Dow Jones slides as FTSE 100 extends losses amid Iran strikes March 2, 2026 Wall Street joined Europe as markets opened on Monday with losses spread across the board as tensions escalated across the Middle East. The Dow Jones dropped nearly one per cent on open to 48,534.58 whilst the S&P 500 shed around 0.7 per cent to 6,828.47. The tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled 0.7 per cent to 22,505.32. In [...]
Ex Goldman chief: I smell another financial crisis March 2, 2026 Goldman Sachs’ top boss throughout the 2008 financial crisis has sounded the alarm that the global economy was drawing closer to another crash. Billionaire investment banker Lloyd Blankfein, who served at the helm of Goldman from 2006 until 2018, said: “I don’t feel the storm, but the horses are starting to whinny in the corral.” [...]
Lawyers raise red flags over Labour’s non-compete shake-up March 2, 2026 The future of non-compete clauses in the UK is at a crossroads, with the government considering major reforms, but lawyers warn that this could lead to unintended consequences for both businesses and workers. Non-compete clauses in the UK restrict employees from joining competitors post-employment, but are enforceable only if reasonable in scope, duration, and geography to [...]
Owner of former WH Smith shops calls for help as stores at risk March 2, 2026 The investment firm which owns a string of former WH Smith stores has called in emergency advisors as it prepares for a drastic restructuring which could leave 80 stores at risk. Modella Capital, which bought stationers WH Smith’s retail division in June 2025, has brought on advisers at consultancy firm Teneo to direct its restructuring, [...]
‘Attention, please’: Rachel Reeves hails rail fare freeze over Liverpool Street tannoy March 2, 2026 Commuters arriving into Liverpool Street station have been serenaded by the Chancellor’s voice today. Rachel Reeves has taken over the key City transport artery to share the news of a freeze to rail fares – the first in 30 years. In a message read out over the tannoy periodically throughout Monday, Reeves opens with: “Testing, [...]
HSBC names ex-CBI chief Carolyn Fairbairn as UK chair March 2, 2026 The former boss of Britain’s largest industry body has been appointed the next chair of HSBC UK, having served on the bank’s board for five years. The lending giant confirmed on Monday that Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, who ran the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) between 2015 and 2020, would lead its board in the UK, [...]
Mortgage approvals fall to two-year low March 2, 2026 Mortgage approvals slumped to a two-year low in January as buyers remain cautious following months of damaging uncertainty around the November Budget. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases dropped to 60,000 in January, six per cent below the 64,100 six-month average, according to new Bank of England figures. The property market is still suffering from [...]
Winter Olympics success creates flurry of interest for Snowsport England March 2, 2026 Snowsport England has reported a flurry of interest in skiing and snowboarding following Team GB’s first ever medals in both at the recent Winter Olympics. Some ski centres have had to hire more instructors to cope with rising demand credited to the success of snowboarders Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale, and skier Zoe Atkin at [...]
UK firms deliberately halting growth to dodge VAT March 2, 2026 Thousands of businesses are deliberately constraining their growth to remain below the £90,000 threshold at which firms start paying VAT. City accounting firm Lubbock Fine has argued that the government should raise the threshold to £115,000, the level it would be if it had increased in line with inflation since 2017. The VAT threshold was [...]
Defence stocks jump as Iran conflict drives munitions demand March 2, 2026 European defence stocks rose at the start of the week as investors anticipated that the widening conflict in the Middle East will push up demand for munitions and military hardware. Although the European-wide Stoxx 600 was trading 1.3 per cent lower, many of the continent’s largest weapons manufacturers were comfortably in the green. In the [...]