Industry chief warns ‘resilience not enough’ for growth August 18, 2026 The boss of Britain’s largest industry body has warned the government that “resilience alone” would not boost growth in the UK, firing the starting gun on two months of policy lobbying ahead of a pivotal Autumn Budget. Writing exclusively for City AM, the boss of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has urged the government [...]
Jobless Banquet: Youth unemployment surge ‘sends Neets to KFC’ August 18, 2026 A surge in youth unemployment has fuelled the rise of chicken shops across British high streets as young people not in work, education or training – known as Neets – have flocked to fast food, a consultancy has argued. Analysts at Baringa, a consultancy with more than 2,000 employees, have drawn a link between the [...]
Picky Brits: Heatwave fuels surge in finger food spending August 18, 2026 Record summer temperatures have driven a surge in “picky bits” spending as British shoppers rush to the chilled aisle in a boost to UK supermarkets. The sweltering heat is causing Brits to cut back their grocery bills, instead spending little and often on items like olives and quiche, according to figures from Worldpanel by Numerator. [...]
Amanda Blanc has worked her magic at Aviva August 18, 2026 For twenty years Aviva found itself struggling to cement its position in the insurance market. The arrival of Amanda Blanc changed the group’s fortune and share price. Maisie Grice looks into how she executed Aviva’s revival and what could come next. Few FTSE 100 constituents have executed a turnaround quite like Aviva’s. The insurance giant [...]
London Gatwick hotel owner plans swanky 18,000-capacity sport arena August 18, 2026 A Canadian property tycoon whose portfolio includes a hotel by Gatwick Airport is planning an 18,000-capacity arena for one of his sports teams. Tom Gaglardi is hoping to have a new arena up and running for the start of the 2031 hockey season, with his franchise’s existing lease running out in five years. The Dallas [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers ups stake in Hugo Boss after takeover bid August 18, 2026 Frasers Group has pushed up its stake in Hugo Boss to nearly half of the company, though Mike Ashley’s group misses out on full control of the luxury fashion brand. The Sports Direct owner has increased its portion of the German fashion house to nearly 48 per cent after offering €38 for every share in [...]
Public sector makes wage growth higher than expected August 18, 2026 Wage growth was higher than expected as pay offers in the public sector far outweighed growth in the private sector, new data has revealed. Official statistics have shown that wage growth, including bonuses, reached 4.1 per cent between April and June compared to a market forecast of four per cent. This was still lower than [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 mixed; oil breaks $91 as Trump rules out new US-Iran ceasefire August 18, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are marching higher after Donald Trump refused to extend the ceasefire between the US and Iran following its expiration on Monday. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – broke above $91 per barrel as tensions persisted over the Strait of Hormuz and a [...]
AIM-Listed Pulsar Group hit with High Court petition by HMRC August 18, 2026 Pulsar Group, a UK-based technology company listed on AIM, and its media matchmaking subsidiary, ResponseSource, face a winding-up petition from HMRC. The group, formerly known as Access Intelligence, provides SaaS solutions for the global marketing, public relations and journalism sectors. A petition filed with the London High Court on Friday named it. Additionally, ResponseSource, the [...]
City law firm sues prominent Emirati business family August 18, 2026 London-headquartered law firm Charles Russell Speechlys has initiated legal action against investment entities controlled by the prominent Emirati business family Al-Sari, City AM can reveal, marking the latest development in an ongoing multi-jurisdictional dispute with its former client. The case stems from overlapping legal challenges involving entities in the Al-Sari family’s portfolio. The law firm, [...]