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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: NatWest, China, Vodafone

(Sharecast News) - The Chancellor is laying the groundwork for the sale of billons of pounds worth of shares in NatWest as soon as June. A contract to a market research company has been awarded to study the public's views, alongside a tender to public relations firms and advertising companies who would work on the marketing campaign. Nevertheless, sources inside the Treasury have played down recent speculation in the City that Jeremy Hunt might announce the decision in his 6 March budget. The sale was expected to be priced at a discount. - The Sunday Times

China's stock market regulator has issued a temporary ban on investors' ability to lend shares out for trading purposes. The measure, which will come into force on Monday, is meant to create "a fairer market order", according to China's Securities Regulatory Commission. Yet it is only the latest in a series of market interventions by the authorities which so far had not succeeded in shoring up the stock market. - Sunday Telegraph

The Competition and Markets Authority has started a 'phase1' investigation into the proposed tie-up between Vodafone and Three. According to the regulator, it's goal is to determine whether a merger would reduce competition. The transaction would see the creation of the UK's largest mobile operator. A day before the CMA's announcement, the government had told Vodafone that its relationship with Emirates Telecommunications, its largest shareholder, posed a national security risk. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

The John Lewis Partnership has raised £260m in financing for its turnaround plans, which will include 11,000 layoffs over the next five years. The latter is a part of its plans to cut costs by £900m. That is on top of a halving in redundancy pay.The partnership's boss, Nish Kankiwala, envisages refocusing on the core retail business. - The Sunday Times

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Friday newspaper round-up: Nigel Farage, diesel prices, Kraken Technology
(Sharecast News) - Chancellor Rachel Reeves is to announce a new City "skills compact" that will commit firms such as Barclays and Lloyds to retraining thousands of financial sector workers for the AI revolution. The financial services skills compact will be launched on Tuesday, during what is likely to be Reeves's final Mansion House speech to City bosses before Andy Burnham's expected takeover of No 10. The government-backed initiative will commit employers to improving workers' skills and helping them "keep pace" with significant technological changes that have prompted fears of mass redundancies. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: UK vets, Sizewell B, Terry Smith
(Sharecast News) - UK vets may have to have a licence and cap prescriptions for pet medicine at £21 under plans being considered by the government. Ministers are also considering establishing a regulator for the veterinary sector, including inspections, a mandatory licensing system and published compliance reports to improve accountability and choice. Every vet practice could need an official operating licence - similar to GP surgeries and care homes - under proposals in a white paper. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Regional income divide, John Lewis, mortgages
(Sharecast News) - Britain's deep regional income divide has barely changed in 30 years despite the promises of successive governments to narrow the gap, according to a report showing the challenge for Andy Burnham. As the prime minister-in-waiting prepares for government, the Resolution Foundation said almost no progress had been made since 1997 to tackle stark divisions in household income, before housing costs are taken into account, between the richest and poorest parts of the country. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Gambling customers, student loan repayments, Russian bankruptcies
(Sharecast News) - The Scottish government is about to consider a sweeping moratorium on building new datacentres, putting a key plank of the UK's AI strategy at risk. Last Sunday the Scottish National party (SNP)'s national council passed a motion to freeze all new datacentres in Scotland. That motion has been sent to the Scottish government to consider. It could apply to all datacentre projects that have not yet received planning permission - although its exact implementation is up to the Scottish government to decide. - 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.