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.

Sunday newspaper round-up: Natwest, Shein, Nationwide

(Sharecast News) - NatWest may not be selling shares to the public any time soon following the prime minister's decision to call an election on 4 July. The Treasury has said that an offer will not occur during the election period and Labour has not confirmed whether it would revive plans for the sale should it win. The sale had been expected to take place in June. - The Sunday Times

Some of Britain's biggest fund managers have voiced their dissatisfaction with the expected float of fast fashion outfit Shein in London due to its poor record when it comes to workers' rights. The managers include Aviva, Schroders and M&G. The capital is fighting New York for the £53bn public offering. The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association meantime wants to keep London from turning into the last resort for firms with poor human rights records to list. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

Nationwide looked into possible acquisitions of Co-op Bank, TSB and Metro before putting in a £2.9bn bid for rival Virgin Money. Nationwide boss Debbie Crosby said the financial benefits to its members of a bid for Virgin were "stand-out". Yet the offer has been criticised for not having given those same 16m members a say. Virgin Money shareholders on the other hand have accepted despite the seemingly low price on offer. - The Sunday Times

An unexpected decline in bank bonuses means that whichever party wins the next elections will be facing an even tougher environment. Income tax and National Insurance contributions undershot forecasts by nearly £5bn during the previous financial year, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility. Rishi Sunak called the snap vote after being told by Treasury officials that there was no money left for "meaningful" tax cuts to be announced at the autumn budget. - The Sunday Telegraph

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Friday newspaper round-up: OBR, franchise agreements, GoCardless
(Sharecast News) - MPs have launched an inquiry into the role and performance of the Office for Budget Responsibility. The all-party Commons Treasury committee will spend until the end of next month investigating the independent agency's forecasting performance and impartiality. The panel will consider whether reforms are needed 15 years after the OBR was set up by George Osborne when he was Tory chancellor. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: Youth employment, SpaceX, EY
(Sharecast News) - Britain is slipping down the global league table for youth employment amid a dramatic rise in worklessness that is putting a generation's future at risk, research has warned. Sounding the alarm over a worsening youth jobs crisis, the report from the accountancy firm PwC said Britain's economy was missing out on £26bn a year because of sharp regional divisions in youth joblessness. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: UK borrowing costs, Channel 4, Anduril
(Sharecast News) - The "premium" that the UK pays to borrow money compared with its international peers may be coming to an end as markets grow more confident about the government's plans, a thinktank has suggested. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that the chancellor Rachel Reeves's announcement in the autumn budget that she would be more than doubling the UK's financial headroom by 2030 from £9.9bn to £22bn had begun to assure bond markets about Labour's fiscal approach. - Guardian
Tuesday newspaper round-up: household spending, British Library, Jamie Dimon, WPP
(Sharecast News) - UK households cut back on spending at the fastest pace in almost five years last month as consumers put Christmas shopping on hold, according to a leading survey. Adding to concerns that uncertainty surrounding the budget has helped dampen consumer confidence, Barclays said card spending fell 1.1% year on year in November - the largest fall since February 2021. The bank said retailers still enjoyed their busiest day of the year so far on Black Friday, with transaction volumes 62.5% higher than the average day for 2025. - 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.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.