Labour turmoil and Iran war brings ‘reversal of fortunes’ for UK economy June 3, 2026 A combination of feverish political speculation and knock on effects from the war in Iran has culminated in a “reversal of fortunes” for the UK economy, as new data suggests activity across the private sector declined in May. S&P Global’s monthly survey of hundreds of firms has shown that business across services companies declined in [...]
As it happened: Stocks jitter on stalling US-Iran talks; OECD unemployment warning June 3, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are being pulled in countless directions from the conflicting information emerging around the conflict in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 managed to shrug off some of these jitters yesterday and secure a finish 0.3 per cent higher as the price of oil slipped. But this morning [...]
Mortgage approvals jump to 15-month high despite Iran war chaos June 2, 2026 Mortgage approvals made a surprise jump to a 15-month high in April, despite continued signs that the economic chaos caused by the Iran war is shaking confidence in the property market. Net mortgage approvals jumped three per cent to 65,900 in April, above the six-month average of around 63,100, according to Bank of England data. [...]
As it happened: Stocks shrug off stalling Iran peace talks; OBR warns Reeves June 2, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets were rocked yesterday after reports emerged from Iranian state media that Tehran was pulling out of peace talks with the US. A proposal that included a 60-day cessation of violence and a play to re-open the Strait of Hormuz has hung in the balance [...]
The world can’t keep consuming more than it produces June 2, 2026 Commodity markets have proved remarkable resilient, but there is no financial engineering solution that can replace missing barrels of oil, says Helen Thomas Commodity markets have spent the past three months performing an extraordinary balancing act. Despite one of the most significant disruptions to global energy flows in decades, the global economy has continued to [...]
Iran ‘pulls out of talks with US’ and threatens to strike Israel June 1, 2026 Iran has withdrawn from peace talks with the United States and threatened to launch an attack on Israel after the Netanyahu administration announced plans for an air strike on neighbouring Lebanon. According to a state-affiliated news agency, Tehran has vowed to hit back at northern Israel if Lebanon is hit by Israeli strikes and end [...]
Easyjet fires back at ‘highly opportunistic timing’ as Castlelake weighs takeover bid June 1, 2026 Easyjet has fired back at speculation of a takeover, after reports emerged that private credit firm Castlelake was weighing a bid. The budget airline said it notes the “highly opportunistic timing” of a potential offer as it asserted its share price is “temporarily depressed due to the current situation in the Middle East and its [...]
House prices fall again as property market ‘deteriorates’ June 1, 2026 House prices fell again in May as the mortgage rate hikes and surging energy bills caused by the Iran war continued to take their toll on the UK’s fragile property market. The UK’s average house price fell by 0.6 per cent to £278,024 in May, compared to 0.4 per cent growth in April, according to [...]
Bank of England’s Bailey: Interest rates hike may not be needed May 29, 2026 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” [...]
BP chair Manifold hits back at ‘false’ misconduct claims May 27, 2026 BP’s ousted chair has hit back at the group’s decision to fire him over governance issues, launching a robust defence of his short-lived tenure on the supermajor’s board and rejecting the “false narrative” surrounding his sudden departure. In a move poised to plunge the London-listed energy giant into a full-blown governance crisis, Albert Manifold defended [...]