FTSE 100 ends record year with close just below 10,000 December 31, 2025 The FTSE 100 closed just below the record 10,000 in the final trading session of the year on Wednesday after a last-minute surge fizzled out. After a record-breaking 41 new all-time highs this year, the index ended 2025 up 20.2 per cent at 9,931. At the beginning of trading, it looked as if the index [...]
Visma IPO plans add to London’s late-year listings revival December 31, 2025 Norwegian software giant Visma is gearing up to be the latest boost to London’s stock market, as the City comes off its strongest year for IPO activity since 2021 following a late spurt of listings. London’s stock exchange welcomed 11 flotations this year, raising £1.9bn in total , more than double the proceeds of the [...]
Britain stuck at bottom of G7 for total investment as Labour’s policies backfire December 31, 2025 Rachel Reeves has come under fire after fresh data revealed Britain was stuck in last place among the world’s seven largest economies for total investment. Public and private investment marked just 18.6 per cent of GDP in the three months to September, placing the UK last among the G7 nations. Whilst it is a trend [...]
AI use will set great companies apart from the rest in 2026, Dell boss predicts December 31, 2025 The use of AI will “start to be a defining factor that sets great companies apart from the rest”, the UK boss of Dell has predicted. Steve Young, the US giant’s UK senior vice president and managing director, said progress has “laid a strong foundation” but told City AM that 2026 will be marked by [...]
AI needs to prove itself where it matters most December 31, 2025 People don’t step back from AI because they’re fearful of the technology itself. They step back when it doesn’t align with how their business actually works, writes Sage CEO Steve Hare. A few weeks ago, I spoke with a small business owner who had heard AI could help with her accounts. She wasn’t sure how. [...]
London Stock Exchange needs more ‘hustle’ to attract IPOs, says Octopus chief December 31, 2025 The boss of Octopus Energy Group has said the London Stock Exchange needs to show more “hustle” to attract new listing candidates like the group’s tech arm, Kraken. Greg Jackson, chief executive of Octopus, said whilst he would “love” for Kraken to list in the City, but added the London Stock Exchange (LSE) needs to [...]
Reading owner Rob Couhig considers selling training ground to raise funds December 31, 2025 Reading owner Rob Couhig is considering radical measures including downgrading the club’s Academy or selling the training ground to increase the funding he can make available to the first team. The American, who paid around £25m to buy the League One club from Dai Yongge at the end of last season, has been an outspoken critic of [...]
London IPO market saw tepid recovery in 2025 December 31, 2025 The London IPO market saw the beginnings of a recovery in 2025 as a flurry of listings in the fourth quarter helped offset an otherwise lackluster year for floats. Some $1.9bn (£14.1bn) was raised via initial public offerings in London over the course of the year, more than double the amount raised last year and [...]
Dua Lipa and Olivia Dean drive UK music boom despite fragile backdrop December 31, 2025 The UK recorded music industry chalked up an 11th consecutive year of growth this year, thanks to a new generation of British artists breaking through at home and overseas. The sector wins come despite mounting pressures that threaten its grassroots foundations. Figures published by industry body BPI show total recorded music consumption rose 4.9 per [...]
Elizabeth Line branded a ‘folie de grandeur’ in Treasury campaign against Crossrail December 31, 2025 Tory Chancellor Kenneth Clarke warned that initial plans for the Elizabeth Line were a “folie de grandeur” that taxpayers would be unwilling to foot the bill, during a protracted rearguard action against the megaproject by the Treasury in the 1990s, City AM can reveal. According to a fraught set of ministerial correspondence released to the [...]