Oil price rockets to wartime high as Trump eyes fresh military action in Iran April 30, 2026 Brent oil surged to a new high during early-morning Thursday trading after reports that US president Donald Trump is set to receive a briefing on new military operations in Iran, raising fears over an end to the fragile ceasefire between the two nations. The global benchmark surged as much as 7.1 per cent this morning, [...]
Bank of England Live: Interest rates held as hawks warn of ‘highly uncertain’ energy prices April 30, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has today decided to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a hawkish display. In last month’s decision, the Bank held rates in a unanimous decision. Afterwards, short-term gilt yields, which reflect government borrowing costs, sharply rose as traders priced [...]
Banning payment for order flow is an EU blunder the UK shouldn’t repeat April 29, 2026 As the EU looks to impose a full ban of payment for order flow, Sylvain Thieullent argues why that would be misguided for the UK.
Citadel founder questions understanding of private credit risks April 29, 2026 Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin has questioned whether wealthy individuals understand the risks that come with investing in private credit, as the industry wobbles under pressure from investors looking to pull money out. Griffin, who founded $67bn hedge fund Citadel and trading firm Citadel Securities, is the latest in a string of high-profile financial leaders [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks drop as oil holds firm over $110; UK growth slashed April 29, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are holding firm tipping over the $110 mark, bringing the cost of a barrel closer to the highs of $118 it peaked at earlier in the Iran war. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – advanced another one per cent on [...]
Global equity markets are dangerously overconfident April 28, 2026 Global equity markets show a dangerous disconnect by continuing to rally – fueled by an overconfidence in policy backstops – despite the severe and persistent supply-side risks caused by the ongoing energy shock from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, says Helen Thomas There is a growing disconnect between the resilience of global equity [...]
Barclays shares slide as sour loan provisions balloon to £823m April 28, 2026 Barclays made a mammoth reservation for bad loans in the first quarter led by the hostilities in the global market and a single name charge in its investment banking division. The blue-chip lender set aside £823m for potential loan losses, up from £643m in the same period last year, in a stark sign the firm [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip as oil edges higher; BP posts profit boom April 28, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil returned to a three-week high comfortably over the $105 mark on Monday and those gains look set to continue today. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – edged over $110 on Tuesday morning as it once again appeared peace talks in [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip as oil prices surge to three-week high April 27, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. There’s set to be little relief in markets this morning as investors return from the weekend to oil hitting a three-week high. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – rose two per cent to over $107 on Monday morning. [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks drop as Trump in ‘no rush’ to end Iran war; Retail sales jump on fuel rush April 24, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Donald Trump has slapped another extension on ceasefires in the Middle East following Wednesday’s intervention, where a previous deadline was set to expire. Just days ago, Trump said he was extending the ceasefire indefinitely as the deadline for strikes on Iranian power plants drew nearer. [...]