Tag: KKR

  • FTSE 100 Opens Flat at 10,670 Ahead of ECB Decision; Brent Crude Holds Above $100

    FTSE 100 Opens Flat at 10,670 Ahead of ECB Decision; Brent Crude Holds Above $100

    The FTSE 100 opened flat at 10,670.04 ahead of a European Central Bank decision, as a US Treasury announcement on bond buybacks failed to impress. Brent crude futures rose 0.09% to USD 101.3 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) advanced 0.22% to USD 96.26 per barrel.

    Sterling traded at USD 1.3354 on Thursday, falling from USD 1.3548 at the time of the London equities close on Tuesday. Versus the euro, it fell to EUR 1.1641.

    Gainers & Losers

    On the upside, Whitbread climbed 1.98% to 2,366p. Compass Group advanced 1.87% to USD 31.10, while Aberdeen Group gained 1.53% to 252.40p. JD Sports Fashion rose 1.21% to 80.60p, Fresnillo added 1.08% to 3,082p, and ICG increased 0.94% to 1,943p.

    On the downside, Associated British Foods fell 9.31% to 1,832p. Computacenter declined 2.99% to 5,035p, while Endeavour Mining dropped 1.39% to 4,605p. Rio Tinto slipped 0.84% to 7,538p, Lion Finance Group lost 0.74% to 13,350p, and Games Workshop Group edged 0.51% lower to 17,480p.

    Q1 Recorded 7% Sales Increase

    Currys reported like-for-like revenue growth of 7% in Q1, with UK and Ireland sales up 6% and the Nordics up 9%. The retailer said it is “comfortable with market consensus” and left full-year guidance unchanged. Despite this, shares in the group fell 1.3%. Recurring Services revenue continued to grow, with flexpay adoption up 30 basis points year-on-year to 23.6% and iD Mobile subscribers rising 16% to more than 2.7 million.

    In the Nordics, sales growth was led by white goods and mobile, supported by continued momentum in new categories, B2B and Services, with market share gains in most countries against soft comparatives.

    KKR Acquired Eleco

    Private equity firm KKR has snapped up construction software provider Eleco in a deal that values the company at around GBP 208 million. The takeover gives shareholders GBP 235 per share, representing a 74.7% premium over the previous day’s closing price. Investors holding just over 45.2% have already pledged support for the takeover, which is expected to close in early 2027.

    THG Recorded Revenue Rise

    Ecommerce company THG posted a 7% rise in revenue in the first half of the year after a boost in sales in both its beauty and nutrition divisions. The company said revenue across the group was GBP 828.7 million in the period, up 7.2% year on year and above guidance of 6.5%. THG Beauty, which includes brands like Lookfantastic and Cult Beauty, delivered 5.9% revenue growth while THG Nutrition sales rose 9.2%.

    Global Market View

    In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 405.41 points, or 0.77%, to end at 52,380.66. The S&P 500 shed 0.48% to close at 7,636.36, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.64% to 26,253.34. In Asia on Thursday, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 advanced 0.2% to 65,270.95, while China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.43%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.26%, and South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.25%. In India, both the Nifty 50 and the Sensex rose by 0.03% and 0.047%, respectively.

    Also Read: Stock Market Update: Nifty 50 Opened 0.06% Higher, Sensex Fell 21.69 Points Amid Rising Oil Prices

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    Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance on cryptocurrencies and stocks. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/list on the website could potentially be risky, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more about the financial risks involved here.

  • Fake IT Support Scams Target Blackstone, KKR, and CME: How Voice Phishing Works

    Fake IT Support Scams Target Blackstone, KKR, and CME: How Voice Phishing Works

    Major US financial firms, including Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Bridgewater Associates, Bain Capital, TPG, and CME Group, have been targeted by a sophisticated cyberattack campaign using fake IT support calls and fraudulent websites to steal employee credentials and authentication codes.

    According to data from Google and internet intelligence reviewed by Reuters, the campaign was orchestrated by a threat actor tracked as UNC6671, linked to extortion brands such as Redact, Pink, Helix, and Falcon. Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) is monitoring the activity, noting that the group continues to compromise organizations despite the reported shutdown of its earlier BlackFile operation.

    Voice Phishing Tactics

    Attackers employed voice phishing, or vishing, to contact employees while posing as company IT helpdesk staff. They created a sense of urgency around security-related tasks, such as updating authentication methods or enabling passkeys. Employees were then directed to websites designed to mimic legitimate company login and authentication pages, which were used to harvest passwords and other credentials.

    Google reported that the attackers also used adversary-in-the-middle techniques to intercept authentication sessions and MFA tokens, further compromising security.

    Targeted Firms and Scope

    The identified targets include Blackstone, Apollo Global Management, Bridgewater Associates, Bain Capital, KKR, TPG, CME Group, Clearlake Capital, and Moody’s. Other businesses and professional services firms were also targeted. However, being targeted does not necessarily mean a breach was successful; the attackers created infrastructure and attempted to compromise organizations, with varying outcomes.

    Google’s analysis revealed that UNC6671’s focus shifted during 2026. Earlier activity involved manufacturing, real estate, healthcare, and insurance. By July, the group increasingly targeted financial and legal organizations, including private equity firms, law firms, and financial ratings agencies.

    Potential Impact and Extortion

    After obtaining credentials, attackers can attempt to access corporate cloud services such as Microsoft 365 and Okta. The broader objective is to steal data and extort victims. Google’s analysis of cryptocurrency wallets linked to the earlier BlackFile operation found that 18 Bitcoin addresses received a combined 141.65 BTC, worth approximately $10.69 million at the time. Initial ransom demands typically ranged from $1 million to over $3 million, though negotiations often resulted in lower payments.

    This campaign underscores the risks of social engineering, where convincing phone calls and fake login pages bypass security measures by targeting employees directly. Organizations must remain vigilant and educate staff on recognizing such tactics.