By Lucca de Paoli | Updated on Jun 09, 2026 at 03:09 PM
The firm run by stockpicker Neil Woodford said information it’s providing to subscribers sits outside the “regulatory perimeter,” despite the UK’s market watchdog taking action against the firm for providing unauthorized investment advice.
W4.0 said it was surprised that the Financial Conduct Authority made the announcement about seeking an injunction while it was in negotiations with the regulator, according to a statement on Tuesday. “We would have continued the dialog, and it is regrettable that the FCA has chosen to litigate instead.”
The financial regulator is seeking to block Woodford and W4.0 from “carrying on the potentially unlawful activities.”
Read more: Neil Woodford Sued Over Alleged Unlawful Investment Advice
“Like other publishers and platforms offering this kind of information, it was built to sit outside the regulatory perimeter, and we remain confident that it does,” the firm said in an email.
Woodford Investment Management imploded in June 2019 in one of London’s most dramatic collapses in recent years, trapping thousands of retail investors and around £3.7 billion ($5 billion) in assets. The FCA last year fined Woodford and his fund empire a total of £46 million over shortcomings in the lead up to the fund’s collapse.
Woodford offers a subscription service to his investment strategies, Woodford Views, through W4.0 that’s registered in the United Arab Emirates. The stockpicker’s new venture is a form of tip-service, where individuals can pay to receive research and access to strategies Woodford runs.