• UK M&A deals of the week: 18 July 2025

    A decisive week for UK M&A activity, marked by global buyers. Four out of five headline deals this week involved foreign acquirers or sponsors, reinforcing perceptions of UK-listed value and highlighting continued regulatory pragmatism.


  • AI giants unready for human-level intelligence risks

    AI firms face scrutiny over safety after a new report finds leading developers unprepared for human-level intelligence risks. Major industry players receive failing marks for planning, highlighting gaps in safety strategies as artificial general intelligence moves closer.


  • Bridgepoint returns to dentistry with £800m mydentist buy

    Bridgepoint is set to acquire mydentist for up to £800 million. The FTSE-250 investor is poised to re-enter UK dentistry, buying the 600-practice chain from Palamon in a deal valuing the business at nearly £800 million. Market sources expect a formal announcement on Friday, 18 July 2025.


  • Thames Water’s losses force nationalisation fight: sector lessons emerge

    Thames Water’s record £1.65bn loss deepens nationalisation fears in the UK. As creditor talks stall, the crisis exposes wider risks in highly leveraged utilities and signals stricter oversight for the sector.


  • Calls for Bank of England rate cut grow louder

    One leading voice urges the Bank of England to act. Despite an unexpected inflation uptick in June, deVere Group’s CEO is pressing for a rate cut, arguing that growth risks now outweigh concerns over persistent price pressures.


  • UK firms struggle to trust third-party cyber vendors

    Nearly three in ten UK risk leaders lack vendor trust. Many UK organisations still cannot fully trust third-party vendors to manage their most critical digital risks, CyXcel research finds — with internal blind spots and mounting complexity undermining resilience.


  • UK jobless rate climbs as wage growth slows

    The UK’s unemployment rate has edged up to 4.7 percent. Fresh ONS data show a cooling jobs market, with shrinking payrolls and easing wage growth fuelling expectations of a Bank of England rate cut in August.


  • Co-op confirms major data breach impacting 6.5 million members

    Co-op has confirmed a cyber attack exposed member details in April. The retailer’s CEO says the breach, one of the largest in UK retail, compromised personal information but did not include financial data. Four suspects have been arrested as scrutiny grows over cybersecurity in retail.


  • UK energy reforms to slash £4B grid costs

    UK retains national electricity pricing, introduces strategic energy reforms. The government aims to modernise the electricity market, maintaining a unified pricing model while implementing reforms to enhance efficiency and fairness, reduce costs, and secure clean energy investments.


  • WSP Global to acquire Ricardo in £363m green pivot

    WSP Global will acquire Ricardo for £363 million in cash. The deal gives shareholders a 28 percent premium and sharpens WSP’s focus on environmental and advisory growth as it targets further expansion in the UK and Europe.