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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Sunday newspaper round-up: Tax fraud scandal, Royal Mail, Metro Bank

(Sharecast News) - More claims against banks and individuals operating in the City linked to the so-called Cum-Ex case are likely. The tax fraud scandal - Europe's largest ever - is estimated to have cost German taxpayers alone almost £10bn. Among the lenders being investigated are Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, BNP and Nomura, together with law firms and auditors. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Danish authorities could pursue an alleged £1.4bn Cum-Ex fraud in London. The decision may open the floodgates to to claims from regulators in other European countries. - Financial Mail on Sunday

Attorneys for Whistl, formerly known as TNT UK, are pressing for a preliminary hearing in the High Court next year in its £600m legal claims against Royal Mail for alleged abuse of its monopoly position to force it out of the market. The claim will cast a shadow over Royal Mail's interim results presentation on Thursday. Amsterdam-listed PostNL, whose largest investors is Vesa Equity, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's investment vehicle, still has a 17.5% stake in Whistl. - The Sunday Times

Metro Bank has been put on the Financial Conduct Authority's watchlist for financial crime compliance, the lender has revealed. That means that it will be subject to "enhanced supervision". The disclosure was included in the lender's 217-page prospectus for the rescue deal announced during the previous month which will increase Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski's stake from 9% to 52.9%. The news does not have financial implications for Metro. However, the prospectus warns that if the fundraising - which will be put to a vote on 27 November - is not backed then the Bank of England might impose an alternative plan. - The Sunday Times

Majestic Wines boss John Colley is planning to double down on brick-and-mortar outlets which he says will remain "sacrosanct" while he is at the helm. In the past four years the company has opened 15 new stores and is now planning to open dozens more. Majestic split off from Naked Wines, which is now facing a cash crunch, in 2019. Unlike Naked Wines, Majestic's business model does not revolve around online sales. - The Sunday Telegraph

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Wednesday newspaper round-up: Amazon, dividends, Weardale Lithium
(Sharecast News) - Amazon profits soared once again in the first quarter of 2024, the company announced on Tuesday - the latest in a series of robust earnings reports for the retail giant. The company attributed the boost to artificial intelligence and advertising sales. Amazon reported overall revenue of $143.3bn in the first three months of the year - up 13% from the same period in 2023 and surpassing Wall Street expectations of $142.65bn. The e-commerce giant reported an increase of more than 200% to $15bn, with net income more than tripling to $10.4bn from $3.17bn at the same time in 2023. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Meta, ExxonMobil, Very Group
(Sharecast News) - The Federal Communications Commission on Monday fined the largest US wireless carriers nearly $200m for illegally sharing access to customers' location information. The FCC is finalizing fines first proposed in February 2020, including $80m for T-Mobile; $12m for Sprint, which T-Mobile has since acquired; $57m for AT&T, and nearly $47m for Verizon. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Thames Water, Brexit, Babylon
(Sharecast News) - Senior Whitehall officials fear Thames Water's financial collapse could trigger a rise in government borrowing costs not seen since the chaos of the Liz Truss mini-budget, the Guardian can reveal. Such is their concern about the impact on wider borrowing costs for the UK, even beyond utilities and infrastructure, that they believe Thames should be renationalised before the general election. Officials in the Treasury and the UK's Debt Management Office fear that, unless the UK's biggest water company is renationalised as soon as possible, "prolonged uncertainty" about its fate could "damage confidence in UK plc at a sensitive time", with elections in the UK and the US later this year. - Guardian
Sunday share tips: Centrica, Lancashire Holdings
(Sharecast News) - The Sunday Times's Lucy Tobin told her readers to book their profits in Centrica and 'sell'.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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