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Barclay Brothers Avoid Bankruptcy: HSBC Drops High Court Petitions After IVA Deal

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Howard and Aidan Barclay have been given six weeks to reach an agreement with creditors after HSBC launched bankruptcy proceedings over debts linked to the collapse of the family’s logistics empire.

Aidan and Howard Barclay, the eldest sons of the late Sir David Barclay, have narrowly sidestepped bankruptcy after striking an eleventh-hour deal with creditors that has prompted HSBC to abandon its pursuit of the brothers through the High Court.

At a hearing on Tuesday, the bank’s counsel Matthew Abraham told Judge Burton that HSBC was now seeking to have its bankruptcy petitions dismissed following the approval of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), the formal alternative to bankruptcy that allows debtors to settle obligations with creditors on agreed terms.

“In the circumstances, the petitioner seeks dismissal of the petitions following approval of the IVA,” Mr Abraham told the court. The arrangement, the court was told, had been waved through at a virtual creditors’ meeting the previous Tuesday. Judge Burton said she was “content in the circumstances” to grant the dismissal. The terms of the agreement remain confidential.

For Aidan, 70, and Howard, 66, the ruling brings a measure of personal reprieve after a wretched run for the once-formidable Barclay business empire, though it does little to mask the scale of value that has bled away from a fortune painstakingly assembled by their father and his late twin, Sir Frederick, through decades of debt-fuelled acquisitions.

HSBC filed its bankruptcy petitions against the brothers in December, citing substantial sums owed in the wake of the family’s logistics business going under. The bank has so far recovered just £1.2 million of a £143.5 million secured loan from the administration of Logistics Group, the parent company behind the Barclay-owned parcel carriers Yodel and ArrowXL.

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Logistics Group tipped into administration in March 2024 after HSBC pulled the plug on its facility and the business proved unable to repay. The collapse was a hammer blow not only to the family’s balance sheet but to thousands of SME retailers who relied on Yodel as a low-cost alternative to the dominant carriers.

At an earlier hearing in late March, HSBC had raised “various issues over assets, who owns them and where they come from”, pointed language that hinted at the bank’s reservations about the brothers’ initial proposals to creditors. That those concerns appear to have been resolved sufficiently to secure approval marks a notable, if quiet, victory for the Barclay camp.

The IVA is the latest chapter in the unwinding of one of Britain’s most secretive business dynasties. The family has, in short order, lost control of a series of trophy assets including The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Very Group, the online retailer formerly known as Shop Direct.

Last month, Axel Springer, the Berlin-based media group behind Bild and Politico, agreed to acquire Telegraph Media Group for £575 million, seeing off a competing bid from Lord Rothermere’s Daily Mail and General Trust. The sale brought to a close a protracted ownership saga that began when Lloyds Banking Group seized the Telegraph titles in 2023 over unpaid debts owed by the Barclay family’s holding companies.

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For Britain’s SME community, the Barclay saga is more than a tabloid spectacle. It stands as a cautionary tale of the perils of leverage, the speed at which a long-built empire can unspool when lenders lose patience, and the practical utility of the IVA mechanism for owner-operators staring down personal liability for corporate debts. Restructuring practitioners have long argued that IVAs remain underused by directors of failed businesses who too often default into formal bankruptcy at significant personal and professional cost.

Whether the brothers’ arrangement holds, and what it ultimately yields for HSBC and the wider creditor pool, will not be known for some time. But for now, at least, Aidan and Howard Barclay live to fight another day.


Jamie Young

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

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Looking for best equity MFs to invest for 3 years? Check these 6 funds with over 27% returns

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Pilgrim’s Pride Logs Lower Profit, Higher Revenue

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Pilgrim’s Pride Logs Lower Profit, Higher Revenue

Pilgrim’s Pride PPC 6.26%increase; green up pointing triangle reported a lower profit but higher revenue in the first quarter, citing resilient chicken demand.

The chicken and pork manufacturer Wednesday logged a profit of $101.4 million, or 43 cents a share. That compares with a profit of $296 million, or $1.24 a share, a year earlier.

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Adamas Trust, Inc. 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation (NASDAQ:ADAM) 2026-05-01

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Q1: 2026-04-29 Earnings Summary

EPS of $0.29 beats by $0.06

 | Revenue of $48.41M (46.27% Y/Y) misses by $1.17M

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Seeking Alpha’s transcripts team is responsible for the development of all of our transcript-related projects. We currently publish thousands of quarterly earnings calls per quarter on our site and are continuing to grow and expand our coverage. The purpose of this profile is to allow us to share with our readers new transcript-related developments. Thanks, SA Transcripts Team

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Bayer recalls nearly 800,000 Afrin bottles over child safety risk

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Bayer recalls nearly 800,000 Afrin bottles over child safety risk

Bayer issued a recall for nearly 800,000 units of Afrin nasal spray bottles after the packaging was found to be not child resistant on Thursday.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall Thursday, saying any customers who purchased the product are entitled to a refund. The recall impacts 786,100 units of the 6ml travel-size Afrin nasal spray.

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“This recall involves unexpired Travel Size Afrin® Original Nasal Spray 6 mL bottles, with Lot numbers 230361, 240822, 241198, 250066, 250152, 250646, and 250831. These travel size bottles have ‘Afrin® Original Nasal Spray’ and ‘1/5 FL OZ (6 mL)’ printed on a label located on the front of the bottle,” the CPSC recall reads.

“The 6 mL nasal spray’s packaging is not child-resistant nor bears the required labeling statement, posing a risk of serious injury or illness from poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children,” the statement added.

BEEF STICKS FOOD PRODUCT RECALLED FOR ‘PIECES OF METAL’ FOUND INSIDE

Afrin recall

The CSPC issued a recall for Afrin nasal spray. (CSPC)

No injuries have been reported in connection with the recall.

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The news comes just a day after nearly 13,000 toddler towers across three brands were recalled after dozens of incidents and 21 injuries were reported due to stools collapsing or tipping, according to the CPSC.

The three affected products — Toetol Tower Stools, Wiifo Children’s Tower Stools and Amzcmj DGD Children’s Tower Stools — total about 12,830 stools, according to notices from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED SNACK PRODUCT SOLD IN 16 STATES RECALLED FOR POTENTIALLY UNDECLARED ALMONDS AND CASHEWS

Recalled toddler stools

Toetol Tower Stools, Wiifo Children’s Tower Stools and Amzcmj DGD Children’s Tower Stools (Consumer Product Safety Commission)

The recall covers about 3,000 Toetol Tower Stools, 9,700 Wiifo Children’s Tower Stools and 130 Amzcmj DGD Children’s Tower Stools.

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“The recalled tower stools can collapse or tip over while in use and a child’s torso can fit through the openings on the tower’s sides, posing a risk of serious injury and death due to tip over, fall and entrapment hazards,” the notices read.

For the Toetol Tower Stools, there have been 18 reports of the stools collapsing, resulting in 11 injuries, including contusions, cuts and scrapes.

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The wooden kitchen tower step stools were sold in white, gray and dark wood colors and measure about 20 inches deep, 15 inches wide and 36 inches tall with model DETD0001 printed on a label on the side. They were sold online on Amazon from October 2024 through March 2026 for about $130.

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SP Group A/S 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation (OTCMKTS:SPGGF) 2026-05-01

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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

This article was written by

Seeking Alpha’s transcripts team is responsible for the development of all of our transcript-related projects. We currently publish thousands of quarterly earnings calls per quarter on our site and are continuing to grow and expand our coverage. The purpose of this profile is to allow us to share with our readers new transcript-related developments. Thanks, SA Transcripts Team

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Hertz, Uber partner to build robotaxi fleets in major mobility push

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Hertz, Uber partner to build robotaxi fleets in major mobility push

Hertz is expanding beyond its traditional car rental business through a new partnership with Uber aimed at powering both autonomous robotaxi fleets and driver-led rideshare operations, signaling a broader shift in the transportation industry.

Under the agreement, Hertz’s newly launched unit, Oro Mobility, will manage vehicle operations for Uber, including maintenance, charging, cleaning and logistics for autonomous vehicles. 

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The robotaxi service, which will use Lucid vehicles equipped with Nuro self-driving technology, is expected to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year, with potential “expansion opportunities” in 2027.

Hertz will also supply and operate fleets of vehicles driven by its own employees on Uber’s platform, building on a pilot program that has already expanded into Los Angeles and San Francisco with additional markets planned.

UBER, RIVIAN INK $1.25B DEAL TO PUT THOUSANDS OF ROBOTAXIS ON US STREETS

A Lucid Gravity robotaxi.

A Lucid Gravity autonomous taxi at the first National AV Safety Forum held by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C., March 10, 2026. (Alex Kent/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The partnership highlights a shift in the ridesharing model away from individual car ownership toward centrally managed fleets. Hertz is positioning itself as a transportation infrastructure provider, leveraging its expertise in large-scale vehicle logistics and maintenance.

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Ticker Security Last Change Change %
UBER UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC. 74.61 +0.14 +0.19%
HTZ HERTZ GLOBAL 6.36 +0.76 +13.57%

Uber, meanwhile, is continuing to emphasize a platform-driven model, relying on partners like Hertz to manage fleet operations as it scales both human-driven and autonomous rides.

For Hertz, the deal represents a high-stakes bet on a new growth strategy after years of turbulence, while, for Uber, it marks another step toward a hybrid network that could eventually integrate human drivers with self-driving vehicles at scale.

An Uber sign.

Uber is continuing to emphasize a platform-driven model. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

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“Partnering with Hertz’s Oro Mobility will help us continue to bring the best autonomous technology onto the Uber platform and accelerate the transition to a hybrid network in which both driver-led and autonomous rideshare operations can scale and serve communities reliably and efficiently,” Uber’s Andrew Macdonald said in a statement. 

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“By combining Uber’s global platform and marketplace leadership with Oro’s dedicated fleet management expertise, we are well-equipped to meet increasing rideshare demand and deliver a seamless, high-quality rider experience across the entire mobility ecosystem.”

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Heating oil prices rose by 92% in March

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Data suggests prices peaked on 8 April when 500 litres cost an average of £627.

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