FTSE 100 Live: Gilt yields soar, Bank of England rate hike fears grow, Wetherspoon shares tumble March 20, 2026 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. Stocks made gains on Friday morning after a statement from Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu that he could see “this war ending a lot faster than people think” reassured markets that conflict in the Middle East could soon recede. The remarks follow further missile strikes by the US [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares sink as Iran tensions drag FTSE 100 into red March 19, 2026 The FTSE 100 was treading slightly above the 10,000 mark on Thursday as fears grew that the index could slip underneath the milestone. London’s blue-chip index fell 2.7 per cent by the afternoon to lows of 10,002.30p. It came as shares in a number of the City’s banking giants led the FTSE 100’s downturn this [...]
Oil and gas prices surge after Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Iran energy site March 19, 2026 The surging price of oil and gas rocked markets this morning as tensions across the Middle East continued to spike fears of an energy crisis. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – hit $113 this morning, one of the highest levels since the conflict broke out three weeks ago. Meanwhile the price of [...]
Sun, money and missiles: The dilemma facing British lawyers in the UAE March 19, 2026 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks among the most popular international destinations for British lawyers, to say nothing of influencers, but has the Iranian war burst the bubble? Based on the latest reports from the Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for 2025 and early 2026, there are around 500 to 700 English [...]
Mark Kleinman: Industry steels itself for long road to recovery March 19, 2026 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his City AM column Industry steels itself for long road to recovery Steel yourselves: I make no apology for returning for the umpteenth time in this column to the future of the UK’s beleaguered steel industry. More than five years since [...]
‘Panic mode’: FTSE 100 sinks as oil spikes on Iran’s energy threats March 18, 2026 Markets were thrown into “panic mode” on Wednesday as the surging price of oil rattled global equities. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – spiked as much as five per cent to $110 per barrel as energy facilities across the Gulf faced evacuation following the latest threats from Iran. The [...]
It’s not the oil price, it’s the government response that matters March 18, 2026 Like most commodities, oil has fluctuated in price very substantially over time with regrettable effects on household incomes. But the biggest mistake would be to try to protect living standards as a whole when the country has been made worse off, says Paul Ormerod Shock, horror, the oil price is over $100 a barrel. The [...]
State handouts for oil are no way to help the poorest March 18, 2026 If government steps in whenever there is a so-called crisis then people will stop saving for a rainy day in the false belief government will always be there to supply them with an umbrella, says Charles Amos This week Keir Starmer announced a £53m support package for vulnerable people who use oil as their main [...]
‘Mario Kart’ Formula 1 cars need more time, says Williams March 18, 2026 Former Williams Racing boss Claire Williams believes Formula 1 should give drivers more time to adjust to new rules, but concedes that the sport’s chiefs often struggle to sit back and do nothing criticism. The most radical overhaul to regulations in F1 history ahead of this season has caused more overtaking during the opening two [...]
Energy bills bailout speculation sparks bond sell-off fears March 17, 2026 An unfunded government intervention to subsidise household energy bills would trigger a gilt market rout likely to push the UK’s long-term borrowing costs to the highest they have been since 1997, bond investors and economists have warned. David Zahn, head of European fixed income at Franklin Templeton, told City AM that the prospect of ministers [...]