Bank of England Live: Interest rates held as hawks warn of ‘highly uncertain’ energy prices April 30, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has today decided to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a hawkish display. In last month’s decision, the Bank held rates in a unanimous decision. Afterwards, short-term gilt yields, which reflect government borrowing costs, sharply rose as traders priced [...]
Labour hands police ‘long-overdue’ violent shoplifting powers April 29, 2026 The government has handed the police a set of “long overdue” powers to crack down on soaring levels of violent shoplifting, which has been branded a “national scandal”. The crime and policing bill was granted royal assent on Wednesday, meaning assault against retail workers is classed as a specific offence, and the effective immunity for [...]
Haleon takes hit from ‘weak cold and flu season’ but Sensodyne shines April 29, 2026 After being spun out from GSK in the biggest London IPO in decades, City analyst are looking for more from the emblematic FTSE 100 consumer healthcare powerhouse with roots in a Lombard Street apothecary shop Fewer sniffles during the winter have sent a chill through sales volumes at Haleon, the FTSE 100 over-the-counter remedy maker. [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks drop as oil holds firm over $110; UK growth slashed April 29, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are holding firm tipping over the $110 mark, bringing the cost of a barrel closer to the highs of $118 it peaked at earlier in the Iran war. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – advanced another one per cent on [...]
John Lewis hit with click-and-collect lawsuit April 28, 2026 John Lewis is being sued by the owner of London’s Brent Cross shopping centre over claims it should pay for online sales collected in store on top of its annual turnover, despite the lease being signed decades before the surge of online shopping. Hammerson and Standard Life Investments, the property company which operates the North [...]
Unilever gets Marmite reaction to McCormick deal as investor fury spreads April 28, 2026 Unilever is facing a mounting investor backlash over its recent multibillion-pound tie-up with US food giant McCormick, with shareholders accusing the consumer goods behemoth of rushing the deal through without a vote and loading the new vehicle up with too much debt. Shareholders in the FTSE-100 conglomerate told City AM that they were supportive overall [...]
Guaranteed hours rules would threaten jobs, government warned April 27, 2026 Four leading trade bodies have warned the government that new rules around guaranteed hours would increase unemployment and prevent young people from entering the jobs market. The industry bodies have raised concerns over Labour’s guaranteed hours policy, a part of the Employment Rights Act which became law in December. The British Retail Consortium, Food and [...]
‘National scandal’: Record-high shoplifting driven by repeat offenders April 26, 2026 Shoplifting has been branded a “national scandal” as incidents reach a record high, fuelled by a growing number of repeat offenders. More than 500,000 shoplifting offenses were recorded last year, according to official figures released in response to a parliamentary question by former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith. Fears around the worsening state of [...]
WH Smith successor delays ‘aggressive’ restructuring which will shut stores April 26, 2026 The private equity financiers who run nearly 500 former WH Smith stores have delayed announcing an “aggressive” restructuring which could force the closure of up to 100 stores. Modella Capital, the Mayfair equity firm which runs hundreds of the stationer’s former stores, has run into financial difficulties and was due to unveil rescue proposals last [...]
JD Sports boss quit after failed coup attempt April 24, 2026 The chair of JD Sports quit earlier this week because he failed to convince its board to eject its chief executive, it has been revealed. Andy Higginson quit as chair of the FTSE 100 sportswear retailer on Wednesday, with his tenure set to complete after the firm’s annual meeting in July. He said he was [...]