FTSE 100 Live: Bank shares surge; Gold surpasses $4,000 Markets Good morning from the City AM live blog team. Arguably no sector has had as sensitive share movement in recent months as the banking industry. In August, following the motor finance ruling, City banks added £7bn in market value after a major boost from the Supreme Court. But less than a month later after the [...]
Regulator fines KPMG for N Brown Group audit errors Big Four Big Four firm KPMG and a former partner have received heavy fines and formal reprimands from the accountancy regulator for serious failures in their audit of N Brown Group plc’s 2022 accounts. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) found that KPMG and Anthony Sykes failed to meet international auditing standards, with the firm admitting to serious [...]
What’s On in London in October 2025 City Talk As the leaves turn a golden hue, London in October is a city of stunning autumnal beauty and vibrant events. Explore the fiery foliage in the royal parks, get into the spooky spirit with a ghost tour or a Halloween party at a museum, attend a FREE Battle of Ideas event or discover the world-class [...]
Anita Rani interviews Luca restaurant owners about Michelin starred food and meditative music September 23, 2025 For the Autumn edition of City AM The Magazine, broadcaster and author Anita Rani interviews Luca and Clove Club founders Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis about making music and falling in love with food Daniel Willis: So Anita, do you remember how we all met? Anita Rani: Well, which version are we going to give? [...]
Mike Ashley’s investments double to £1bn thanks to Hugo Boss shares July 17, 2025 The total value of the stakes Mike Ashley’s empire holds in the likes of Hugo Boss, AO World and Boohoo have doubled to £1bn in just over a year, it has been revealed. According to the group’s latest financial results, which have been filed with the London Stock Exchange, the value of its investments in [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group backs N Brown takeover amid Mulberry pursuit October 18, 2024 Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has backed the £191m proposed takeover of JD Williams-owner N Brown and announced the sale of its 20 per cent stake in the company for £38m. The retail empire, which includes Sports Direct and House of Fraser, holds nearly 95,000,000 shares in the Manchester business and will sell them for 40p [...]
N Brown slams AIM as company set for takeover October 17, 2024 Retailer N Brown is set to be acquired by a company owned by its non-executive director, Joshua Alliance, as it looks to move off AIM. Its share price rose more than 40 per cent after the announcement. N Brown, which owns the brands JD Williams and Simply Be, has said the reduced appetite for UK [...]
Two of Mike Ashley’s brands face audit problems after payroll data goes missing September 22, 2024 Two fast-fashion brands at Mike Ashley’s Fraser Group, I Saw it First and Choice, have been affected by audit issues after their payment data could not be verified. Auditors Cooper Parry were unable to verify £7m of wages and salary payments at I Saw It First, according to This Is Money. The fast-fashion brand said [...]
The Notebook: Why the Consumer Duty is something to celebrate August 6, 2024 Where the City’s movers and shakers have their say. Today, Debbie Kennedy, CEO at Lifesearch, takes the notebook pen to tell us why we should cheer the Consumer Duty Happy birthday to the Consumer Duty! Last week saw the one-year anniversary of Consumer Duty – a relative ‘unknown’ for the average person on the street, [...]
Frasers Group: Four charts that show how Mike Ashley’s empire took over the high street July 24, 2024 Analysts are predicting Frasers Group will only continue to grow. Here’s four charts showing how it got there.