As it happened: Choppy finish for FTSE 100 as global markets rocked by AI sell-off May 19, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Businesses have raised the alarm over falling vacancies as new data showed a further weakening in the jobs market. Vacancies remained at a five-year low in April 2026, with a leading industry group saying recruiters were “pausing” plans to hire workers. The British Chambers of Commerce’s head of [...]
UK Private Capital raises alarm over ‘slow and unclear’ progress from Mansion House signatories May 19, 2026 A leading private capital trade body has raised the alarm over the lack of urgency from Mansion House signatories to meet their commitments and increase allocations into venture capital. UK Private Capital, which was previously known as the British Venture Capital Association, has called on signatories to work faster, after uncovering limited evidence of any [...]
ETF demand surges and cash appetite grows amid Iran conflict May 18, 2026 Demand for ETFs has surged in the first quarter of the financial year as investors look to further diversify their portfolios to avoid market concentration and the fallout of the Iran war, with some increasing their cash holdings. The average exchange traded-funds (ETFs) holding has doubled in the past five years, increasing from six per [...]
Platinum prices soar amid supply deficit and AI demand May 18, 2026 Platinum group metals saw significant price gains over the course of 2025, after tightening physical supplies and increasing retail and institutional investor interest hiked costs. Platinum’s average price rocketed 33 per cent last year, hitting $1,280 (£985.5) per ounce, up from $960 the prior year, according to the latest report from Metals Focus. The price [...]
Spire Healthcare shares rocket after £1bn bid approach May 14, 2026 Shares in Spire Healthcare shot to the top of the FTSE 250 on Wednesday, after the firm’s board signalled it would back a £1bn bid approach for the company from its second-biggest existing investor. Private equity outfit Toscafund said it would offer 250p per share, a hefty 66 per cent premium from Wednesday’s closing price [...]
Investing in space tech is the new frontier May 13, 2026 After SpaceX, more investors are looking to the stars. Maisie Grice talks to the co-founder of Seraphim Space Investment Trust about investing’s final frontier Twelve years ago, investing in space technology was perceived as science fiction, but Mark Boggett saw an opportunity. While some investment trusts had fund allocation to companies investing in the technology, [...]
Wealth managers shares fall amid Starmer political storm May 12, 2026 A host of the City’s top listed wealth managers suffered sharp sell-offs on Tuesday morning as questions over Starmer’s future caused government borrowing costs to soar. Investors have been on alert since fears of a rebellion against Starmer began after last week’s local election results, with the spike in gilt yields now triggering a sell [...]
UK investors return to equities after 10 month selling stint May 7, 2026 UK investors ended an equity inflow drought in April, bringing an end to a 10-month-long selling spree. UK investors added £1.1bn in equity funds last month, according to the latest fund flow index from Calastone, marking the best month of inflows since April 2025. But flows were concentrated, with investors opting to commit capital to [...]
Revealed: The 2026 City AM Awards Winners May 7, 2026 Around 500 guests enjoyed a night of celebration at London’s Guildhall on Wednesday 6 May where the winners of the 2026 City AM Awards were crowned. From 60 finalists across 12 categories, the judges chose their champions. Personality of the Year Greg Jackson CBE The entrepreneur and CEO of Octopus Energy has become one of [...]
Kospi breaks 7,000 mark as Samsung becomes trillion-dollar company May 6, 2026 South Korea’s bluechip index soared to record highs during Wednesday trading, after a rally in semiconductor stocks propelled it past the 7,000 mark. The index surged 6.4 per cent to 7,384.5 points after strong gains from heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Samsung Electronics rocketed 14.4 per cent to 266,000 KRW (£134.7), with its performance [...]