UK

UK mergers and acquisitions are set for a tricky time over the next few years, as the government is expected to begin implementing a more stringent national security regime this year.

Trading platform operator Tradeweb has received regulatory approvals to operate trading venues from Amsterdam as it solidifies its preparations for Brexit.

Stephen Plestis, the former co-head of listed derivatives and OTC clearing at Credit Suisse, has become head of sales for the EMEA and Asia region at margin optimisation specialist OpenGamma.

A senior equity-linked debt banker has left RBC Capital Markets.

UK housing associations are regular and popular users of the sterling corporate bond market. Friday saw the first deal of 2019 from the UK’s largest housing association and the deal proved demand had in no way waned.

The poll is open for GlobalCapital’s Equity Capital Markets Awards for 2018 and we invite market participants to have their say on the best performers of last year.

In this round-up, US-China extended the previously planned two-day trade talk to a third day, Li Keqiang met Tesla’s Elon Musk, and the state council rolled out lower tax rates for small and low profit businesses.

A large majority of derivatives users have not yet started to prepare contracts for the end of Libor, according to a survey published on Thursday.

The proportion of overall issuance in US private placements sold by UK borrowers may have risen to over 20% for the first time in years.

As bitcoin investors reel from losses sustained last year, UK bitcoin exchange group Coinfloor has spun off its futures arm into a new exchange that will be owned by a number of firms and prominent individuals in the cryptocurrency market.

Lloyds Bank issued a £750m three year Sonia linked covered bond on Monday, taking advantage of the steepness of the sterling curve to cut the funding cost. But having issued almost £4bn ($5.1bn) in the last 12 months, demand was much less compelling than Nationwide’s recent Sonia debut.

A number of funds that shorted UK construction and services firm Kier Group have begun to shrink those positions, and the share price has soared since.