Big bank bosses on alert as tax noise gets louder under Burnham August 5, 2026 Banks have delivered booming profits for the first half of the year. In this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at how the calls for a tax rise on the sector will get louder under the new Prime Minister. “The saxophones are getting louder” is the internet’s new saying to depict growing anxiety. If you [...]
British brewery drafts plan to join Pisces platform August 4, 2026 A British brewery has drawn up plans to become the inaugural member of Asset Match’s new private markets platform, granting it a major boost as it competes to lure over unlisted companies to its framework. The online private stock market has welcomed Wiltshire-based brewer and pub operator Wadworth to its Private Intermittent Securities and Capital [...]
North Sea is not competitive, says BP boss days after exit August 4, 2026 The boss of BP has branded the North Sea as not competitive just days after putting the company’s assets in the basin up for sale. Meg O’Neill, who took over as chief executive in April said she had spoken with prime minister Andy Burnham as she justified BP’s decision to exit the North Sea. Speaking [...]
Metro Bank profit jumps as it bucks branch closure trend August 4, 2026 Metro Bank secured its highest half-year profit on record in the first six months of 2026 as it bucked an industry-wide trend of branch closures and grew its small business offering. The FTSE 250 bank recorded a £60.7m pre-tax profit, up 41 per cent from the same period last year. This was driven by a [...]
HSBC kicks off $1bn share buyback after profit smashes forecast August 4, 2026 HSBC has resumed its share buyback programme after profit soared past expectations in the second quarter of 2026. The FTSE 100 bank – whose market cap of £274bn makes it the London Stock Exchange’s most valuable company – posted $10.1bn (£7.5bn) in pre-tax profit for the last three months, surging past an internal forecast of [...]
As it happened: Oil prices tumble as Bessent says US-Iran deal imminent; miner stocks rally August 4, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. The price of oil tumbled on Tuesday afternoon after a senior Trump ally said that a deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz could be agreed with Iran in the coming days. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – tumbled [...]
London’s IPO lull expected to last into 2027 August 3, 2026 London’s IPO market is expected to remain subdued for the rest of the year, as domestic and overseas political upheaval puts companies off listing. The UK’s stock market has had minimal IPO activity this year to date, seeing just seven new listings which raised a combined £557m. This ended the IPO surge seen at the [...]
Oil price falls but Trump and Iran clash on negotiations claim August 3, 2026 The price of oil has drifted lower after Donald Trump called off strikes on Iran but progress towards a finalised peace deal continues to stall as the President clashes with Iran’s leadership. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – tumbled over five per cent on Monday to below $83 per barrel as [...]
Chrysalis marks down Starling stake again and reduces Klarna holding August 3, 2026 Chrysalis Investments has slashed the price tag of its Starling stake for the second straight quarter. The British investment trust marked down the value of its holding in the digital bank by five per cent to £356m in the second quarter. This helped contribute to an overall drop of 2.35p per share in Chrysalis’ net [...]
Astrazeneca explores $400bn megadeal with US rival August 3, 2026 Astrazeneca is exploring a $400bn (£300bn) merger with US rival Bristol Myers Squibb, in a deal that would create one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical groups. The FTSE 100 giant has held talks with the US group in recent months about a possible tie-up, according to reports in the Financial Times. Talks could lead to a [...]