Sunday newspaper round-up: Iran, UK retailers, Funding Circle

Two people are understood to have been killed after Iranian security forces reportedly opened fire on anti-government demonstrators on Saturday as the largest protests seen in the country since 2009 continued for a third day. Reports of the two deaths were were posted on social media. There was no official confirmation of the fatalities but the posted images appeared to show several bodies being carried away after clashes with police in the western city in Dorud. - The Sunday Telegraph

Britain's biggest retailers are due to report in the next fortnight including Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Next. Dozens of hedge funds have taken 'short' positions in some of Britain's largest shopping chains – a mechanism allowing them to bet on a price fall by borrowing shares. The controversial practice is monitored by the Financial Conduct Authority which logs short positions of more than 0.5%. The sudden activity in recent weeks will be seen as a loss of faith in some of the sector’s biggest stores groups. - Mail on Sunday

The peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle is poised to hire advisers to prepare for a £1bn-plus float next year. The finance firm, which helps savers lend money directly to businesses, has reportedly told investment banks it will hold a beauty parade early in the year. Funding Circle, which was founded in 2010 and has so far facilitated loans totalling more than $5bn (£3.7bn), is likely to hire bankers by the spring, according to Sky News. - The Sunday Times

Cambridge, Oxford and Milton Keynes will have the fastest growing economies of all Britain's cities in 2018, as the corridor north of London continues to attract strong investment. Despite London's traditional prowess and resources being ploughed into the so-called Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine, the trio of cities are set to prosper the most, based on a substantial skills base. Cambridge’s gross value added – a measure of economic output – will grow by 2.3% in 2018, followed by Oxford and Milton Keynes, both at 2%, according to a study from Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research. That is almost twice as fast as Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham. - The Sunday Telegraph

Jeremy Hunt, the UK health secretary, has been tipped to take over the Cabinet office role held by sacked first secretary Damian Green. Theresa May, the prime minister, has decided to hold a reshuffle in January to bring in younger MPs after concluding her government needs a new year reboot. According to sources, Hunt is not expected to be given the title of first secretary of state. However, one ally said: "Jeremy is a peacemaker and negotiator and that's what's needed to deal with Scotland and Wales, as they are going to be key to keep on side during Brexit negotiations." - The Sunday Times

The dealmaking boom is expected to continue next year, after Brexit, a general election and political uncertainty over Theresa May’s minority government failed to weigh on the volume of mergers and acquisitions during 2017. Data from the analyst Mergermarket shows 1,461 deals involving British companies were announced this year, close to the pre-crisis boom level of 2007. Professor Scott Moeller, a former Deutsche Bank corporate financier who is now director of Cass Business School’s mergers and acquisitions research centre, said: 2The last quarter has been very busy and most of the dealmakers I speak to say there is strong momentum going into the early next year." - The Sunday Times

Forty years ago, Ian Dury and the Blockheads released Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 – listing some of the better things in life as Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in the months following the winter of discontent. Fast forward to the opening days of 2018 and fresh political tumult threatens to cripple Britain once more. There are, however, some reasons to be cheerful about the prospects for the UK economy. Despite the political to-and-fro of the past year, the UK economy enters 2018 in better health than many would have given it credit for. - Guardian on Sunday