Imperial Brands warns Iran war may weigh on costs and consumer demand May 12, 2026 One of Britain’s biggest tobacco companies is bracing for a potential slowdown in consumer demand sparked by the conflict in the Middle East as it hikes prices to offset cigarette declines in the first half of the year. FTSE 100 member Imperial Brands stood by its revenue and profit forecasts for the year, but noted [...]
Heathrow passenger volumes drop as jet fuel crisis rocks market May 11, 2026 Fewer passengers were heading to Heathrow Airport in April as the war in the Middle East keeps travellers grounded. Passenger numbers at Europe’s biggest airport fell by five per cent in April to 6.7m with the blame being attributed to the “ongoing impact of the Middle East conflict”. For those heading to that particular region, [...]
As it happened – Starmer fights for premiership in make-or-break speech May 11, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Sir Keir Starmer will deliver a speech to the nation this morning as rivals circle whilst his premiership hangs in the balance. The Prime Minister is expected to set out his response to the disastrous local elections, where Labour lost 1,496 seats. The losses came as Nigel Farage’s [...]
Drill baby brill: Why the UK must develop it’s North Sea oil fields May 8, 2026 In light of international crises like the war in Iran and the resulting energy price spikes, the UK’s fundamental energy vulnerability – its dependence on a volatile international market – can be solved by immediately approving further drilling in the North Sea, says Brandon Lewis Moments of crisis have a clarifying power that peacetime politics [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks down on election day; oil back below $100 as Iran deal hangs in balance May 7, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. It’s local election day in the UK and Keir Starmer’s premiership is hanging in the balance as his Labour Party prepares to take a drubbing in council boroughs across the country. Gilt yields rose at their fastest rate earlier this week as the market prepares [...]
Could jet fuel shortages stop fans going on holiday to Fifa World Cup? May 6, 2026 Fans could stay away from next month’s Fifa World Cup as jet fuel shortages cause price hikes and travel uncertainty, experts have warned. The World Cup is being staged across North America with the United States, Canada and Mexico acting as co-hosts, but issues stemming from President Trump’s conflict with Iran could limit the numbers [...]
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 [...]
Oil price pulls back and FTSE 100 rebounds after ‘TACO’ Trump post May 6, 2026 Oil prices took a step back from a gradual climb on Wednesday after President Trump announced he would pause his military escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting analysts to joke that the “TACO” president was back. The Brent crude oil price slipped below $100 per barrel amid hopes of a peace deal being [...]
Iran war costs Next £47m and may drive up prices May 6, 2026 Retail giant Next has said the ongoing disruption caused by the Iran War has hit it with a £47m increase in costs from climbing energy and transport prices. The FTSE 100 retail and homeware company said that the £27m increase, a sharp rise from it’s previous forecast of £15m, relates mainly to spikes in energy [...]
Trump officials claim Iran is ‘weaponising global trade’ May 5, 2026 The United States’ most senior military officer has warned that Iran’s sustained assault on commercial shipping threatens to destabilise the world economy, accusing the country’s leadership of deliberately weaponising the global supply chain. General Dan Caine, the former venture capitalist currently serving as chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, made a stark intervention [...]