UK businesses slash jobs after tax raid September 4, 2025 UK employers slashed jobs at the fastest pace in four years as companies suffer the costs of tax decisions from Rachel Reeve’s Autumn Budget last year. Companies cut employment by an annual rate of 0.5 per cent in the three months to August. This is the worst figure since 2021, according to a Bank of [...]
Banks’ bond market headache spells trouble for FTSE 100 September 4, 2025 The frenzy in the bond market spells trouble for banking stocks and could create broader issues for the FTSE 100. Bond markets have had a tumultuous week, with the UK’s 30-year gilt yields hitting a 27-year high. This was triggered by a global sell-off, as well as political unease stemming from a Downing Street reshuffle [...]
Investors flee equity funds as valuation concerns grow September 4, 2025 Equity funds experienced their worst month of outflows since August 2022 in August, as investors shifted their cash into bonds. UK investors withdrew a staggering £1.3bn from equity funds, following a withdrawal of £1.13bn in July, according to data from funds group Calastone. Edward Glyn, head of global markets at Calastone said, “This summer, stock [...]
Parents forced to delay retirement to bankroll staggering university costs September 4, 2025 Over a third of UK parents are postponing retirement to fund their children’s university education. According to a new study from wealth manager Rathbones, parents expect to work an average of five years longer than initially planned to afford increasingly higher education costs. However, more than a quarter estimate they will need to extend their [...]
London’s bullion market set to trial digital gold September 3, 2025 London’s physical gold market is on the verge of a major shake up, as the World Gold Council seeks to launch a digital form of the precious metal. The move would transform the capital’s $900bn (£672bn) market, creating the ability to trade, settle, and collateralise bullion digitally around the gold ecosystem for the first time. [...]
Foreign takeovers to propel UK M&A volumes above £50bn September 3, 2025 UK markets are bracing for a major bump in mergers and acquisitions with the total value of deals expected to top £50bn in 2025. Fresh data from the Office for National Statistics showed the value of domestic deals jumped to £3.4bn in the second quarter, up £600m from the first three months of the year. [...]
Klarna confirms second hit at New York listing in snub to London September 2, 2025 Swedish fintech unicorn Klarna has launched its second hit at a listing on the New York Stock Exchange after its initial attempt was derailed by President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught. The buy now, pay later giant said its IPO price is expected to be between $35 and $37 per ordinary share and hopes to raise [...]
Exclusive: Octopus Investments appoints new CEO September 2, 2025 Retail asset management platform Octopus Investments has appointed Erin Platts, former chief executive of HSBC Innovation Banking, as its new CEO. Octopus Investments, the UK’s largest investor in AIM listed companies, is a branch of the financial services company, Octopus Group. It holds £9.9bn in funds under management. Platts will succeed Octopus Group co-founder and [...]
Is it time to add infrastructure to your portfolio? September 2, 2025 The UK has, for many years, consistently underinvested in infrastructure compared to its G7 peers. With flagship projects, the country has a terrible track record. In the past year, the long-awaited, controversial high-speed HS2 rail line saw its expansion into the north of England scrapped due to escalating costs. Meanwhile, the Lower Thames Crossing development [...]
Brits set their sights on affording comfortable retirement September 2, 2025 British adults have set their sights on affording a luxury retirement, but rising costs have soured some saver’s hopes. Nearly 8m Brits have made securing a comfortable retirement their main financial priority, according to research from consumer banking business Chase. A comfortable retirement allows more financial freedom and luxuries, such as holidays and greater non-essential [...]