Surge in third-party funding sparks wave in FTSE shareholder lawsuits September 4, 2026 A surge in the availability of third-party funding has triggered a wave of speculative FTSE shareholder lawsuits as investors seek to cash in on claims of wrongdoing. Over the last year, multiple blue-chip names, including gambling giant Entain, smoking tycoon British American Tobacco (BAT), and fast fashion retailer Boohoo, have been summoned before the High [...]
Lloyd’s boss warns of ‘man-made catastrophes’ as Iran war hits insurance industry September 4, 2026 Squeezed by inflation and rising geopolitical tensions, the historic insurance market Lloyd’s of London suffered a hit to its profit in the first half of the year. Nowhere was this impact more acute than in its marine business, which faced severe pressure at the height of the US war with Iran. Over the past six [...]
Reform UK chiefs ask to meet gilt holders amid bond rout September 3, 2026 Robert Jenrick has asked to meet with top traders at the likes of Barclays and Goldman Sachs in London and New York who hold UK gilts as a recent surge in borrowing costs threatens the UK’s public finances. Reform’s Treasury spokesman announced at the Reform conference that he had written to the major holders of [...]
Services sector cuts jobs for nearly two years under cost pressures September 3, 2026 Employment in the UK’s services sector dropped for the 23rd consecutive month in August as businesses maintained hiring freezes and trimmed headcounts following cost pressures. S&P’s latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the services industry – which is closely monitored by economists – revealed the sector has continued its longest continuous stretch of workforce reductions [...]
Giving up vegan arm helps Britain’s biggest meatpacker eye profit surge September 3, 2026 The UK’s biggest meatpacker has upgraded its profit target after offloading its loss-making vegan arm. FTSE 250 listed Hilton, which packages beef, lamb and fish, said it now expected to make a pre-tax profit of between £66m and £71m, a 10 per cent uplift from its previous forecast range. That comes after the firm sold [...]
As it happened: Vodafone leads FTSE 100 rally after TV launch; oil jumps again September 3, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Telecoms giants Vodafone and Airtel Africa led a FTSE 100 rally on Thursday afternoon. Investors brushed off early losses caused by the steep sell-off in the the bond market. Two-year gilt yields, which gauges short term interest rate expectations, have jumped over 4.5 per cent, pushing up borrowing [...]
IMF sounds alarm on borrowing costs surge as bond rout deepens September 2, 2026 The global rise in borrowing costs is a “particular concern,” the International Monetary Fund has said, as UK bond yields reach a level last seen in the financial crisis. The yield on the 10-year UK gilt climbed four basis points on Wednesday morning to near 5.27 per cent, which followed the previous day’s rally that [...]
BP names new chair after boardroom bust-up September 2, 2026 Oil giant BP has named its new chair after a boardroom bust-up earlier this year sent its leadership into chaos. The FTSE 100 giant has tapped Ian Tyler, who has served as interim chair since 26 May. Tyler joined BP as a non-executive director in April 2025. He replaces Albert Manifold, who was stripped of [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 drops; bonds sell-off cools but oil holds firm September 2, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The FTSE 100 fell again on Wednesday as oil prices rose higher for the third consecutive session and keeping pressure on global markets. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – held around the $95 per barrel mark, securing it highest level since mid-July. It follows [...]
Burnham’s in hock to the bond markets – whether he likes it or not September 2, 2026 Andy Burnham once said this country shouldn’t be in hock to the bond markets, so it was unfortunate that his much-hyped return to the House of Commons yesterday was overshadowed by the surging cost of servicing government debt. The yield on the ten-year gilt has hit its highest level since 2008. The longer term 30 [...]