Starmer to convene emergency meeting over Iran war price shock March 21, 2026 Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene an emergency meeting of senior cabinet ministers and the governor of the Bank of England next week, as prices continue to soar amid the Middle East conflict. The meeting will discuss plans to help households with the rising cost of living caused by the war in Iran, according to [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin hits back at Miliband ‘warm beer’ advice March 20, 2026 The boss of the UK’s best-known pub chain has hit back at Ed Miliband after he issued guidance which sparked concerns that pubs will have to serve warmer beer to keep energy bills down. Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, told City AM pubs will be swiftly overtaken by supermarkets if they opt to cut [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares sink as Iran tensions drag FTSE 100 into red March 19, 2026 The FTSE 100 was treading slightly above the 10,000 mark on Thursday as fears grew that the index could slip underneath the milestone. London’s blue-chip index fell 2.7 per cent by the afternoon to lows of 10,002.30p. It came as shares in a number of the City’s banking giants led the FTSE 100’s downturn this [...]
Oil and gas prices surge after Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Iran energy site March 19, 2026 The surging price of oil and gas rocked markets this morning as tensions across the Middle East continued to spike fears of an energy crisis. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – hit $113 this morning, one of the highest levels since the conflict broke out three weeks ago. Meanwhile the price of [...]
‘Panic mode’: FTSE 100 sinks as oil spikes on Iran’s energy threats March 18, 2026 Markets were thrown into “panic mode” on Wednesday as the surging price of oil rattled global equities. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – spiked as much as five per cent to $110 per barrel as energy facilities across the Gulf faced evacuation following the latest threats from Iran. The [...]
Ramsdens shares rocket as pawnbroker cashes in on gold boom March 18, 2026 Shares in pawnbroker Ramsdens rocketed as it looked poised to take advantage of gold prices, inflated by the Iran war, by taking as much as £28m this year. The firm’s share price soared by more than ten per cent on Wednesday, to 404p, leaving it up more than four per cent in the year so [...]
February showers dampen hospitality sales March 18, 2026 February’s wet weather kept Brits at home as hospitality sales fell compared to last year, extending a poor start to the year for the sector. The rainy month meant total like-for-like sales were 0.2 per cent lower than in February 2025, with sales having dropped 0.1 per cent year on year in January, according to [...]
Iran war to drive up building costs, warns Travis Perkins boss March 17, 2026 The boss of the UK’s largest builders’ merchant has warned building costs are poised to rise as suppliers warn they are facing soaring energy costs. Gavin Slark, the new boss of Travis Perkins, said the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting spike of energy prices will force manufacturers to put up prices to [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks inch up; Gas prices surge after drone attacks March 17, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The FTSE 100 closed up 0.5 per cent yesterday, settling at 10,317.69p led by a three per cent jump in Endeavour Mining. It came as global markets were brought some reprieve from declining oil prices. The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil [...]
‘No one expects’ Bank of England to cut interest rates, says former MPC member March 17, 2026 A former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has said that “no one expects a cut” to interest rates amidst deepening conflict in the Middle East. Prof Jonathan Haskel, who is also a member of City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, told BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme he believes a rates [...]