Deal fever: Banking giants plot takeovers to ramp up market share Banking British banking is poised for a major shake-up as top names go on the hunt for fresh acquisitions. Lenders have been scouting new deals that would send shockwaves across the industry. Much of the prospective dealmaking involves London lender Shawbrook, whose private equity owners have been circling high street bank Metro. Ahead of this, Shawbrook [...]
Metro Bank receives private equity-backed takeover interest Banking High street lender Metro Bank has been approached for a takeover which could take it off the London Stock Exchange, Sky News has reported. Bosses at Metro Bank have reportedly been approached in the last two weeks by private equity firm Pollen Street about an offer to take it private. The takeover would follow a [...]
Will fintech banks survive falling interest rates? Fintech Fintech lenders have accelerated their swing to profitability after interest rates spiked. The UK’s neobanks pocketed record revenues in the last 12 months. Revolut’s takings grew 72 per cent topping £3.1bn. Meanwhile Monzo’s revenue hit £1bn for the first time. But this came as interest rates maintained a post-financial crisis high of 5.25 per cent [...]
‘I accidentally locked one of the world’s richest men in a car park’: Symmie Swil on her career at Starling and Upvest June 12, 2025 Working at Starling, meetings with pandas, and accidentally locking one of the richest men in the world in a car park. Upvest's Symmie Swil takes us through her career.
Mark Kleinman: Corley’s LSEG board post looks messy June 5, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column Aren’t asset managers supposed to be the exemplars of robust corporate governance? It’s a question worth posing in the context of goings-on at Schroders, the FTSE-100 money manager where last week’s confirmation of my scoop that [...]
Monzo: The rockstar fintech setting the City abuzz June 3, 2025 Monzo has dominated City chatter in recent months with its hotly anticipated IPO, and now the fintech unicorn’s latest financial results indicate the talk is only going to get louder. The UK fintech veteran broke another milestone in the last 12 months after topping £1bn in annual revenue. Behind the surge in takings was a [...]
UK fintech: Can Britain’s booming sector conquer Europe and the US? June 1, 2025 UK fintechs have transformed the British banking landscape – and firms are fixing their eyes on international endeavours. Top names ballooned profits and customers bases over the last year whilst picking up a fleet of accolades. London-based Allica Bank was dubbed the UK’s fastest growing private company by The Times Hundred and Europe’s fastest growing start-up by Sifted. [...]
Starling Bank: The rise and fall of a fintech darling May 30, 2025 Over a decade ago three fintechs entered the banking scene and set their sights on reshaping its landscape. Starling, Monzo and Revolut rapidly expanded as they leveraged modern tech to streamline banking operations, enhance consumer experience and disrupt traditional financial models. The trio of fintech darlings ballooned customer bases in record numbers. But as two [...]
UK fintech Starling’s profit tumbles as regulatory failings linger May 28, 2025 UK fintech veteran Starling recorded a drop in annual profit for the financial year as it battled with a more competitive fintech landscape and mounting costs. The neobank recorded £223m in pre-tax profit, which was down from £301m the previous year. This came as operating costs ramped up to £403m, from £332m, helping offset modest [...]
Fintech hiring to boom after cyber attack carnage May 27, 2025 UK fintech is set for another shot of momentum after a series of cyber attacks on top retailers exposed a need for greater security expansion. Hiring in the industry is projected to increase 32 per cent in 2025 as risk and compliance becomes crucial amid surges in financial crime. Marks and Spencer suffered a near-£700m [...]