Business & Economy

Published: 12 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Schroders has confirmed a £9.9bn takeover by a US investor, marking the end of family ownership. The acquisition by Chicago-based Nuveen will create one of the largest fund managers globally, controlling approximately $2.5tn (£1.8tn) in assets. Schroders, a historic British asset management group, will continue operating from London with around 3,100 staff and retain its well-established branding under...

Published: 12 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The UK government’s flagship publicly owned energy company, Great British Energy, has confirmed that its permanent headquarters will be located in Aberdeen’s Marischal Square, marking a significant moment both for the city and for the country’s broader transition toward a greener economic future. The decision reinforces Aberdeen’s longstanding identity as a global energy capital while signalling a deliberate...

Published: 12 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK economy growth slowed to 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025, reflecting weaker business investment and low consumer confidence. Early data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that economic growth remained stagnant compared with the previous quarter, falling short of economists’ expectations of a 0.2% rise. This limited growth underscores how the UK economy...

Published: 12 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK housing market recovery shows early signs as key indicators improve after a long slump that followed budget uncertainty, and the term housing market recovery is emerging across industry reports. Recent data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests the long‑running downturn may be losing momentum as the balance of house prices rose to -10 per...

Published: 11 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A major development around the LSEG stake has drawn sharp attention across global financial markets this week. Activist investor Elliott Management has built a significant holding in London Stock Exchange Group and begun direct engagement with leadership. The move arrives during a period of weaker listings and rising anxiety about artificial intelligence reshaping financial data services. Market participants...

Published: 11 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Shares in UK wealth managers and price comparison sites have fallen sharply amid growing concern over AI disruption. Investors are closely watching as the AI sector increasingly offers tools that could streamline financial advice and comparison services, potentially reducing fees and traditional revenue streams. The “AI fears” gripping the market have intensified since Altruist Corp launched a service...

Published: 11 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK government must urgently address “unsustainable” gaps in franchise policing, MPs have warned, citing concerns raised by small business owners and the recent Doyle whip controversy. The business and trade committee’s report highlighted multiple cases where franchisees faced systemic failures, leaving them exposed to unfair contracts and employment abuses. The Doyle whip situation, involving serious regulatory oversights,...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. BT has announced a significant management change at Openreach, marking a pivotal moment in the company’s full fibre broadband rollout. The head of BT’s infrastructure division, Clive Selley, will step down after nearly a decade of leading the fibre expansion programme, which has brought high-speed broadband to more than 25 million homes across the UK. This transition reflects...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. BP has suspended BP share buy-backs as annual profits fell sharply, intensifying scrutiny on its recovery plan. The energy giant reported underlying earnings of just below $7.5 billion for 2025, down from nearly $9 billion in 2024, reflecting the steepest global oil price drop since the Covid-19 pandemic. The focus on halting BP share buy-backs is seen as...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Barclays CEO CS Venkatakrishnan expressed deep shock and dismay over the latest revelations from the Barclays Epstein files, highlighting serious concerns about corruption. The news comes as Barclays faces ongoing scrutiny regarding former chief Jes Staley’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex offender. Venkatakrishnan said his thoughts are with Epstein’s victims, stressing the bank’s commitment to...