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: Pension funds, OpenAI, Goodwin Procter

(Sharecast News) - More than 250 British company bosses have urged Rachel Reeves to use her budget to make UK pension schemes channel extra funds into domestic businesses, increasing private investment by as much as £95bn. In a letter to the chancellor, business leaders said the government must address a crisis in which pension investment in UK-listed companies has fallen from 53% of total equity holdings in 1997 to 4% this year. - Guardian The boss of AstraZeneca has said that unless the UK ramps up spending on new drugs, it could be on a trajectory to only being able to afford cheap, generic medicines rather than cutting-edge treatments. Pascal Soriot made the remarks amid an acrimonious standoff between the pharmaceutical industry and the government over drug pricing, which has been blamed for drugmakers pausing or ditching nearly £2bn of investments in the UK this year. - Guardian

The US private equity firm seeking control of The Telegraph brought an unidentified investor into AC Milan without meeting its obligation to notify football authorities. RedBird Capital Partners failed to inform the club, which it acquired in 2022, that a newcomer had acquired an interest of at least 10pc. AC Milan therefore did not notify the Italian Football Federation under ownership transparency rules intended to allow background checks on whether football club investors are suitable. They are required to provide documentation on financial strength and criminal records. - Telegraph

OpenAI has said it might need government backing to fund a trillion-dollar spending plan amid concerns that the AI boom is being funded by enormous levels of debt. Sarah Friar, OpenAI's chief financial officer, said the company - which owns ChatGPT - could seek a federal "backstop [or] guarantee" that could allow it to borrow more money at lower rates. The business spends huge sums on high-powered chips and data centres to power AI's immense computing demands. - Telegraph

Partners at a City law firm have ordered staff to be in the office at least four days a week in the latest move away from remote working. Goodwin Procter, one of a growing band of US law firms in the Square Mile, is said to have informed lawyers and other staff this week that they will be obliged to attend the office from Monday to Thursday from the start of next year. - The Times

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Thursday newspaper round-up: Self-driving taxis, ENRC, Barclays
(Sharecast News) - Andy Burnham moved to calm volatile bond markets on Wednesday as surging borrowing costs threatened to wreck plans for his government's crucial first budget next month. After a days-long sell-off of government bonds - and with the chancellor, John Healey, facing the prospect of sharply reduced spending power, Burnham used his first appearance at prime minister's questions to promise decisions would be "grounded in fiscal responsibility". - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: defence spending, LSEG, Sports Direct
(Sharecast News) - The chancellor, John Healey, must be prepared to raise taxes for middle earners if he wants to fund significantly higher defence spending, the Resolution Foundation thinktank has said. Healey resigned from Keir Starmer's government in June, protesting against what he argued was the then prime minister's failure to adequately fund defence. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: House prices, German economy, ChatGPT, Capita
(Sharecast News) - A house near a top state secondary school costs an extra £40,000 on average, according to research that reveals education premiums that rank alongside some private school fees. The average property in a postcode district that includes a top 50 state secondary commands a price tag of £415,791, compared with £375,217 across the wider local authority areas in which those schools are located, a UK-wide analysis by the estate agent Yopa found. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Anthropic, BBC, crypto investors
(Sharecast News) - A clampdown on "rogue bailiffs" has been launched by Andy Burnham amid concerns that vulnerable people are being overcharged and face aggressive behaviour. In the latest in a series of "everyday fixes" to ease the cost of living and "make Britain fairer", the prime minister said he was strengthening the rules that apply to bailiffs in England and Wales to better protect people in debt. He also announced measures to target "cowboy" tradespeople, including builders who rip off homeowners. - 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.