As it happened: Stocks jittery as oil nears $90; Trump ‘semi-negotiating’ with Iran August 11, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are marching higher for the fourth consecutive session, supported by new uncertainty between the US and Iran and continued agitation over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was holding above $87 per barrel on Tuesday [...]
World Cup leads UK spending boost as confidence rebounds August 11, 2026 Consumer spending across the UK jumped in July as Brits’ splurged on a summer of sport and sunshine, fresh data from Barclays has shown. Card spending jumped two per cent to its highest level in 12 months following a surge in transactions at pubs, bars and clubs during England’s World Cup run. Overall hospitality and [...]
Revolut lands fresh banking licence after wrestling with Europe friction August 10, 2026 Revolut has been granted a new full-fat banking licence with approval from the European Central Bank following previous friction with the prudential regulator. The $75bn fintech giant – which is currently undergoing a secondary share sale expected to value it at $115bn – revealed on Monday its European arm will accelerate its continental push under [...]
As it happened: Intel, Arm shares slide; Oil climbs higher August 10, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil is starting the new week higher and making its third consecutive session for gains after optimism for a peace deal between the US and Iran stalled over the weekend and uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz persisted. Donald Trump has said the US is “low-keying it” with Iran, [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise despite new tensions in Strait of Hormuz; Oil price climbs August 7, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. New tensions in the Strait of Hormuz this morning are leaving markets on edge and handing a blow to earlier optimism around a peace deal between the US and Iran. Oil is moving higher, reversing some of the drawback from the beginning of this week, after an attack [...]
Starling plans to ‘come out swinging’ in diversification bid August 6, 2026 Bernadette Smith has a spring in her step as she sits down in Starling’s headquarters to discuss her new role. The fintech’s new banking boss is buzzing with energy that she wants to pass onto customers and investors. “I want everyone to be talking about us,” she says, envisaging how she will measure success in [...]
Revolut founder’s wealth set to balloon amid talks of share award at $500bn valuation August 5, 2026 The billionaire founder of Revolut is set to see his wealth balloon following reports of a pay package that would land him a major stock windfall if the fintech reaches a $500bn valuation. The digital bank, which is currently undergoing a secondary share sale seeking to value the firm at $115bn, is in discussions to [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise as oil fluctuates after Red Sea attack; US-Iran deal ‘being circulated’ August 5, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices have snapped a losing streak following Yemen’s Houthis said they had attacked a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea. Brent crude drew back above the $80 per barrel mark on Wednesday morning on the news, but prices were still down for the week by around 10 [...]
Big bank bosses on alert as tax noise gets louder under Burnham August 5, 2026 Banks have delivered booming profits for the first half of the year. In this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at how the calls for a tax rise on the sector will get louder under the new Prime Minister. “The saxophones are getting louder” is the internet’s new saying to depict growing anxiety. If you [...]
Monitoring the situation: HSBC to add 46 CCTV cameras with ‘face detection’ outside new City HQ August 4, 2026 Few banks are better at monitoring the situation than HSBC. The UK’s biggest bank is gearing up to install dozens of CCTV cameras around the perimeter of its new City headquarters as it ramps up security ahead of its move from Canary Wharf next year. HSBC plans to fit as many as 51 new cameras, [...]