Serco hits back after Zia Yusuf accuses FTSE 250 firm of being ‘hostile to Reform’ June 15, 2026 One of the UK government’s biggest private sector contractors has denied being hostile to Reform UK after the party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf after accused it taking “political positions” against his immigration policy. Citing a report in the Telegraph that suggested FTSE 250 firm Serco would refuse to support Reform’s deportation plans if it [...]
Investors ‘reluctant’ to splash cash on UK banks amid crisis in Number 10 June 15, 2026 UK banks’ stock prices are being slapped with a political risk premium, City analysts have warned, as turmoil in Downing Street threatens to rock the sector. The FTSE 350 bank index has had a choppy start to the year with financial stocks facing a hammering from the Iran war as investors trimmed their equities exposure. [...]
‘Nothing is straightforward’: Market analysts warn of US-Iran deal complications June 15, 2026 Top market analysts warned on Monday that “nothing is straight forward” as euphoria spread across European equities after a confirmed peace deal between the US and Iran. Stock markets opened in the green as investors returned to a risk-on mentality after Pakistan announced an agreement between the two nations and Donald Trump declared the oil [...]
Mike Ashley’s Frasers makes £166m play for shoe firm Accent June 15, 2026 Frasers Group has launched a £166m takeover bid of Australian shoe company Accent while calling for the removal of its chairman over “poor performance”. The fashion conglomerate has offered to buy all of the shares in Accent it does not already own for 65 Australian cents per share, valuing the offer at A$136m (£166m). This [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 relief rally runs out of steam as BP and Shell weigh; Oil hits three-month low June 15, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Market sentiment is starting the new week on a positive note after Pakistan said an official peace deal between the US and Iran would be signed this Friday in Switzerland. Asian equities were sent soaring on the news after over a 100 days of uncertainty gripped global markets, [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rises as easing Iran tensions offset GDP blow; SpaceX set for blast off June 12, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Global equity investors are bracing for Musk’s record-breaking market debut SpaceX is set to begin trading on Nasdaq today after Elon Musk’s rocket, satellite and AI empire pulled off the largest IPO in market history. The company raised $75bn after pricing shares at $135, giving it a $1.77 [...]
As it happened: Starmer dealt defence blow as investors react June 11, 2026 This was the City AM liveblog on Thursday 11 June. John Healey resigned as defence secretary over a lack of funding for the armed forces, heaping pressure on Sir Keir Starmer. Industry officials reacted with regret and paid tribute to Healey. The FTSE 100 also climbed on Thursday to defy fresh tensions between Iran and [...]
Hugo Boss shares soar as Mike Ashley’s Frasers circles June 11, 2026 Hugo Boss shares have jumped following a €2bn takeover approach from Frasers, sending its share price above the offer tabled by Mike Ashley’s group. The German luxury brand said it is reviewing the “unsolicited” takeover attempt, which would offer €38 per share, totalling about €1.98bn and valuing the fashion house at €2.7bn. But the takeover [...]
Wizz Air ‘resilient’ after route cancellations wipe out profit June 11, 2026 Wizz Air has insisted its decision to halt operations in Vienna and Abu Dhabi positioned the airline for “long term resilience,” despite causing net profit to drop by nearly 99 per cent. The FTSE 250-listed airline said its slump in net profit from €214m to €1m was due to the “one-off headwinds” of these route [...]
Thames Water eyes return to London Stock Exchange while Pennon back in profit June 10, 2026 There was a stark reminder for the City of the risks and rewards on offer to investors in water utilities on Wednesday, from two of the industry’s biggest names. One of them, Thames Water, is eyeing a return to the London Stock Exchange after a disastrous spell in private hands loaded it with debt and [...]