WH Smith profit grounded as flight cancellations take hold April 23, 2026 WH Smith shares tumbled after the retailer adopted a more “cautious outlook” as the Iran war sparks a slowdown in international tourism. The retailer’s share price fell by more than 15 per cent on Thursday’s open, to 532p, leaving the stock down more than 16 per cent in the year so far. The stationer suffered [...]
Sainsbury’s warns of Iran war hit to customers, share price dips April 23, 2026 Sainsbury’s has warned that the Iran war “will impact both our customers and our business,” as the supermarket giant saw its share price fall. The FTSE 100 grocer’s underlying retail profit fell by more than one per cent to £1bn, which Sainsbury’s said was due to “significant operating cost inflation,” as total sales grew by [...]
Food inflation rises as ‘storm clouds gather’ April 22, 2026 Food inflation has started to climb as industry figures warn “storm clouds are gathering” over potential double-digit food inflation later this year. The rate of food inflation climbed to 3.7 per cent in the year to March, up from 3.3 per cent year on year to February, according to the Office of National Statistics. This [...]
Gold and silver surge as Hochschild helps London’s mining stocks shine April 22, 2026 Hochschild Mining revealed a near 40 per cent rise in the average price of the gold it produces this morning, burnishing the appeal of a sector with a long history in the City. The news propelled shares in the £3bn, 100-year-old firm onto the leaderboard of the FTSE 250. Hochschild’s stock strode over 2% higher [...]
Reckitt shares slump as Durex owner fears £150m Iran war hit April 22, 2026 Reckitt shares slumped after the consumer goods giant warned it could take a hit of up to £150m if the Iran war keeps oil prices high for the rest of the year. The FTSE 100 firm – which owns Durex condoms and cleaning brands like Dettol, Vanish and Calgon – saw its stock fall by [...]
Shoe Zone shares plummet as retailer kicks out at budget tax raids April 22, 2026 Shoe Zone shares plummeted after the retailer hit out at Rachel Reeves’ budgets for stifling consumer confidence, saying the chancellor’s policy and the Iran war will kick it into a loss this year. The firm’s share price slumped by more than 32 per cent on Wednesday’s market open, leaving the stock down more than 48 [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jitter as inflation surges; Trump extends ceasefire April 22, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Inflation has surged this morning follow the outbreak of war in Iran. Fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown the consumer price index rose by 3.3 per cent in the 12 months to March 2026. That’s up from three per cent [...]
Government urged to halt food inflation ‘before it’s too late’ April 21, 2026 The food industry’s leading trade body has urged the government to act on food inflation before it’s “too late” to protect consumers and businesses. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) expects food inflation to soar from three to between nine and 10 per cent this year, and has accused the government of lacking “urgency” to [...]
THG defies retail gloom with best quarter in five years April 21, 2026 THG shares rocketed on Tuesday as the firm shrugged off wider gloom in the retail market after delivering its best quarterly performance in five years. The Manchester-based beauty and nutrition e-commerce firm posted revenue growth of 7 per cent for the first quarter of 2026, adding that growth was only “modestly impacted” by disruption in [...]
Sainsbury’s to deliver food inflation update as Argos future could be settled April 21, 2026 After Tesco hit back against fears of double-digit food inflation last week, supermarket rival Sainsbury’s is set to update the market this week. From the Iran war to the future of Argos, Felix Armstrong looks ahead to a landmark set of results due on Thursday. Sainsbury’s spooked shoppers last week when it threatened people caught swapping [...]