures. The FTSE 100 firm reported a 3.2% drop in turnover to €30.1bn, citing disposal costs and currency impacts. Ice cream led growth ahead of its spinout, while cash flow and earnings fell.
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A sweeping set of late-payment laws will soon apply to UK corporates. New 45-day payment caps and multi-million-pound fines for repeat offenders are now set to reshape supplier relationships and boardroom behaviour, amid calls for greater corporate accountability and overdue relief for small businesses.