UK inflation is creeping back up again. As measured by the consumer price index, or CPI, the rise in the cost of living was 3.6% in June 2025, up from 3.4% in May, and rising at its fastest rate since January 2024. Prices are almost 28% higher than they were five years ago, according to ONS (Office of National Statistics) data. Over the past five years, CPI growth has averaged about 4% per...

Latest offer pitched at 780pMarks REA's fourth attemptDeadline expires at 5pm todayHousing portal Rightmove (RMV) offered a firm rebuttal to the fourth ? and as it stands final ? takeover offer from Australian group REA Group (REA:ASX) saying it still 'materially undervalued' the business and its future prospects.Rightmove shares dipped 52p or 8% to 616p against REA's offer of more than 780p...

Shareholder vote imminentMerger the preferred outcomeWind-down problematicThe board of industrial property investment trust Abrdn Property Income (API) has reiterated its support for an all-share merger with rival Custodian Property Income REIT (CREI) as opposed to a managed wind-down.Shareholders in Custodian have already voted through the merger with 98% in favour. CALL TO ACTIONAPI...

At Shares, we have been flagging the potential for M&A in the investment trust space for months, not least in the REIT (real estate investment trust) sector due to the abundance of companies trading well below their net asset values.In the last month alone, three real estate mergers have been announced ? between LondonMetric (LMP) and LXI (LXI), Tritax Big Box (BBOX) and UK Commercial Property...

The recent wave of takeovers and mergers in the quoted UK commercial real estate sector has continued this week with the proposed all-share takeover of UK Commercial Property (UKCM) by Tritax Big Box (BBOX).The deal, which values UKCM at 71.1p per share or a 10.8% premium to the previous day?s closing price, would create the UK?s fourth-largest REIT (real estate investment trust) by market cap...

Custodian and Abrdn Property Income combineDeal values API at a 29% premium?More of the same? for CustodianHaving banged the drum repeatedly on how cheap the UK listed property sector is in terms of discounts to NAV (net asset value), we?re not surprised to see more insider buying with Custodian Property Income REIT (CREI) snapping up Abrdn Property Income (API) in an all-share deal.Shares in...