House prices will fall by two per cent this year – the most since the financial crisis Property House prices will fall by two per cent for the first time since the financial crisis this year, according to Savills, which warned mortgage hikes as a result of the Iran war had “fundamentally changed the outlook for the housing market”. The property giant was forced to revise down its property price forecast for 2026 [...]
Bank of England’s Bailey: Interest rates hike may not be needed Economics The Bank of England may not raise interest rates in response to the Iran war and has already effectively tightened monetary policy by taking the prospect of future rate cuts off the table, governor Andrew Bailey has said. In a speech in Iceland, the central banking chief said that inflation is “likely to go higher” [...]
Natwest and Barclays sweeten mortgage costs as Iran peace hopes ease interest rate fears Economics 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 [...]
Monzo’s profit rockets as customer base grows by a quarter May 19, 2026 UK fintech darling Monzo posted a mammoth profit jump in the last financial year as its customer base swelled. The neobank’s pre-tax profit came in at £87.3m, 44 per cent higher than the £60m scored in 2024. The increase came as revenue stormed 40 per cent higher to £1.7bn. Monzo’s total users ballooned 25 per [...]
London’s prime property market isn’t collapsing May 12, 2026 Contrary to popular belief, London's prime property market isn't failing. But it is fundamentally changing, writes David Austin.
FTSE 100 banks are facing £2.5bn of headwinds – HSBC and Barclays are in the firing line May 6, 2026 The FTSE 100’s Big Five banks toasted a healthy profit stash in the first-quarter, but, says Samuel Norman, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon for the sector. The London market’s five biggest banks swallowed a bitter cocktail of economic risks in the first three months of the year leaving a bumper cash haul overshadowed [...]
It’s not the Bank of England’s job to support the Chancellor May 5, 2026 the Bank of England's MPC is acting as if its role is to support the Chancellor and protect the real economy, rather than control inflation.
ECB inflation survey points to sharp surge in prices May 4, 2026 Major increase identified in ECB’s longstanding expert study, but hopes it will be short lived depend on Iran war ending Timely insight into inflation flashed across traders screens on Monday from the European Central Bank, as rising oil prices were back at the top of the agenda with tensions spiking higher in the Gulf. The [...]
House prices rise in April as market proves ‘remarkable resilience’ May 1, 2026 House prices made a surprise jump in April, as the “remarkable resilience” of the UK’s housing market trumped the hit to consumer confidence caused by the Iran war. Annual house price growth in the UK climbed to three per cent last month, up from 2.2 per cent in March. National house prices grew by 0.4 [...]