(Alliance News) - Troubled supplier Thames Water has said it remains locked in talks over its proposed rescue deal with creditors as it revealed soaring revenues and customer complaints due to bill hikes. Read More
(Alliance News) - HSBC promotes its interim chair to the permanent position, Smiths Group agrees to sell Smiths Detection at an enterprise value of GBP2.0 billion and Paragon Banking raises its total dividend. Read More
Hammerson PLC - London-based real estate investment trust focused on city-centre shopping centres in the UK and elsewhere - Meka Brunel will step down as a non-executive director on December 31. Brunel joined the Hammerson board in December 2019. "Meka's experience and expertise have been of great value to the board and we wish her the very best for the future," Hammerson Chair Robert Noel says. Hammerson confirms Brunel will receive her pro-rated fee up to and including December 31 at the rate set out in the annual report 2025. Read More
(Alliance News) - Stocks in London are set to open marginally higher on Wednesday, after HSBC Holdings PLC promoted its interim chair to the permanent position after a long search process. Read More
(Alliance News) - Keir Starmer is to face MPs' questions about the consequences of the budget after a report warned of the impact of tax hikes on the British economy over the next two years. Read More
(Alliance News) - Brendan Nelson has been appointed group chair of HSBC Holdings PLC, the banking firm said. Read More
(Alliance News) - Welcome to the Alliance News UK service (ISSN 2515-9453), consisting of the Alliance News UK Professional and its family of financial newswires serving investors and their professional advisers. Read More
(Alliance News) - The EU aims to end all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027, according to an agreement reached early on Wednesday in Brussels between the governments of member states and representatives of the European Parliament. Read More
(Alliance News) - Ireland's private sector continued to accelerate in November, with the services sector supported by faster rise in output, S&P Global reported Wednesday. Read More
WPP PLC - London-based advertising agency - Successfully prices a EUR1.00 billion 5.5-year senior unsecured fixed-rate RegS bond issuance. The bonds will carry an annual coupon of 3.625% and are expected to be rated "BBB" by S&P and "Baa2" by Moody's. "The transaction garnered significant interest and demand, with a total order book exceeding EUR2.9 billion from a diverse array of institutional investors," WPP says. This "robust" oversubscription of 2.9 times "underscores investor confidence in WPP's credit profile and leading market position," it adds. WPP intends to use the proceeds to fund general corporate purposes, including the refinancing of existing debt. BNP Paribas, Citi, HSBC, NatWest and SMBC led the transaction as joint lead bookrunners. Read More
Frontier IP Group PLC - invests for income and growth in solar and battery storage assets - Portfolio company Alusid Ltd signs an exclusive distribution agreement with one of Sweden's largest tile suppliers Kakelspecialisten AB, a subsidiary of Courbevoie, France-based Compagnie de Saint Gobain SA. "The deal is a further sign of growing global interest in Alusid's sustainable wall and floor tiles and an important milestone in expanding its European distribution network," Frontier says. Frontier IP holds a 35% stake in Alusid. Read More
Quantum Base Holdings PLC - Lancaster, England-based quantum science company that specialises in anti-counterfeiting technology and provides authenticity tags - Plans to raise GBP4.0 million via placing and GBP750,000 via retail offer, both priced at 21 pence each. Proceeds will provide growth working capital to strengthen the balance sheet, and support costs across staffing, operations and development. The placing will be effected by way of an accelerated bookbuild. Strand Hanson is acting as nominated adviser in connection with the placing and Cavendish acting as sole bookrunner. Read More
Bluebird Mining Ventures Ltd - British Virgin Islands-based gold development company - Concludes strategic review and shifts to a gold-focused streaming and treasury model, aiming to prioritise recurring cashflow, balance-sheet strength and direct exposure to physical bullion. The new strategy centres on structured gold streaming agreements, reserve-backed yield, and capital-efficient growth across the ore-to-bullion value chain. The company may use bitcoin solely as a settlement rail within internal limits and continues to pursue permitting and partnership options in Korea. Chief Executive Sath Ganesarajah says the revised approach positions BMV as a "next-generation gold streaming and treasury platform" aligned with rising demand for inflation-resistant, income-producing assets. Read More
(Alliance News) - Qatar Holding LLC on Tuesday said it plans to sell around GBP272 million worth shares in London-based grocer J Sainsbury PLC. Read More
(Alliance News) - Blue chips closed little changed on Tuesday on a generally downbeat day for stocks in London. Read More