Unemployment rises as concerns grow for UK jobs market October 14, 2025 The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.8 per cent in September, while the inactivity rate was 21 per cent, “largely unchanged” on the previous quarter but below levels seen a year ago. The estimated number of vacancies in the UK also fell by 9,000, marking the 39th consecutive period of job posting declines. The ONS [...]
Close Brothers takes swing at FCA after near-doubling motor finance provisions October 14, 2025 Close Brothers’ frustration at the City watchdog has stepped up a gear after the firm was forced to almost double its provisions for the motor finance scandal. The FTSE 250 lender, which had previously set aside £165m, hiked its provisions by a further £135m following the Financial Conduct Authority outlining details of its industry-wide redress [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Retail sales slow; Unemployment figures tick up October 14, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. After a dismal first three quarters of the year, London’s IPO market is finally roaring back, returning the capital to a level playing field with its rival listing venues after a string of fresh flotation announcements. That’s the view of bosses at top City broker Peel Hunt, [...]
Mind the Split: London is the best city to be a divorce lawyer October 14, 2025 London’s reputation as the divorce capital of the world looks set to grow after a recent court ruling paved the way for more foreign cases to be heard in the city. Litigation-focused law firm Stewarts has expanded its high-net-worth practice to meet rising demand for complex, high-value divorce work. High-profile, high-net-worth divorces collect media headlines [...]
Issa brothers finally repay EG Group loan used to buy private jet October 14, 2025 The Issa brothers have finally repaid the huge loan they borrowed from their own forecourt and retail empire to buy a private jet, City AM can reveal. The billionaire duo had owed as much as $41m (£31m) to EG Group via an Isle of Man-based company they controlled called Clear Sky 2, which was used [...]
‘Renewed confidence’ in UK innovation economy to boost funding October 14, 2025 A shot of “renewed confidence” in the UK’s innovation economy is set to deliver the largest year for funding since 2022. The UK’s start ups and scale ups secured $9bn (£6.75bn) in venture capital funding in the third quarter, teeing 2025’s year-to-date investment up to match last year’s full-year total of $17.3bn. With the third [...]
Retail sales slow as Budget and inflation weigh on spending plans October 14, 2025 Retail spending slowed in September, as a tax raising Budget and higher household inflation expectations forced Brits to tighten their belts before the all-important ‘Golden Quarter’. Total retail sales in September increased by 2.3 per cent year on year, down from the 3.1 per cent that the sector notched up in August and the 2.5 [...]
McVitie’s: Record revenue for owner Pladis as profit jumps October 14, 2025 Revenue at the owner of McVitie’s and Jacob’s Cream Crackers jumped to a new record in 2024 as its profit also surged, City AM can exclusively reveal. London-headquartered Pladis, the snacking group whose brands also include Flipz, Godiva and Ülker, has posted a revenue of £3.23bn for its latest financial year, new accounts have confirmed. [...]
Goodbye Nutmeg, hello Clove: New investing service lands £10m funding October 14, 2025 As the London fintech world bids goodbye to investing app Nutmeg, a new spice-themed alternative is about to rise up from the ashes. Investing startup Clove, a new venture from serial entrepreneur Christian Owens, has emerged from stealth after landing a bumper £10m funding round. The pre-seed round featured a host of prominent investors including [...]
Gabon president drops out of FT Africa Summit after City AM story October 13, 2025 Last week The Capitalist reported on the controversial opening speaker at the FT’s upcoming Africa Summit: the Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, who stands accused of kidnapping and torturing the family of his predecessor. The FT press office brushed off our suggestion that hosting Nguema on 22 October might not align with the newspaper’s brand [...]