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Sunday newspaper round-up: Tax fraud scandal, Royal Mail, Metro Bank

(Sharecast News) - More claims against banks and individuals operating in the City linked to the so-called Cum-Ex case are likely. The tax fraud scandal - Europe's largest ever - is estimated to have cost German taxpayers alone almost £10bn. Among the lenders being investigated are Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, BNP and Nomura, together with law firms and auditors. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Danish authorities could pursue an alleged £1.4bn Cum-Ex fraud in London. The decision may open the floodgates to to claims from regulators in other European countries. - Financial Mail on Sunday

Attorneys for Whistl, formerly known as TNT UK, are pressing for a preliminary hearing in the High Court next year in its £600m legal claims against Royal Mail for alleged abuse of its monopoly position to force it out of the market. The claim will cast a shadow over Royal Mail's interim results presentation on Thursday. Amsterdam-listed PostNL, whose largest investors is Vesa Equity, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's investment vehicle, still has a 17.5% stake in Whistl. - The Sunday Times

Metro Bank has been put on the Financial Conduct Authority's watchlist for financial crime compliance, the lender has revealed. That means that it will be subject to "enhanced supervision". The disclosure was included in the lender's 217-page prospectus for the rescue deal announced during the previous month which will increase Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski's stake from 9% to 52.9%. The news does not have financial implications for Metro. However, the prospectus warns that if the fundraising - which will be put to a vote on 27 November - is not backed then the Bank of England might impose an alternative plan. - The Sunday Times

Majestic Wines boss John Colley is planning to double down on brick-and-mortar outlets which he says will remain "sacrosanct" while he is at the helm. In the past four years the company has opened 15 new stores and is now planning to open dozens more. Majestic split off from Naked Wines, which is now facing a cash crunch, in 2019. Unlike Naked Wines, Majestic's business model does not revolve around online sales. - The Sunday Telegraph

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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.

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