As it happened: Choppy day for FTSE 100 after Iran closes Strait of Hormuz as strikes ramp up July 13, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are returning from the weekend to face another geopolitical shock after Iran confirmed it had closed the Strait of Hormuz once more. The narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea had slowly seen a pick up in traffic [...]
Easyjet proves too tempting a bargain for gatecrasher Apollo July 10, 2026 Apollo has gatecrashed Castelake’s cut-price Easyjet bid – setting up a potential buyout behemoth battle for the skies, writes Ali Lyon, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the colourful force behind London’s Easyjet, founded his low-cost carrier on a simple philosophy: promise travellers cheaper fares, and open up budget air travel for millions of customers who for decades had [...]
As it happened: Stocks rises as oil eases but Strait of Hormuz concerns ramp up July 10, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are set to make a loss for the week after the conflict in the Middle East returned to full-blown military action this week. The FTSE 100 has shed over one per cent and is on course to close in the red for the week, even after breaking [...]
Rachel Reeves’ legacy of tinkering with the City is not enough, says Mel Stride July 9, 2026 Sir Mel Stride has branded Rachel Reeves’ legacy in government as mere “tinkering” with City reform as the top Tory predicted her successor will create a “hostile” environment for the banking sector. In an interview with City AM, the shadow Chancellor branded Reeves’ two-years in the Treasury as “managerial incrementalism,” adding it was “not enough”. [...]
As it happened: Stocks fall as oil creeps up; Trump to ‘finish job’ in Iran July 9, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has wiped out the recovery across global markets that had slowly took place over the last few weeks. The US and Iran exchanged further fire overnight, with America’s central command stating it had hit around 90 Iranian targets in [...]
‘Moment of jeopardy’: City leaders issue rallying cry to safeguard London’s future as top financial hub July 9, 2026 London stands at a “moment of jeopardy”, top business leaders have warned, as they issued a rallying cry to secure the Square Mile’s future as a top global financial hub. The City bigwigs, including Soc Gen UK chief executive Thierry d’Argent, London Metal Exchange boss Matthew Chamberlain and former City minister Bim Afolami, have called [...]
FCA charges City lawyer with insider dealing over maternity brand acquisition July 8, 2026 The financial watchdog has charged a City lawyer with five counts of alleged insider dealing for trading in the assets of maternity fashion brand Seraphine Group using confidential information he gained while working on the company’s acquisition. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said Richard Bloomfield, 38, worked on an acquisition of the City-based maternity clothing company [...]
Why even gilts are outperforming the once unstoppable Magnificent 7 this year July 8, 2026 Plagued by sticky inflation and spendthrift politicians, the UK government’s bonds have spent years as an unloved asset class. But six months into 2026 and they have, so far, outperformed the Magnificent 7. Ali Lyon examines what has gone wrong for the so-called hyperscalers even as AI hype is greater than ever. Since the Bank [...]
The former African gold miner taking on the billionaire Issa brothers July 8, 2026 Roadside Real Estate has been along a weird and wonderful journey since it was first floated on the stock market. The company began life as Sovereign Mines of Africa, hunting gold deposits in the farthest corners of the African continent. But in 2016 the firm had a change of heart and decided to sell its [...]
Top Tory slams ‘ivory tower’ financial regulators as takeover bids blight London Stock Exchange July 8, 2026 The shadow business secretary has hit out at “ivory tower financial regulators”, accusing them of failing to spend enough time dealing with the problems facing London’s capital markets and hampering UK competitiveness. Conservative MP Andrew Griffith blamed watchdogs like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the state of the London Stock Exchange, which was blighted [...]