Skip Header
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.

Friday newspaper round-up: Facebook, Morrisons, Ultra Electronics, Vectura

(Sharecast News) - The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday refiled its antitrust case against Facebook, arguing the company holds monopoly power in social networking and renewing the fight to rein in big tech. The agency also dismissed a request from Facebook that its chair, Lina Khan, step aside in the case because of her criticism of them in the past. - Guardian Morrisons has agreed a £7bn takeover by the US private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the latest round in a fierce fight for control of the country's fourth largest supermarket chain. The Bradford-based grocer confirmed on Thursday night it had accepted an improved offer of 285p per share from the private equity firm that bettered the offer on the table from rival suitor Fortress. - Guardian

Ministers blocking the £2.6bn sale of Ultra Electronics to a private equity-backed buyer would be an act of "political and economic suicide", a top shareholder has warned. The takeover of the defence company by Cobham must go ahead despite national security concerns or international investors will question Britain's commitment to open markets, the shareholder told The Telegraph. - Telegraph

The chief executive of Philip Morris International has lashed out at opponents of his widely condemned bid for the British inhaler maker Vectura, accusing them of "settling old scores" against the tobacco industry. Jacek Olczak claimed critics of the £1.1bn takeover, which include the charities Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, were "not interested in progress" and seeking to prevent the company moving away from cigarette sales. - Telegraph

Lloyds Banking Group's push into residential letting appears to be more ambitious than it had previously disclosed, with internal documents showing it aims to own 50,000 homes for rental within nine years. An internal job advertisement for a director role in Citra Living, its new property rental division, reveals the scale of its intentions, with a target for it to make £300 million in annual profit by 2025. - The Times

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Thursday newspaper round-up: Thames Water, Epstein, Macquarie Group
(Sharecast News) - Levels of a toxic "forever chemical" rose to 13 times the legal limit during Thames Water pilots for a controversial multimillion pound water recycling scheme that will pump millions of litres of treated sewage into the River Thames during drought. The data from the pilots is in stark contrast to public comments from Thames Water that their water recycling project in south-west London will not harm the riverine environment. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Canada tariffs, national lottery boss, Meta glasses
(Sharecast News) - Canada has announced it will impose tariffs on a wide range of key American industries including cosmetics, dairy, wood products and outdoor equipment in the coming weeks, as it retaliates roughly "dollar for dollar" against levies imposed by the US. In a strong Canadian countermove to tariffs levied by Donald Trump, which took effect on Saturday after trade talks collapsed the day before, Canada's finance and industry ministers on Tuesday called the measure a "focused response" to what they see as unfair trade practices. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Trump tariffs, European insurers, high streets
(Sharecast News) - Donald Trump announced a new 50% tariff on automobiles and crucial raw materials from Canada, the latest deterioration in trade relations between the two neighbours with historically strong economic ties. The US president said that the increased tariffs would start on 1 January 2027 on all cars, trucks, automobile parts and steel. He also derided the nation's tariffs on American farmers, writing on social media that Canada has been "ripping off" the US "for years". - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: UK productivity, Shein, Poundland
(Sharecast News) - Productivity in the UK - a vital measure of economic health - is growing more strongly than official figures suggest, according to analysis from the Resolution Foundation. The thinktank suggests the chancellor, John Healey, may have inherited an economy finally starting to emerge from the long shadow of the 2008 global financial crisis. Productivity measures the economic output produced by each worker, and is a crucial determinant of growth. - Guardian

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.