Author: 21st Century Competition

UK: Barclays fined after FCA gold-fixing settlement (Competition Policy International)

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has reportedly imposed fees of $43.9 million onto major bank Barclays for allegedly manipulating gold prices.

According to reports, the FCA found Barclays traders manipulated the gold benchmark fix between 2004 and 2013. What’s more, reports say the FCA found that one day after Barclays was …read more

EU: Commission sets deadline for UK, Spain telco deal (Competition Policy International)

The European Commission announced it will decide by July 2 on whether to allow UK-based telco giant Vodafone’s nearly $10 billion acquisition of Spain’s Ono.

The regulator reportedly announced Monday that it has set the deadline. Vodafone first announced plans for the acquisition, worth $9.81 billion, last March as it looks …read more

US/UK: Pfizer, AstraZeneca merger bites the dust (Competition Policy International)

Just days after UK pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca rejected a $119 billion acquisition bid, Pfizer says it will no longer pursue the acquisition, ending the chances of a new top industry player of emerging.

Pfizer announced Monday it would no longer pursue AstraZeneca and would not consider a hostile takeover bid. Under …read more

UK: Former Competition Commission head joins Co-op Bank ethics board (Competition Policy International)

A former Competition Commission deputy chairman will reportedly join Co-operative Bank’s new ethics committee as the bank looks to overhaul its declining reputation.

Reports say Laura Carstensen, who joined the Equality and Human Rights Commission as its commissioner since the Competition Commission was merged with the Office of Fair Trading to …read more