As it happened: Stocks jump on peace hopes; Reeves hit by falling retail sales and surge in borrowing May 22, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices remain volatile and heightened as peace talks in the Middle East continue to run into stumbling blocks. Brent crude futures were up to $104 this morning following reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader was ordering for the nation’s enriched uranium reserves to remain in [...]
As it happened: Stocks jittery as Iran war drags on; Reeves unveil cost-of-living package May 21, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Donald Trump has warned Iran there are two options that could see the US finishing the war in Iran, with one that will “see a few people killed as opposed to a lot”. He added: “We could do it either way.” It’s the latest threat from the White [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rises as oil slips; Analysts warn of ‘short-lived’ inflation drop May 20, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The City has welcomed news of undershooting inflation this morning, but warning signs already suggest it’s a temporary blip. The Consumer Price Index rose 2.8 per cent in the 12 months to April, that’s under the three per cent pencilled in and a major drop [...]
As it happened: Choppy finish for FTSE 100 as global markets rocked by AI sell-off May 19, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Businesses have raised the alarm over falling vacancies as new data showed a further weakening in the jobs market. Vacancies remained at a five-year low in April 2026, with a leading industry group saying recruiters were “pausing” plans to hire workers. The British Chambers of Commerce’s head of [...]
As it happened: IMF lifts UK GDP and stocks reverse losses as bonds warned of ‘correction’ May 18, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The bond market is taking a breathe after mountains of pressure on Friday. The UK’s borrowing costs hit their highest since 2008, charging to 5.17 per cent during one part of the day’s trading session. This was topped once more on Monday morning, but since then yields have [...]
As it happened: UK borrowing costs rattled by Burnham’s Parliament bid May 15, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Andy Burnham has made his move – and it has left markets on edge. On Thursday evening, after markets had closed, a Labour MP sensationally announced their intention to stand aside to allow Burnham to make his way back into Parliament. And this morning it’s left gilt yields [...]
As it happened: Market jitters as Streeting set to make bid against Starmer May 13, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. UK borrowing costs are taking a modest breathe this morning after settling much higher yesterday after a session jam-packed with political turmoil. The 10-year yield on UK gilts spiked ten basis points to over 5.1 per cent on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the 30-year yield soared to [...]
As it happened: Ministers resign as gilt yields at 28-year high May 12, 2026 The Westminster political drama rocked the bond markets with gilt yields surging to a 28-year high. The yield on 30-year gilts surged 13 basis points on Tuesday to hit 5.8 per cent. It comes as nearly 80 Labour MPs have now called for the resignation of the Prime Minister and reports suggest numerous members of [...]
Heathrow passenger volumes drop as jet fuel crisis rocks market May 11, 2026 Fewer passengers were heading to Heathrow Airport in April as the war in the Middle East keeps travellers grounded. Passenger numbers at Europe’s biggest airport fell by five per cent in April to 6.7m with the blame being attributed to the “ongoing impact of the Middle East conflict”. For those heading to that particular region, [...]
As it happened – Starmer fights for premiership in make-or-break speech May 11, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Sir Keir Starmer will deliver a speech to the nation this morning as rivals circle whilst his premiership hangs in the balance. The Prime Minister is expected to set out his response to the disastrous local elections, where Labour lost 1,496 seats. The losses came as Nigel Farage’s [...]