Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop collapse into administration, risking thousands of jobs January 6, 2026 High street chains Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) are being put into administration, after their owner said “last-ditch” measures had fallen through, putting about 2,500 UK staff at risk of redundancy. The two retailers had already undergone restructuring and were bought by investment firm Modella Capital last year. Modella said it had made [...]
Finance chiefs fearful of war and geopolitical risks January 6, 2026 Finance chiefs have begun the year fretting over the spectre of war and rising global tensions as President Trump’s shock operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro put investor nerves on edge. A quarterly survey by Big Four accounting firm Deloitte showed that “geopolitical risks”, which can include everything from higher tariffs to conflict and [...]
Can you complete City AM’s economics quiz of 2025? December 24, 2025 Test your knowledge with City AM‘s Economics Quiz of 2025. The first full calendar year of the Labour government has not been particularly pretty for the UK economy. The unemployment rate has edged up to 5.1 per cent, inflation rose far above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target rate and economic activity was [...]
Business confidence ticked up after Budget, Lloyds Bank says December 23, 2025 Business confidence inched up at the end of 2025, according to a new survey, as firms were brought some relief and clarity after the Autumn Budget. Lloyds Banking Group’s latest Business Barometer found business confidence etched up 10 points by the end of 2025 when compared with the beginning of the year. Half of this [...]
AI stocks to remain dominant in 2026, analysts predict December 19, 2025 Artificial intelligence is likely to remain a “dominant theme” in markets next year, analysts predict, shaking off fears of an AI crash. St James’ Place expects AI stocks to maintain investor interest in 2026, with analysts and portfolio managers bullish on the sector’s run. Valuations of top tech stocks have been rocketing up since the [...]
US tech stocks tumble after data centre setback sparks investor concerns December 18, 2025 US tech stocks fell on Wednesday after news that software company Oracle had lost a key backer for its data centre project, reigniting investors’ concerns about AI companies’ spending. The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.8 per cent to $22,693.32 (£ 17,975.06), finishing at its lowest level since late November, while Oracle fell 5.4 per cent to [...]
High earners see purchasing powers eroded after Budget measures December 15, 2025 High earner households could lose thousands in purchasing power over the next few years as a result of measures introduced in last month’s Autumn Budget. According to analysis of HM Treasury data, high earners not rich yet (HENRY) households will see an average reduction in their annual purchasing powers by over £15,000 by 2029, due [...]
Economic uncertainty leads to dwindling vacancies in London December 8, 2025 Permanent hires in London fell for the eighth consecutive month in November, driven by ongoing economic uncertainty and dwindling vacancies. According to the latest report from professional services firm KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the decrease in hiring quickened in the capital last month, with the reduction in permanent vacancies one of [...]
Salary sacrifice: Millions of pension savers impacted by overhaul December 5, 2025 Millions of UK pension savers are set to be hit by salary sacrifice changes unveiled in the Budget, according to new figures. According to figures published by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), an estimated 7.7m employees use salary sacrifice to make pension contributions. This means employees effectively take a pay cut in exchange for higher [...]
Trustpilot shares rebound after short seller attacks ‘mafia-style’ practices December 5, 2025 Consumer review website Trustpilot has seen its share price rebound after being forced to deny allegations from a US short-selling firm that likened its business model to a ‘mafia-style extortion racket’. Shares rose 9.7 per cent in early morning trading to 141.8p, bouncing back after £200m was wiped off the company’s market value yesterday following [...]