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UK regulators have opened formal scrutiny of McCormick’s Unilever acquisition. The CMA has set 11 November for its Phase 1 decision on the proposed foods-business transaction.
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Crypto companies now have final guidance on UK authorisation requirements. The FCA application gateway opens on 30 September, more than a year before the wider regulatory regime takes effect.
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Cross-border payment friction is constraining UK companies’ international growth plans. Airwallex and Cebr estimate £10.5bn of working capital is affected annually, while 55% of surveyed businesses say they have scaled back overseas expansion.
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LSL has launched a transformation programme targeting £5m annual savings. The property-services group reported higher first-half revenue, profit, and margins while setting out a group-wide efficiency plan.
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UK card fraud losses rose despite falling identity fraud losses. FICO puts 2025 losses at £594.9m, with card-not-present fraud increasing while identity-fraud losses dropped 12%.
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Competition regulators seek views on OCS Group’s proposed Mitie acquisition. The CMA has begun pre-notification information gathering on the £3.1bn deal but has not yet launched a formal Phase 1 investigation.
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Intrepid has closed a $525m fund targeting growth-stage AI companies. The London and Toronto investor is concentrating particularly on the UK-Canada corridor and already holds nine portfolio companies.
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Small businesses report mounting tax compliance burdens in HMRC survey. A record 10,195 respondents highlighted legislative complexity, service-channel frustrations, and rapidly growing use of AI for tax queries.
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UK banks are backing a new domestic payments infrastructure company. The Payments Delivery Company has opened an equity raise reported to target around £50m from banks and other eligible industry participants.
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Co-op’s Southern deal faces deeper scrutiny from competition regulators now. The CMA says the completed transaction may reduce competition and will require remedies or an in-depth Phase 2 investigation.