Despite a tepid IPO market—just seven UK listings in the first half of 2026 raising £577.2mn—overseas buyers are snapping up British firms at record speed. Deal activity is on track for its strongest year in almost two decades, with 28 proposed takeovers worth over £59.7bn. Notable transactions include Tate & Lyle’s £2.7bn sale to Ingredion and easyJet’s shift from a Castlelake bid to a higher £7.15 offer from Apollo, underscoring fierce competition for UK assets.

The UK government and regulators have loosened listing rules, yet many argue more must be done to attract capital. Meanwhile, Japan’s finance minister urged domestic pension funds, especially the GPIF, to boost home‑market investments, sparking a brief rally in Japanese stocks and the yen. Analysts warn that without concrete reallocations, the signal may be short‑lived.

In Asia, investors are trimming exposure to chipmakers after a $1.8tn rally, with firms like Fidelity and BlackRock questioning the sustainability of gains in Taiwan Semiconductor, SK Hynix and Samsung. The sector now makes up around 29% of the MSCI Emerging Markets index, prompting concerns about concentration risk and a potential cycle peak.