Budget could hand economy £60bn if small businesses supported November 18, 2025 Small businesses could provide a £60bn injection to the UK economy if the Autumn Budget meets firm’s needs, fresh research has indicated. Fresh research from Barclays Business Prosperity Index showed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were playing it cautious ahead of the Budget, even more so than their larger corporate counterparts. Firms hit pause on [...]
Tech tailwinds boost Polar Capital as AI bubble balloons November 17, 2025 Asset manager Polar Capital reported a surge in earnings after the firm’s “meaningful exposure” to tech stocks provided a hefty tailwind. The London-listed business recorded a 21 per cent jump in pre-tax profit to £27.9m, this was up from £23.1m just last year. Whilst outflows soared to £690m, including a significant £632m concentrated in the [...]
FTSE 100 closes in on 10,000 after outperforming US indices November 12, 2025 The FTSE 100 is inching a step closer to the magic 10,000 mark after almost a year of outperforming counterparts across the Atlantic. London’s blue-chip index rallied on the open before giving up some gains to settle on a broadly flat level. It follows two consecutive record closes with the City shrugging off bubbling tensions [...]
Princes shares jump as boss of tinned tuna giant eyes M&A spree November 11, 2025 The boss of Princes Group has laid the foundations for future deals after the firm’s admission to the London Stock Exchange helped build up its “firepower”. Simon Harrison, chief executive of Princes, said the listing marked a “milestone period” for the group and created “exciting opportunities to pursue value accretive mergers and acquisitions, in line [...]
FTSE 100 and S&P 500 circle record highs as US shutdown cools November 10, 2025 Global markets sprung back to life on Monday after AI jitters and the US government shutdown helped trigger widespread sell-offs last week. The S&P 500 – which tracks the 500 leading companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States – jumped over one per cent to 6,804.80p at Wall Street’s opening bell. The tech-heavy [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Diageo taps new top chief; private equity swoop November 10, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team, It’s a new week in the City and markets will be hoping for a recovery rally after tech jitters sent stocks deeper into the red on Friday. There’s a mixed bag of factors weighing on global indexes, namely the ongoing government shutdown in the US and the [...]
Rightmove shares in £1bn crash as AI plans spook investors November 7, 2025 Shares in Rightmove nosedived on Friday morning after the property titan revealed a major-shakeup centred on upping AI spending. The group said it would invest £60m over the next three years, with a focus on leaning into new tech. The FTSE 100 firm slashed its short-term profitability targets amid the new plans. Company boss Johan [...]
Bank of England Live: Bailey refuses to confirm if Budget influenced rates decision November 6, 2025 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Andrew Bailey has refused to confirm whether the upcoming Budget and Rachel Reeves’ recent comments influenced his decision on interest rates. The Bank of England has held interest rates at four per cent in its final decision before the Autumn Budget. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Wetherspoons boss’ Budget warning; M&S takes cyber hit November 5, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. If you need a clear sign that there is an AI bubble, look no further. American tech stocks fell sharply on Tuesday after a hedge fund manager famed for predicting the Global Financial Crisis revealed he had taken out a billion-dollar bet against some of the world’s [...]
Pound sinks to seven-month low after Reeves spikes tax fears November 4, 2025 The pound took a plunge this morning after Chancellor Rachel Reeves spooked the markets with a speech laying the groundwork for big tax hikes in her Autumn Budget. Sterling fell to its lowest since April against the dollar this morning at $1.30 – a 0.46 per cent loss today alone. The pound was also struggling [...]