Two major M&A deals rock the FTSE 100: NatWest buys Evelyn Partners for £2.7 billion, Nuveen acquires Schroders in a deal to create a $2.5 trillion asset manager. Schroders sale highlights company’s identity crisis, lack of global scale, and active management decline. FTSE 100 sees 4.6% gain despite UK’s slow economic growth and political uncertainty around Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s future. Markets fear Starmer’s replacement as scandals plague Labour government.

Read more at Morningstar: Investor Insights: Schroders Soars, Starmer Stays, UK GDP Stagnates