UK Company Historieshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/Company timelines traced through filingsWhich Arm company went public on Nasdaq in 2023?https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/arm-uk-entities-nasdaq-listing-1990-2023/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/arm-uk-entities-nasdaq-listing-1990-2023/Arm Holdings plc began Nasdaq trading in September 2023 using a UK parent incorporated in 2018. Its prospectus traces the operating company to 1990 and identifies a separate earlier listed parent bought by SoftBank in 2016.How ASOS sold control of Topshop and Topmanhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/asos-topshop-topman-brand-rights-joint-venture/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/asos-topshop-topman-brand-rights-joint-venture/ASOS acquired four Arcadia brands in 2021, then moved Topshop and Topman into a joint venture in 2024. It received GBP 135 million in cash and kept a 25% interest in the company that owns the two brands.How AstraZeneca's business changed from Zeneca to Alexionhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/astrazeneca-from-ici-demerger-to-rare-disease-1993-2021/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/astrazeneca-from-ici-demerger-to-rare-disease-1993-2021/Zeneca emerged from an ICI demerger in 1993 and merged with Sweden's Astra in 1999. AstraZeneca later spun out its agrochemicals business and added MedImmune and Alexion.How BHP replaced its London parent with shares in its Australian parenthttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/bhp-dual-listed-unification-london-shares/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/bhp-dual-listed-unification-london-shares/BHP operated through two listed parent companies for about two decades. In January 2022 the UK scheme transferred the London parent under the Australian parent, with more than 2.1 billion new ordinary shares issued to make the switch.How BP combined with Amoco and ARCO while selling ARCO's Alaska businesshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/bp-amoco-arco-two-acquisitions-and-alaska-sale/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/bp-amoco-arco-two-acquisitions-and-alaska-sale/BP and Amoco merged in December 1998. The enlarged company completed its ARCO acquisition in April 2000 after U.S. competition review. ARCO's Alaska business went to Phillips as part of the remedy.How British Airways became part of International Airlines Grouphttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/british-airways-iberia-formation-iag-2009-2015/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/british-airways-iberia-formation-iag-2009-2015/British Airways and Iberia completed their merger in January 2011 under a Spanish holding company. Their airline brands continued, while the group combined cargo operations and added other carriers.How the government sold BT in three share offeringshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/bt-privatisation-three-share-sales-1984-1993/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/bt-privatisation-three-share-sales-1984-1993/The UK government first offered a majority of British Telecommunications shares in 1984. It sold more shares in 1991 and 1993 and relinquished its remaining special share in 1997.How Diageo moved from a food and drinks group to branded drinkshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/diageo-from-1997-merger-to-branded-drinks-2002/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/diageo-from-1997-merger-to-branded-drinks-2002/The 1997 Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merger created Diageo with major food and drinks businesses. Over the next five years it sold Pillsbury and Burger King while adding selected Seagram spirits brands.GSK and Haleon split in July 2022. What did each shareholder receive?https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/gsk-haleon-demerger-share-register/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/gsk-haleon-demerger-share-register/GSK shareholders of record received one Haleon share per GSK share in July 2022. GSK then consolidated its own shares four for five. The two steps changed different registers, while Pfizer and pension-related entities held separate stakes in Haleon.How buying Midland Bank moved HSBC’s head office to Londonhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/hsbc-midland-bank-from-minority-to-london-head-office/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/hsbc-midland-bank-from-minority-to-london-head-office/HSBC bought 14.9% of Midland Bank in 1987 and the remaining interests in 1992. The takeover put Midland under HSBC Holdings and moved the group head office from Hong Kong to London.How Informa took a 57% stake in the enlarged TechTargethttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/informa-techtarget-digital-business-combination-2024/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/informa-techtarget-digital-business-combination-2024/Informa contributed digital businesses and US$350 million to a transaction with TechTarget in December 2024. Former TechTarget investors received stock and cash, while the UK company acquired a controlling interest in the enlarged Nasdaq-listed business.What Kraft paid for Cadbury and how the deal changed UK takeover ruleshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/kraft-cadbury-offer-and-takeover-code-reform/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/kraft-cadbury-offer-and-takeover-code-reform/Kraft's recommended offer combined 500 pence in cash and 0.1874 Kraft shares per Cadbury ordinary share. The U.S. buyer declared the offer unconditional in February 2010. The takeover became a test case for Britain's rules on bidder statements and offer conduct.How LSEG added Refinitiv and sold Borsa Italianahttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/lseg-refinitiv-acquisition-and-borsa-italiana-sale-2019-2021/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/lseg-refinitiv-acquisition-and-borsa-italiana-sale-2019-2021/London Stock Exchange Group completed its Refinitiv acquisition on 29 January 2021. It sold Borsa Italiana to Euronext three months later as part of the competition commitments for the deal.How Melrose turned its GKN acquisition into two listed companieshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/melrose-gkn-dowlais-share-consolidation/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/melrose-gkn-dowlais-share-consolidation/Five years after taking control of GKN, Melrose separated automotive, powder metallurgy and hydrogen into Dowlais. Shareholders first had their existing Melrose shares consolidated, then received a new share in Dowlais for each consolidated share.Who bought the 87 sites sold after the Morrisons takeover?https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/morrisons-cdr-87-forecourt-divestitures/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/morrisons-cdr-87-forecourt-divestitures/The CMA accepted a remedy requiring the sale of 87 sites after CD&R bought Morrisons. Nine buyers took them from January to May 2023, with SGN and Shell accounting for 58.How National Grid sold Britain's electricity system operator for £673 millionhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/national-grid-electricity-system-operator-public-ownership/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/national-grid-electricity-system-operator-public-ownership/Britain's electricity system operator left National Grid on 1 October 2024 and became part of the publicly owned National Energy System Operator. National Grid reported £673 million in total consideration after an earlier £630 million enterprise value announcement.How Prudential separated M&G and Jackson in two different demergershttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/prudential-m-and-g-jackson-two-demerger-distributions/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/prudential-m-and-g-jackson-two-demerger-distributions/Prudential distributed one M&G share for every Prudential share in 2019, and one Jackson share for every 40 in 2021. The separate listings and Prudential’s initial retained Jackson stake show how the two transactions differed.How Rolls-Royce’s aero-engine business changed handshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/rolls-royce-aero-engine-ownership-timeline/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/rolls-royce-aero-engine-ownership-timeline/Rolls-Royce started as a car maker, built an aero-engine business and entered state ownership in 1971 when the RB211 programme ran into trouble. The motor and aero-engine businesses then followed separate ownership paths.Royal Mail from the 2013 flotation to EP Group's 2025 acquisitionhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/royal-mail-privatisation-ep-group-golden-share/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/royal-mail-privatisation-ep-group-golden-share/The UK government reduced its Royal Mail stake from 30% after the 2013 flotation to zero in 2015. A decade later EP Group acquired the postal operator's parent, with a new government consent right over Royal Mail's headquarters and tax residence.What Asahi bought when AB InBev took over SABMillerhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/sabmiller-ab-inbev-asahi-two-european-divestitures/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/sabmiller-ab-inbev-asahi-two-european-divestitures/AB InBev completed its purchase of UK-listed SABMiller in October 2016. Two sales to Asahi then separated the Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime businesses and a distinct package spanning five Central and Eastern European countries.Why the Sainsbury’s and Asda merger fell apart in 2019https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/sainsburys-asda-merger-competition-block/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/sainsburys-asda-merger-competition-block/The proposal would have made Walmart a 42% shareholder in the combined retailer. The Competition and Markets Authority traced the consequences through supermarket aisles, delivery areas and petrol forecourts before prohibiting the deal.Where Tesco’s store network grew in its 2025 reporting yearhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/tesco-store-network-by-market-2024-2025/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/tesco-store-network-by-market-2024-2025/Tesco reported 5,040 group locations including franchises at its 2025 year-end, up from 4,942. Its UK count excluding franchises rose by 43, while UK One Stop franchises increased by 37.How old are the companies on the UK register?https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/uk-company-register-age-2026/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/uk-company-register-age-2026/Nearly seven in ten UK companies on the register were under ten years old on 31 March 2026. The largest group was one to four years old. The average age across the register was 9.2 years.How Unilever moved from two parents to one UK companyhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/unilever-dual-parent-unification-2020-timeline/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/unilever-dual-parent-unification-2020-timeline/Unilever combined its Dutch and UK parent companies on 29 November 2020. Unilever PLC survived the cross-border merger, and the Dutch parent, Unilever NV, ceased to exist.How VodafoneThree went from joint venture to sole ownershiphttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/vodafone-three-uk-merger-joint-venture-to-sole-ownership/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/vodafone-three-uk-merger-joint-venture-to-sole-ownership/Vodafone UK and Three UK combined on 31 May 2025, with Vodafone holding 51%. Vodafone bought out CK Hutchison's 49% interest in July 2026 while the original competition undertakings continued.How Whitbread turned Costa's £3.9bn sale into a hotel-focused businesshttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/whitbread-costa-sale-cash-bridge/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/whitbread-costa-sale-cash-bridge/Whitbread bought Costa for £19 million in 1995 when it had 39 shops. Its 2019 sale to Coca-Cola generated £3.8 billion in net cash proceeds and left Whitbread to expand Premier Inn in Britain and Germany.Two Capital Pay companies in the UK registerhttps://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/capital-pay-two-company-records/https://ukcompanyhistories.com/stories/capital-pay-two-company-records/Companies House has separate company records for Capital Pay Ltd and Capital Pay Software Solutions Ltd. Their company numbers are 16137715 and 16160215 respectively.