Spire Healthcare's board approves a £1bn buyout offer from Toscafund Asset Management at 250p per share, sending shares up 47% to 221p, amid a strategic review and previous failed talks with private equity firms.
President Donald Trump expressed willingness to have the U.S. government take a stake in Spirit Airlines only on favorable terms, as the budget carrier ceased operations after failing to reach a deal. This reflects a broader shift in his administration toward government acting as an activist investor in key industries, including Intel, rare earths, and lithium, to bolster economic security and compete with China.
Whitbread, owner of Premier Inn, is cutting about 3,800 jobs and closing all remaining Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants as it shifts to a pure hotel business. The FTSE 100 company will convert 197 restaurants into hotel rooms and sell £1.5bn of freehold properties. The cuts follow pressure from US activist investor Corvex and £50m extra costs from Rachel Reeves's 2025 budget.
