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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, 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

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Thursday newspaper round-up: CMA, Riverford, Lloyds, Arm Holdings
(Sharecast News) - The appointment of the former boss of Amazon UK to lead the competition watchdog poses a threat to its independence and pledge to hold big tech to account, according to a group including tech companies and the former business secretary Vince Cable. The group - which includes the News Media Association, the Firefox developer Mozilla, the consumer group Which? and the Future of Technology Institute - has written to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to raise concerns about the appointment of Doug Gurr as the interim chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Thames Water, Johnson & Johnson, BoE
(Sharecast News) - Thames Water may need as much as £10bn in debt and equity investment to repair its finances, according to a representative of creditors hoping to lend the struggling utility another £3bn. London's high court heard evidence on Tuesday that suggested the UK's largest water company may need significantly more resources than the roughly £6.3bn it has previously indicated. - Guardian
Monday newspaper round-up: Zero-hours contracts, Barclays, Asos
(Sharecast News) - Hundreds of thousands of British workers are on zero-hours contracts despite being with the same employer for years, according to analysis from the TUC. The majority of zero-hours contract workers have been with their employer for more than 12 months, while one in eight have not been granted regular employment rights after more than a decade working in the same place, the organisation said. - Guardian
Friday newspaper round-up: Apple, Daily Mail, OpenAI, Homebase
(Sharecast News) - Apple slightly beat analysts' expectations in its first-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2025 on Thursday. The iPhone-maker's revenue rose by 4%, coming in at $124.30bn, barely above estimates of $124.12bn. Earnings per share were $2.40, just ahead of analysts' expectations of $2.35. Shares rose more than 8% in extended trading after CEO Tim Cook indicated in an earnings call on Thursday that Apple is on the trajectory for revenue growth next quarter. - 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.

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