Business

A $10bn-plus takeover bid for one of America’s biggest pharmacy chains is set to trigger a fresh auction of Boots the Chemist after a string of aborted attempts to sell the British retail giant. Sky News understands that Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm, is expected to seek separate ownership for Boots if it succeeds

One of Britain’s leading financial mutuals is in talks to buy Dalmore Capital, the infrastructure investor which owns a stake in the Thames ‘super sewer’. Sky News has learnt that Royal London is among the suitors circling Dalmore, which began exploring a sale earlier in the autumn. Royal London’s interest is serious but has yet

Bankers are to review state spending as part of a push to bring the private sector “into the heart of government”. External oversight is to be incorporated into the first line-by-line spending review of government departments in 17 years. Under plans announced by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves “every pound” of government spending will be interrogated

The former minister who was asked by the last chancellor to help turbocharge inward investment into the UK is being lined up as the next chairman of Britain’s most influential manufacturing industry trade body. Sky News has learnt that Lord Harrington, who also served in government as Boris Johnson’s minister for refugees after Russia’s invasion

Fourteen new trains are to be built at a Hitachi plant in County Durham, securing hundreds of jobs. The plan safeguards 700 jobs with a £500m investment for the Newton Aycliffe site. The plant and its workers had faced an uncertain future with an upcoming gap in its order book before work begins on HS2

A London-listed marketing specialist backed by Lord Ashcroft, the former Conservative Party treasurer, will this week announce the purchase of a key digital partner to sporting properties including the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. Sky News has learnt that Brave Bison, which trades on the junior AIM exchange and has a market capitalisation of just

TikTok has lost an appeal against plans to ban the video-sharing app in the US. The social media platform had argued the proposal was a breach of the US First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. TikTok pushed to overturn a law that could lead to its ban in a few months. However, the petition

Harland & Wolff (H&W), the shipyard-owner which built the Titanic, is closing on a government-backed rescue deal with a Spanish shipping industry group. Sky News can reveal that Navantia has won approval from Downing Street to acquire H&W’s four UK shipyards in a transaction which could be formally agreed as early as next week. If

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., arrives for the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25, 2024. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Meta shares continued their extended rally on Friday, rising 2.4% and closing at a record after a federal appeals court upheld a law requiring China’s ByteDance

The owner of The Guardian is pressing ahead with the sale of the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper to a fledgling digital media company, just hours after scores of journalists went on strike in protest at the deal. Guardian Media Group (GMG) and its parent, the Scott Trust, confirmed on Friday that the sale of The

Ulta Beauty on Thursday beat Wall Street’s fiscal third-quarter expectations, fending off fears of fiercer competition and slowing demand for makeup and skin care. The retailer hiked its full-year outlook slightly to reflect the better-than-expected results. For the fiscal year, it said it now expects net sales to range from $11.1 billion to $11.2 billion,

Airbus has revealed just over 2,000 job losses across its space and defence division, with 477 roles affected in the UK, amid tough competition from US rivals including Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The bulk of the cuts, which were not as severe as the company had initially expected, will affect mainly management and wider office roles

Video has emerged of the moments before the murder of a top healthcare boss on a New York City street in what police believe was a targeted hit. Brian Thompson is shown walking in Manhattan when the killer appears from behind a car and raises a gun – believed to have been fitted with a

Woodbridge is the place to be for residents wanting to live the happiest life, according to new research. The market town in Suffolk topped Rightmove’s annual list of the happiest places to live in Britain for the first time after knocking London’s Richmond upon Thames off the top spot. Residents of Woodbridge gave high scores

Check out the companies making headlines in extended trading. Salesforce — The software stock advanced 6% after the company posted a revenue beat in the third quarter. Revenue of $9.44 billion topped consensus forecasts calling for $9.35 billion, according to LSEG. Meanwhile, adjusted earnings of $2.41 per share slightly missed estimates for $2.44 per share.

The sleepy Jaguar has had a sudden awakening. After months of gentle provocation, the British carmaker has unveiled its latest model: a fully electric “concept with bold forms and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars”. As to be expected we’ve been bombarded with marketing speak alongside the launch of the Type 00, the biggest rebrand