\n Finance news. Credit: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels <\/p>\n
Services sector<\/strong><\/p>\n SPAIN\u2019S services sector saw its fastest growth since February, with domestic demand driving a sharp jump in activity in July, according to S&P Global. The HCOB Spain Services PMI rose to 55.1 in July from 51.9 in June, showing solid expansion. Economist Jonas Feldhusen of Hamburg Commercial Bank said this \u201creinforces expectations that the current growth trajectory could persist.\u201d With 0.7 per cent GDP growth in Q2 and robust manufacturing data, Spain may outpace the eurozone this year.<\/p>\n UK minimum wage<\/strong><\/p>\n ON August 5, the UK Government announced plans to remove \u201cdiscriminatory\u201d age bands from the minimum wage system, moving towards a single adult rate. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the change aims to ensure \u201ca fair deal for our lowest paid workers\u201d as part of the government\u2019s Plan for Change. Could this finally mean equal pay for equal work, no matter the person\u2019s age?<\/p>\n Wallapop sale<\/strong><\/p>\n SOUTH KOREAN tech giant Naver has acquired Spain\u2019s largest second-hand marketplace, Wallapop, for \u20ac377 million, as confirmed on August 5. The move gives Naver full control of the popular C2C platform, which boasts over 19 million monthly users. Rob Cassedy, CEO of Wallapop, told Business Korea<\/a>, \u201cWe will strengthen our position in the European market by securing differentiated service competitiveness.\u201d Will this shake up Europe\u2019s second-hand scene?<\/p>\n Most Read on Euro Weekly News<\/p>\n Lufthansa exits<\/strong><\/p>\n LUFTHANSA has pulled out of talks to buy into Air Europa, leaving Turkish Airlines as the Spanish carrier\u2019s sole option after Air France-KLM also withdrew and IAG was ruled out as a takeover candidate by competition concerns.<\/p>\n BK-Iberdrola<\/strong><\/p>\n BURGER KING and Iberdrola Espa\u00f1a have signed a long-term deal for 1,900 GWh of renewable electricity, now powering over 900 Spanish restaurants. The partnership includes 348 EV charging points across 173 sites, supporting the chain\u2019s green energy transition.<\/p>\n Parents struggling<\/strong><\/p>\n LOQBOX\u2019S 2025 Parents\u2019 Planner reveals 81 per cent of UK parents feel financially strained this summer, with over half worse off than last year. Rising holiday, childcare, and school costs are pushing more families to rely on credit cards.<\/p>\n WFH<\/strong><\/p>\n NEARLY half of UK businesses now want staff back in the office full-time, according to the British Chambers of Commerce. Despite 9 per cent reporting staff resignations over inflexibility, many firms are saying no to working from home \u2013 some linking it to bonuses.<\/p>\n Data ban<\/strong><\/p>\n SPAIN\u2019S Data Protection Agency has blocked the Chamber of Commerce and companies including Camerdata and Informa from selling self-employed workers\u2019 data, citing no legal basis. The AEPD says such use violates GDPR transparency rules and must stop immediately.<\/p>\n Banco Sabadell<\/strong><\/p>\n BANCO SABADELL has teamed up with DXC Technology to make its digital banking services more accessible, especially for people with disabilities. As PR Newswire reports, the AI-led project is run from the bank\u2019s Alicante tech hub and aims to meet Spanish and EU accessibility standards while improving inclusion for its 12 million users.<\/p>\n Gibraltar delisted<\/strong><\/p>\n GIBRALTAR was officially taken off the EU\u2019s list of high-risk third countries as reported by an official press release on August 5, 2025. This follows major improvements to its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) systems.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is good for business. It is good for trade,\u201d said Minister Nigel Feetham KC MP.<\/p>\n MAPFRE soars<\/strong><\/p>\n MAPFRE AM now manages \u20ac39.67 billion, making it Spain\u2019s largest non-bank asset manager. Profits hit \u20ac25.95 million in H1 2025 \u2013 up 19.4 per cent. Client assets rose 4 per cent, driven by \u20ac297 million in net subscriptions across investment and pension funds.<\/p>\n W2M expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n W2M has appointed Elena Cabrera \u2013 former Ryanair country manager for Spain, Portugal, France, and Morocco \u2013 to lead its international growth. She\u2019ll drive the Spanish group\u2019s expansion into markets like Morocco and Central Europe, strengthening its global broadcasting presence.<\/p>\n Statistic of the week:<\/p>\n The M&A market in Spain fell by 17 per cent<\/a> in July 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n View all finance news.<\/a><\/p>\n View all news from the UK.<\/a><\/p>\n