As it happened: Stocks slip as oil hits $100 following Houthi attacks on tankers July 23, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. Stocks slipped on Thursday morning as oil surged back to $100 per barrel for the first time since May. Brent crude barrelled up after the Iran-backed Houthis claimed to have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea. The US last night launched its [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise but oil tops $95; inflation eases July 22, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Wednesday and new Chancellor John Healey secured an early boost after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that inflation slowed in June. Headline CPI inflation dipped from 2.8 per cent in May to 2.6 per cent in June. Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers ups stake in Hugo Boss as takeover pressure mounts July 21, 2026 Frasers Group has pushed its stake in Hugo Boss above the threshold forcing it to make an offer for the whole firm, piling pressure on the German fashion house to accept its £1.7bn bid. The fashion group, which owns Sports Direct and Flannels, said on Tuesday that it had bought 2.5m new shares in Hugo [...]
As it happened: Stocks rally as defence shares surge on John Healey as Chancellor July 21, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Tuesday and the markets have been adjusting to the first full day of Andy Burnham’s Labour government. Burnham shocked Westminster and the City on Monday evening when he appointed John Healey as his Chancellor, just weeks after he had resigned in protest as defence secretary. [...]
Tate & Lyle faces shareholder revolt over executive pay July 21, 2026 London Stock Exchange stalwart Tate & Lyle faces an investor revolt over its chief executive’s salary after failing to address shareholder concerns about its executive-level pay. The FTSE 250 ingredients firm could be overruled by its investors at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday after coming under pressure from a leading shareholder advisory firm. [...]
Warehouse tax could threaten high street businesses, Burnham warned July 20, 2026 Andy Burnham‘s plans to hike taxes on warehouses to pay for business rates cuts for pubs and shops could backfire and raise costs for high street businesses, industry figures have warned. The UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), a trade body representing retailers including Amazon, Co-op and John Lewis, has written to the new Prime Minister urging [...]
Modella-owned Hobbycraft survives restructuring July 20, 2026 Hobbycraft has survived a restructuring led by its new owner, divisive high street private equity firm Modella Capital. The UK’s largest craft retailer has completed its 13-month company voluntary arrangement (CVA) ahead of schedule, reporting a jump in online users. The company’s emergence from its restructuring defies recent gloom around Modella’s swoops on other high [...]
As it happened: John Healey named Chancellor as Burnham shakes-up cabinet July 20, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Andy Burnham has become the UK’s newest Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer just two years after his landslide win at the 2024 general election. Starmer visited the King this morning to give him his resignation. In his farewell speech outside Number 10, the outgoing Prime Minister said [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise despite IEA warning of ‘critical’ oil issue July 17, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil is on track to gain around 12 per cent for the week after the continued escalation of strikes between the US and Iran. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – is holding steady around the $85 per barrel mark after US’ multiple strike offensives against [...]
Frasers slams ‘nonsense rumours’ over Harvey Nichols bid July 16, 2026 The boss of Frasers has hit back at “nonsense rumours” that retail brands are reluctant to work with the group, which is known for making aggressive plays to take control of rival companies. The group, which owns Sports Direct and Flannels, gatecrashed the auction to buy luxury department store Harvey Nichols last week, despite some [...]