As it happened: Stocks fall as US and Iran clash over Strait of Hormuz; Fed chair says inflation risk is easing July 1, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are holding steady above $73 per barrel after days of heightened tensions between the US and Iran ahead of peace talks in Qatar. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – posted its biggest quarterly decline since 2020 for the second quarter of the [...]
Businesses confidence slumps as Burnham prepares for power July 1, 2026 Ministers must prioritise delivery over “changes in the machinery of government” if business confidence is to recover, one of Britain’s top lobby groups has said, in a warning to Andy Burnham as he prepares to shake-up Whitehall and shift power to the North of England. In its monthly business confidence survey, the Institute of Directors [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump on defence and metals boost; Oil on track to shed a fifth on US-Iran peace hopes June 30, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil’s speed of decline has taken a hit this week as investors were forced to pause at the renewal of strike action between the US and Iran. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was steadying above $73 per barrel, holding onto some of the [...]
As it happened: Stocks tumble after Apple rattles global markets; UK food exports hit by US tariffs June 26, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are digesting fresh inflationary fears driven by Apple’s price hike as well as renewed threats over the safety of the Strait of Hormuz this morning after a projectile struck a vessel off the coast of Oman. Asian equity markets took a tumble overnight as price increases announced [...]
As it happened: Stocks higher as oil price sinks; Reeves makes bid to stay as Chancellor June 25, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The price of oil is heading lower this morning as the outlook around the Strait of Hormuz improves. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – tumbled below $73 per barrel, extending losses for a fourth consecutive session. These moves helped wipe out all the gains [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 scrapes into green after Segro’s surge; Oil at pre-war levels after Trump snaps at industry June 24, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. European markets were a mixed bag on Wednesday after a bruising sell-off had investors across the globe dumping their equity exposure. In Europe, the FTSE 100 closed down just shy of 0.1 per cent on Tuesday, undershooting the bigger losses seen on Germany’s Dax at one per cent, [...]
As it happened: Stocks recover after markets rocked by tech-sell off; US claims ‘good foundations’ of Iran deal June 23, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets have shrugged off the latest developments in US-Iran peace with the FTSE 100 falling at open as London got swept up in the wider sell-off that rocked Asia and Wall Street overnight. This comes despite some progress in the Middle East, with Trump’s Vice President JD Vance [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 finishes higher as US-Iran talks progress and Starmer resigns; Space X shares fall after bond sale June 22, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are set to start off the new week facing renewed threats on both the domestic and geopolitical front. Over the weekend, fractures that were forming in the US-Iran peace deal burst wide open after Iran’s top military command said it shut the Strait of Hormuz after “violations” [...]
Lloyd’s and Chubb unlock $400m to jumpstart Strait of Hormuz shipping June 19, 2026 The world’s largest insurance marketplace is set to break the Strait of Hormuz logjam with a new $400m (£316m) war-risk facility. Lloyd’s of London has launched a new market consortium designed to provide additional marine war risk insurance capacity for vessels and cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Insurer Chubb will serve as lead underwriter, [...]
As it happened: Stocks sink after Fed and Bank of England opt for hawkish hold; Oil price tumbles June 18, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Interest rates were left unchanged at 3.75 per cent in Bank of England’s monetary policy committee meeting today as rate-setters wait to find out whether the Iran war peace deal holds up. The Bank’s decision followed Thursday’s inflation data, which stayed below undershot expectations after coming at 2.8 [...]