FCA fines and bans former Towry adviser for insider dealing in Ashcourt Rowan acquisition

Traded shares during takeover negotiations

Carmen Reichman
clock • 2 min read

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined financial adviser Mark Taylor £36,285 and banned him for a period of at least two years for engaging in market abuse during its takeover negotiations with Ashcourt Rowan.

The FCA found that Taylor, an experienced financial adviser who had worked at Towry for two and a half years, bought shares in Ashcourt Rowan off the back of inside information accidentally provided to him in his role at Towry. Towry made an offer to acquire wealth manager Ashcourt Rowan for £2.70 per share in February 2015, following which discussions continued into March 2015 without a deal being finalised. The FCA found on 12 March 2015, before any public announcement had been made, an internal email was sent to all Towry staff stating that the firm had increased its offer for Ashc...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

Beyond London: Adviser opportunities in regional investment

Beyond London: Adviser opportunities in regional investment

Hugi Clarke unpacks the regional growth agenda

Isabel Baxter
clock 31 July 2026 • 1 min read
Looking beyond the oil shock

Looking beyond the oil shock

'A few weeks ago, there was genuine reason for optimism'

Fahad Hassan
clock 27 July 2026 • 4 min read
What does a new PM and chancellor mean for investments?

What does a new PM and chancellor mean for investments?

'What is important is what happens over the long term'

Jasper Thornton Boelman
clock 23 July 2026 • 4 min read