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 [...]
Private sector slump to drag on to Spring 2026, businesses say December 22, 2025 UK business leaders have warned that the sharp downturn in the private sector is likely to continue until Spring 2026, after firms put plans for future investment on ice in the run-up to the Labour government’s Autumn Budget. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) anticipates private sector output to fall in the fourth quarter after [...]
‘Chance of 2026 recession’ despite interest rate cut – follow live December 18, 2025 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England has handed Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Labour government a highly-desired Christmas present today. The central bank confirmed a chop to interest rates falling to 3.75 per cent – the lowest in nearly three years. It comes after inflation undershot expectations on Wednesday providing [...]
Monzo snaps up UK mortgage broker in first major acquisition December 16, 2025 UK fintech Monzo has made its first major acquisition with a deal to snap up a digital mortgage broker in a bid bulk up its “all-in-one” superapp. The digital bank announced on Friday it had snapped up Habito, a fintech firm which uses tech to accelerate the home-buying process with free online advice. The deal [...]
Hikma: FTSE 100 giant’s boss replaced by former chief after share price woes December 15, 2025 The boss of FTSE 100 giant Hikma Pharmaceuticals will be replaced by the firm’s former top chief after the group’s share price dropped by nearly a quarter this year. Riad Mishlawi has exited his role as chief executive at Hikma, with executive chairman Said Darwazah to step into the post with “immediate effect”. It ends [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Budget hits hiring market as economy feels pinch December 15, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. On Friday, the Labour government’s mission for economic growth proved to be not just sluggish but in free fall. The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) dealt another blow to Rachel Reeves as new data showed production output shrank 0.5 per [...]
‘Time to worry about recession’ – Bank faces pressure to cut rates as economy shrinks December 12, 2025 The Bank of England is coming under mounting pressure to give a shot in the arm to the ailing UK economy after fresh data revealed it suffered another contraction in October. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will meet next Thursday where economists are pencilling a 25 basis point reduction to interest rates taking [...]
UK on ‘recession watch’ as economy contracts amid Budget chaos December 12, 2025 The UK economy shrank 0.1 per cent in October – the second consecutive month of decline – as businesses paused investments amid consistent speculation about upcoming tax hikes in Rachel Reeves’ second Autumn Budget. The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) dealt another blow to the Chancellor’s growth agenda as new [...]
Overseas ownership of UK property nosedives December 11, 2025 The number of UK properties owned by overseas investors has fallen dramatically since 2015 as the impact of Brexit and increased regulation dampen appetite. While the value of property assets held by overseas companies is at an all-time high – jumping 40 per cent, or £38.5bn, in three years – the volume of purchases has [...]
Global trade resilient but uncertainty persists, IMF director warns December 8, 2025 Trade is expected to stabilise over 2026 but global uncertainty may potentially impact economies by up to two per cent of their GDP, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) director has warned. Jihad Azour, who oversees the MENA, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Caucasus Region, said 2025 was a year “of two cities,” with shocks [...]