Back to basics: Sainsbury’s gradual retreat from the British high street August 8, 2026 Sainsbury’s deal to sell its catalogue retailer Argos marks the latest step in the grocer’s years-long retreat from a high street conglomerate back to its core food business. The FTSE 100 supermarket giant holds a 15 per cent market share of grocery stores, second only to Tesco. But the firm once had a sprawling business [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise despite new tensions in Strait of Hormuz; Oil price climbs August 7, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. New tensions in the Strait of Hormuz this morning are leaving markets on edge and handing a blow to earlier optimism around a peace deal between the US and Iran. Oil is moving higher, reversing some of the drawback from the beginning of this week, after an attack [...]
Admiral profit slides as boss eyes push into EV insurance August 6, 2026 Admiral suffered a drop in profit as the insurance giant was weighed down by lower earned premiums in its UK car business. The group’s profit before tax fell by 18 per cent to £429.2m in the first half of the year, while turnover remained flat at £3.11bn. Milena Mondini, group chief executive, told City AM [...]
Manchester billionaire tables £583m offer for property developer Harworth August 6, 2026 Billionaire-owned Peel Group has tabled a £583m offer for Harworth as the property developer is poised to become the latest firm to exit the London Stock Exchange. The offer of 172.5p per share represents a premium of 20.1 per cent compared to Harworth’s closing share price yesterday and a 36.9 per cent premium above the [...]
As it happened: Stocks fall into red as oil fluctuates over Middle East developments August 6, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices have fluctuated around the $80 mark over the last 24 hours following mixed developments coming out of the Middle East. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was heading towards $79 per barrel on Thursday morning, holding up a near 10 per cent [...]
Starling plans to ‘come out swinging’ in diversification bid August 6, 2026 Bernadette Smith has a spring in her step as she sits down in Starling’s headquarters to discuss her new role. The fintech’s new banking boss is buzzing with energy that she wants to pass onto customers and investors. “I want everyone to be talking about us,” she says, envisaging how she will measure success in [...]
Want to be as rich as retirees? Buy shares in them August 5, 2026 Firms selling to British retirees have rocketed in value this year – Simon Hunt asks why. The Nasdaq 100 is up around 14 per cent since the start of the year, at the time of writing, while the FTSE 350 is up 9 per cent. But one stock portfolio is doing better than both. I [...]
Glencore targets secondary listing in Australia as London loses mining shine August 5, 2026 Glencore will launch a secondary listing in Australia in the latest blow to London’s ailing stock market as miners continue to eye opportunities away from the UK. The mining and trading juggernaut, which is among the largest companies on the FTSE 100 boasting a market cap of £64.4bn, is pursuing the listing following its group’s [...]
Peak chicken? Domino’s hatches plan to swoop into fried chicken market August 5, 2026 Months after parting ways with the chief executive whose bet on chicken caused a flutter, Domino’s Pizza has led a charge back into the henhouse. Andrew Rennie, the pizza delivery giant’s former boss, caused a flap last November when he defended a novel expansion into fried chicken by declaring that British consumers were nearing so-called [...]
L&G cheers push into private credit as profit jumps August 5, 2026 Legal & General cheered a rise in profit amid a greater push into private credit by its asset management arm. The FTSE 100 firm toasted the “continued fundraising success” across its private markets investments as it vowed to increase investment over the next two years. Total private markets assets under management (AUM) jumped by more [...]