Bank of England may set the stage for interest rate hikes this year July 30, 2026 The Bank of England could today roll the pitch for a series of interest rate hikes this year after price shocks triggered by the war in Iran rippled through the global economy in the past quarter, City analysts have predicted. Analysts across financial firms in the City are expecting the Bank to leave interest rates [...]
‘Door is open’ to interest rate hike as inflation fears return July 23, 2026 An interest rate hike by the Bank of England this year is back on the cards as fears of continued oil and gas trade disruption across the Strait of Hormuz could push inflation higher, according to City economists. A spike in oil prices to levels seen during the Iran war has dampened the mood across [...]
Interest rate cut is ‘off the table’, says Bank of England governor July 2, 2026 Andrew Bailey has said cutting interest rates is “off the table at the moment” in the clearest sign yet borrowing costs are likely to stay elevated for the rest of the year. The Bank of England governor said on a panel at the European Central Bank’s annual conference in Portugal that inflationary pressures following the [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 see-saws after inflation undershoots; Oil at $80 as Trump threatens ‘dropping bombs’ on Iran June 17, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Fresh inflation data this morning showed a reading of 2.8 per cent leading the consumer price index unchanged from May. This came under the expectations of a poll of City analysts by Bloomberg that forecast inflation would come in at three per cent for May. Core inflation, which [...]
Banks woo the wealthy to ace stable income streams June 17, 2026 As the great and the good prepare to gather at Wimbledon, banks are serving up glamorous treatment to woo the wealthy. In this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at the players looking to call game, set, match. If you want the Centre Court treatment from your bank, you’re going to need to arrive with a [...]
Nationwide fires starting gun on mortgage deals ahead of interest rate decision June 16, 2026 Nationwide has slashed its mortgage rates for the second time in the space of a week, ahead of the Bank of England’s interest rate decision on Thursday. The building society has taken the chop to its home loan prices, with a 0.28 percentage-point reduction. It follows a 0.12 cut on 10 June. The move comes [...]
Natwest and Barclays sweeten mortgage costs as Iran peace hopes ease interest rate fears May 29, 2026 Natwest and Barclays have become the latest lenders to sweeten up their mortgage deals, as hopes remain high that a peace deal will be reached in the Middle East that would bring calm to the interest rate environment. Both lenders have unveiled reductions in mortgage rates, with Barclays cutting its rates across the board by [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rises as oil slips; Analysts warn of ‘short-lived’ inflation drop May 20, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The City has welcomed news of undershooting inflation this morning, but warning signs already suggest it’s a temporary blip. The Consumer Price Index rose 2.8 per cent in the 12 months to April, that’s under the three per cent pencilled in and a major drop [...]
Natwest shares slip as bank upgrades income on higher interest rates May 1, 2026 Natwest breezed past profit expectations in the first quarter of the 2026 and is predicting a greater bump to its bottom line on the back of higher-than-expected interest rates. The FTSE 100 giant booked a £2bn pre-tax profit in the first three months of the year, up from £1.8bn in the same period last year [...]
Lloyds shares upgraded to ‘Buy’ after interest rates tailwind April 30, 2026 Analysts at UBS slapped a ‘Buy’ rating on shares in Lloyds Banking Group as the financial services giant looks to receive a bump to its bottom line from the elevated interest rate path. Jason Napier, analyst at UBS, said: “Given the tailwinds from rate hedges… we see strong future momentum in profits as a relatively [...]