23rd Dec 2025 07:51
(Alliance News) - Pets At Home has selected the former managing director of grocer Waitrose to be its new chief executive, Metlen Energy & Metals reports that it has completed a Chilean disposal, while infrastructure fund Pantheon Infrastructure expects proceeds after Alphabet struck a deal to buy a data centre projects firm.
Here is what you need to know before the London market open:
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MARKETS
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FTSE 100: called 0.1% at 9,853.97
GBP: higher at USD1.3493 (USD1.3452 at previous London equities close)
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COMPANIES - FTSE 100
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Metlen Energy & Metals says it has sealed the disposal of a "large segment of its Chilean portfolio". It includes four projects with operational solar capacity of 588 megawatts, with a battery energy storage system asset that has capacity of 1,610 megawatt hours. The deal, signed back in April, is with a unit of energy and infrastructure asset developer Glenfarne Group. The Athens-based aluminium producer and electricity generator says the disposal nets it USD865 million, reflecting the "value creation opportunities emerging in the Chilean market". "The completion of the transaction supports deleveraging and further enhances Metlen's financial strength as of end 2025," the firm adds.
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COMPANIES - FTSE 250
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Pets At Home has named James Bailey, the former managing director of grocer Waitrose, as its new CEO. Bailey takes on the role from March 30. "James was most recently managing director of Waitrose, a position he held for over five years from April 2020. During his tenure, he led Waitrose to strong sales and profit growth, steering the business through the challenging Covid period and its immediate aftermath of high inflation," the pet care firm says. Bailey has also spent time at J Sainsbury, where he held a number of senior roles over a 20-year stint. In September, Pets At Home announced the immediate departure of Lyssa McGowan as CEO. Non-Executive Chair Ian Burke took on the post of executive chair in the interim.
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Pantheon Infrastructure says it expects a "significant realisation", after Google parent Alphabet struck a USD4.75 billion cash deal to acquire Intersect for USD4.75 billion. Infrastructure fund Pantheon Infrastructure says the sale includes Intersect's "pipeline of energy and data centre projects in development or under construction". "The quantum and timing of proceeds from the sale for PINT will be confirmed in due course," Pantheon Infrastructure says. The firm expects the sale to up its net asset value by around 2.5 pence per share, from 127.7p at the end of September. Pantheon invested around GBP30 million in the energy and data centre developer back in September. "Intersect is well-positioned to navigate the evolving trade and regulatory environment in the US, leveraging its scale, domestic-focused procurement and secured financing. As the largest customer of the top manufacturers of solar panels and batteries in the US, the company is well positioned to withstand supply chain issues arising as a result of recent reciprocal tariffs," Pantheon had said in September. Alphabet on Monday announced the Intersect deal, noting it already holds a minority stake in the firm. "Intersect will help us expand capacity, operate more nimbly in building new power generation in lockstep with new data centre load, and reimagine energy solutions to drive US innovation and leadership." said Alphabet Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai.
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Oakley Capital Investments says it will back a sailing team founded by Ben Ainslie, the most decorated sailor in Olympic history. It says Oakley Capital Origin Fund II is investing in British outfit Athena Racing. Oakley Capital Investments says its indirect contribution via the fund is expected to be around GBP13 million. Athena competes in the America's Cup, "widely recognised as the oldest international trophy in world sport", OCI's investment adviser Oakley Capital says.
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OTHER COMPANIES
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Professional services provider Christie Group says it expects to report a better full-year outturn than "previously envisaged". Christie says "encouraging activity levels" in its Professional & Financial Services division continued in the second half of 2025. "Christie & Co will once again have advised on the sale or purchase of over 1,000 businesses in the UK, but at markedly improved levels of average fee compared to 2024, and its international brokerage operations will also deliver strong year-on-year growth in revenues. Valuation activity has been strong in both Christie & Co and Pinders, and the group's finance brokerage brand, Christie Finance, expects to deliver continued growth in both revenues and profit," Christie adds.
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Sintana Energy shares are to begin trading on AIM on Tuesday. The oil explorer in Namibia and Uruguay will list with a roughly GBP128 million market capitalisation. "Today's admission to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange is not only the culmination of our transformational acquisition of Challenger Energy Group and our related commitment to provide local liquidity to AIM based shareholders, but also the setting of a new foundation for the combined group," CEO Robert Bose says. The company completed a GBP45 million all-share takeover of AIM-listed Challenger Energy earlier this month.
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By Eric Cunha, Alliance News news editor
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Related Shares:
Pets at homeSainsbury'sChristieSintana EnergyOakleyPantheon InfrastructureMetlen Energy