Private equity boom slows down as the deal bar rises for City firms May 29, 2026 Private equity interest in professional services remains, but the era of easy deals is over as most attractive targets have already been acquired, and investors are now more selective, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The bubble around private equity interest in the professional services industry has started to deflate, as most of the “low-hanging fruit” has already [...]
‘Outdated’ consultancy sector faces a reckoning as AI rips up the old model May 27, 2026 For years, the consultancy sector has relied on a traditional model and profitable formula: retained clients, billing time and upselling clients. Another crucial element has been the blend of ‘senior counsel’ supported by a team of juniors carrying out research and compiling reports. But the rug is being pulled from under this model and a [...]
Ex-KPMG led accounting giant stalls £1bn sale May 25, 2026 One of the UK’s largest accounting firms founded by a former KPMG head has put a £1bn auction on hold despite receiving a wealth of interest from investors. Sumer, a ‘consolidator’ firm that buys majority stakes in smaller independent accounting companies, had hired advisors at boutique advisory Continuum last September to oversee a review on [...]
Former Red Bull boss Horner lands job at private equity fund targeting sport May 21, 2026 Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has become an advisor to private equity firm Oakley Capital on premium sport investments. The Brit left Red Bull last year after 20 years at the Formula 1 team and has been exploring a return to the sport through ownership. He reportedly teamed up with MSP Sports [...]
Vattenfall energy portfolio poised to be snapped up by private equity firm May 20, 2026 Swedish energy giant Vattenfall is poised to offload a portfolio of its British assets to private equity firm Reinova in the latest step in its retreat from the UK, CityAM understands. The conglomerate, owned by the government of Sweden, is set to sell three of its heat network businesses to London-based Reinova Capital for [...]
Black Sheep Coffee founder: ‘The Square Mile is a magical place’ May 19, 2026 Black Sheep Coffee was founded in the Square Mile but has now expanded across the world. Its co-founder tells Felix Armstrong about his roots in the City Gabriel Shohet is a company man. The Black Sheep Coffee founder enters the meeting room at the coffee chain’s Southwark offices clad in a branded hoodie, with a [...]
UK Private Capital raises alarm over ‘slow and unclear’ progress from Mansion House signatories May 19, 2026 A leading private capital trade body has raised the alarm over the lack of urgency from Mansion House signatories to meet their commitments and increase allocations into venture capital. UK Private Capital, which was previously known as the British Venture Capital Association, has called on signatories to work faster, after uncovering limited evidence of any [...]
City sounds alarm on £40bn foreign M&A offensive targeting ‘cheap’ UK firms May 15, 2026 A group of City grandees has sounded the alarm on the wave of foreign firms picking off rivals from London’s stock market, after a flurry of unsolicited offers took the combined value of UK companies poised to leave Britain’s ailing bourse to £43bn. Some 22 listed companies have already accepted or received bids that would [...]
Spire Healthcare shares rocket after £1bn bid approach May 14, 2026 Shares in Spire Healthcare shot to the top of the FTSE 250 on Wednesday, after the firm’s board signalled it would back a £1bn bid approach for the company from its second-biggest existing investor. Private equity outfit Toscafund said it would offer 250p per share, a hefty 66 per cent premium from Wednesday’s closing price [...]
Intertek to bow to pressure on £10bn private equity takeover May 13, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Intertek is poised to accept a £10bn takeover offer from a Swedish private equity firm after months of uncertainty, in what would be a huge blow to the London Stock Exchange. The testing and quality assurance firm said on Wednesday morning that it “would be minded” to recommend the latest offer from [...]