Stamp duty reform is ‘urgent,’ Berkeley tells Burnham September 11, 2026 Berkeley has urged Andy Burnham to commit to “urgent reform” to stamp duty, which it says has become a “binding constraint” on housebuilders and buyers. The FTSE 250 firm said that stamp duty is to blame for the slump in demand for new homes, because it makes first-time-buying unaffordable and dissuades existing homeowners from moving [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rallies as economy beats forecasts; oil falls back September 11, 2026 Welcome back to City AM’s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue-chip index rallied on Friday after the economy beat forecasts in July, surprising those in the City who had expected to see growth peter out. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the UK economy’s (GDP) grew by 0.4 per cent in July, [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 dives as oil marches to $106; Trump threatens long war September 10, 2026 Welcome back to City AM’s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue-chip index shed as much as 0.4 per cent on Thursday morning, as Associated British Foods’ 11 per cent dip cancelled out modest gains from London’s oil majors and consumer giants like JD Sports and Whitbread. Despite recent expectations that the Iran war is far [...]
Oil hits $100 a barrel as Iran war escalates September 9, 2026 Oil prices hit $100 per barrel for the first time since July on Wednesday morning as new strikes in the Middle East sparked fresh concerns for global oil supplies. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – jumped more than two per cent, hitting $100 per barrel after making consistent gains from the [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 dives as oil prices surge past $100 in blow to inflation September 9, 2026 Welcome back to City AM’s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue-chip index fell on Wednesday as oil prices reared up yet again, reaching six-week highs. Speaking late on Tuesday, Andrew Bailey caused fresh speculation that the Bank of England could hike interest rates when he said that risks to inflation remain “on the upside”. The [...]
Food inflation set to surge next year as Iran war ramps up supply costs September 9, 2026 Food inflation could top six per cent next year as rising fuel prices triggered by the war in Iran ramp up supply chain costs, a top food industry body has warned. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents the UK’s food manufacturers, has urged the government to help the industry keep its costs down, [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 waivers; oil nears $100 on new Hormuz sanctions September 8, 2026 Welcome back to City AM’s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue-chip index slipped on Tuesday morning, as investors weighed fresh tensions in the Middle East which boosted London’s oil majors but dragged on other members. Oil prices continued to march upwards. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – gained another 1.5 per [...]
Spending hits 13-month high as Brits splurge on entertainment, Barclays says September 8, 2026 Spending in the UK economy reached a 13-month high in August after a rebound in the entertainment and travel industries, according to fresh data from Barclays. Overall card spending grew 2.1 per cent year-on-year, following on from two per cent growth in July. Both essential and non-essential spending were up 2.1 per cent, according to [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 inche up as oil holds gains; Healey says UK paying ‘Truss penalty’ September 7, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are returning from the weekend to weigh up the latest round of rising tensions in the Middle East after the US and Iran have continued to exchange strikes stoking fears of a hit to global oil supply. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 wavers as weak housebuilding drives faster construction downturn September 4, 2026 Welcome back to City AM‘s FTSE 100 liveblog. The UK’s blue chip index made a soft start on Friday morning, as investors brace for a US jobs report and digest the latest signs of a worsening downturn in the UK’s construction sector. Borrowing costs have eased slightly, after a global rout on government bonds threatened [...]