Kickstart North Sea production to dodge Iran fallout, Serica warns Business Serica Energy has urged the government to prioritise domestic production in the North Sea, as oil and gas supplies continued to be held in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war in its latest annual results. Serica noted that confidence in the UK North Sea sector had been “eroded” and while the government has [...]
FTSE 100 Live: OECD slashes UK growth prospects as inflation set to jump Markets Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The White House’s Press Secretary has said the US is “very close” to meeting its objectives in the Iran war, though offered no specific timeline on when the conflict could come to a close. But Iran’s foreign minister has said the country has “no intention [...]
Blackrock boss Larry Fink says AI will boost trade jobs Tech Society needs to rethink its view of careers as AI reshapes the job market, Blackrock chief Larry Fink has said, warning that skilled trades like plumbing and electrical work will become more valuable while some office roles decline. In an interview with the BBC, the asset manager boss claimed the US had “overdid” its push [...]
Iran mocks Trump’s peace talks as oil price takes sharp drop March 25, 2026 The Iranian regime has mocked claims from Donald Trump that talks to end the war were progressing as markets struggle to digest a mixed bag of messages. Tehran downplayed expectations of any immediate ceasefire, following emerging reports that the US had offered a 15-point ceasefire plan. The President said the US was in “productive” talks [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks soar as Trump claims ‘victory’ in Iran; Economists clash on inflation March 25, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Fresh figures this morning revealed inflation rose three per cent in the year to February 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to January 2026. Grant Fitzner said: “The largest upwards driver was the price of clothing, which rose this month but fell a year ago. “This was offset [...]
Not just oil: Fertiliser and helium are at risk in the Strait of Hormuz standoff March 24, 2026 Since the start of the Middle Eastern conflict nearly a month ago, analysts have kept their eyes glued to the latest energy market data. On 2 March, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway which is responsible for shipping roughly one fifth of the world’s oil and gas, was “closed” and oil prices have [...]
‘Crossroads’: Oil prices hold firm as markets sour on Trump’s peace talks March 24, 2026 The price of oil held firm on Tuesday morning as markets faced a “crossroads” following the latest bait-and-switch from President Trump amid the crisis in the Middle East. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, broke $100 again in early trading in Asia after a four per cent gain. Prices have dipped a touch but [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip; Reeves give energy update as oil prices jump March 24, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil is back on the rise this morning following a series of mixed messages on Monday that brought forward a day of whiplash for global markets. The trading session started with nosedives into the red as markets digested President Trump’s 48 hour ultimatum on Iran, [...]
The oil crisis isn’t just financial, it’s physical March 24, 2026 Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz isn’t just an economic shock, it’s harming the physical infrastructure that underpins global markets, says Helen Thomas Five years ago this week, the Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking one of the world’s key waterways for six days. Oil prices jumped six per cent as roughly [...]
Trump’s call to pause strikes in Iran boosts markets March 23, 2026 Global markets leaped on news that President Trump paused strikes on Iranian infrastructure as he hinted that negotiations had been “very good and productive”. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – plunged back to below $100 per barrle after having jumped to $112 earlier in the day. The FTSE 100 also rose [...]