FTSE 100 Live: Stocks inch up; Fuel shortage fears hit airlines; Unilever nears food deal March 31, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are on track for its biggest monthly gain on record for March following the outbreak of war in Iran. It comes as the war in Iran continues to cause ripples through the market, with Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices [...]
As KPMG looks to cut hundreds of staff, expect more layoffs at the Big Four March 31, 2026 The Big Four giants, after hitting pandemic-era highs, are currently navigating a perfect storm of challenges: a harsher market, a surge in AI investment and a stagnant economy. These pressures are forcing firms to take a pair of shears to their workforces as the industry’s traditional “attrition model” fails to keep pace with reality. Over [...]
How high will Starmer let fuel prices climb? March 31, 2026 Petrol station forecourts were gripped by panic buying, industry groups warned of the crippling economic impact, supermarkets began rationing bread and milk, hospitals were cancelling appointments, schools closed, the army was on standby and Labour ministers appeared on the brink of losing control of the country. That was just over 25 years ago, when truckers [...]
NBA Europe to copy The Hundred sale process as bid deadline arrives March 31, 2026 The NBA will borrow from English cricket’s playbook when its plans to launch a European league in 2027 take another step forward this week. Potential investors including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, RedBird Capital and Qatar Sports Investments have until midnight on Tuesday New York time to lodge their bids for one of the 12 [...]
Shop prices creep up as retailers brace for Iran war supply chain disruption March 31, 2026 Shop price inflation edged up in March as cost rises related to the Iran war began to take effect. The cost of shop items increased by 1.2 per cent year on year in March, up from 1.1 per cent in February, according to data compiled by NIQ for the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The BRC [...]
FCA slashes banks’ motor finance payouts as compensation scheme finalised March 30, 2026 City banks are set to face a more than £9bn motor finance bill after the UK’s financial watchdog laid out plans for its long-awaited motor finance redress scheme in a major U-turn after months of backlash. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed the details of its industry-wide redress scheme for the car mis-selling saga on [...]
Marseille owners back $300m prize equestrian Premier Jumping League March 30, 2026 The owner of French football giants Marseille has backed a new showjumping league offering $300m in prize money. Premier Jumping League launched this week with plans to revolutionise a sport often associated with an older, richer demographic. Backed by former Dodgers and current Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille owners McCourt Global, the new competition [...]
London developers call for emergency measures in office space squeeze March 30, 2026 The capital’s largest developers have called on the government to introduce emergency measures to solve London’s office space crisis, which risks “constraining” growth. London Property Alliance (LPA) is urging the government to designate offices as critical economic infrastructure to address dwindling supply and boost economic growth. The LPA represents the capital’s largest property developers and [...]
Why the AI boom can’t be compared to the dotcom bubble March 30, 2026 Fears that the AI boom is heading for a dotcom-esque crash have been simmering for quite some time now, as tech stocks wobble and valuations reset. But new data suggests the comparison is flawed, and risks missing what is actually happening in the market. According to Redpoint Ventures’ 2026 market update, today’s AI cycle is [...]
Cardiff City fails in £100m claim against Nantes over Emiliano Sala death March 30, 2026 Cardiff City’s £100m Emiliano Sala compensation claim has been dismissed by a French judge. The League One club had been claiming over £100m in compensation for loss of income and damages after footballer Sala died when a plane carrying him to Wales for his transfer to the Premier League crashed into the English Channel in [...]