As it happened: Stocks reach new record as investors shrug off Iran war fears Markets Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. It’s Friday morning and the FTSE 100 has opened into the green, following two consecutive days of record gains for the blue-chip index. London’s blue-chip index was up as high as 0.7 per cent in early trading to 10,971.88p, “The FTSE 100 tested new record highs on Friday morning as [...]
Foxtons hits out at Renters’ Rights Act as profit halves Property Foxtons’ profit slipped as the London estate agency hits out at the Renters’ Rights Act, blaming the new tenant powers for causing a surge in renters cancelling their tenancies. The London-listed firm said the new law meant a higher number of tenants cancelled their rental agreements in May and June, meaning the estate agency lost [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 hits new high after interest rates held Markets Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a 6-3 split. The City had pencilled in a hawkish hold from the Monetary Policy Committee after inflationary pressures were renewed on the latest round of strikes in the Middle East. Megan Greene, Catherine Mann and [...]
Greggs eyes 3,500 sites – but its plans could prove to be flaky July 30, 2026 Sausage roll titan Greggs is already a fixture of almost every British high street, but it’s not done yet. Felix Armstrong chews through its latest expansion plans As Brits jet off to Spain for their summer holidays this year, they will be met with a familiar sight as they touch down at Tenerife airport. Beloved [...]
As it happened: Stocks reach all-time high; US fires back at ‘surprise’ Iran attacks July 29, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Wednesday and the UK’s blue-chip index surged in early trading to reach an all-time high, brushing off the latest outbreak of attacks in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 hit 10,945 on the market open, eclipsing the previous intraday record of 10,934, achieved in February on the [...]
Student housing giant Unite faces £400m loss amid property value slump July 28, 2026 Unite Students has plunged to a more-than £400m loss after being hit by a £500m revaluation of its properties and “extremely challenging” building costs. The UK’s largest student landlord slumped to a £417m pre-tax loss in the six months to June, reversing a £186m profit the year before, as its earnings slipped by two per [...]
EY and London managing partner fined over £1.3m for audit failure July 28, 2026 Big Four giant EY and its London office managing partner have been hit with a nearly £1.3m fine by the financial watchdog for audit failings related to retailer Made.com in 2021. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said the sanction follows an investigation into Julie Carlyle, who manages the City office and a portfolio of many [...]
Unilever turns to ‘avocado mayonnaise’ as food weighs on profit ahead of spin-off July 28, 2026 Unilever has turned to novel products including “avocado mayonnaise” in a bid to boost ailing sales in its food arm, which is poised to be spun off in a £33bn deal. The consumer goods giant upgraded its sales expectations but saw the performance of its food business and European operations drag on the group’s operating [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump as oil drops; Unilever shares soar on decade-best sales July 28, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Tuesday and the UK’s blue-chip index has made strong gains following a peaky start to the day. The markets took a boost yesterday after oil dropped back after reaching two-month highs of more than $100 per barrel last week when the Iran backed-Houthis took responsibility for tanker [...]
Defence drilling firm tools up for London IPO July 27, 2026 Aerospace drilling company Tek4 is gearing up for an initial public offering in London, City AM can reveal, in a boost to the London Stock Exchange as it looks to tempt more defence firms to market. The Leicestershire-based company, which counts Rolls-Royce and GE among its customers, is looking to raise £20m through a listing [...]