Shell shares slump after earnings rocket on oil surge May 7, 2026 Shell kicked off a mega share buyback following a bumper first quarter that breezed past expectations on the back of booming oil trading. The FTSE 100 oil major recorded earnings of $6.9bn (£5bn), cruising past the consensus pencilled in by analysts of $6.4bn. It also marked a significant uplift on the $3.3bn pocketed in the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jump; oil dips below $100 as Trump says Iran deal close May 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Brent crude dipped below $100 at Wednesday lunchtime after Donald Trump has hailed “great progress” towards a “final agreement” with Iran, prompting a rally in the FTSE, Asian markets and Wall Street. In a sudden reversal late last night, President Trump said he will pause [...]
The Strait of Hormuz proves fossil fuels are essential for food security May 6, 2026 Carbon emissions are not a threat to food security – the war in the Middle East is highlighting that the much bigger food challenge for the world is not having enough access to fossil fuels, says Bjorn Lomborg For years, climate campaigners have claimed that our food supply is under grave threat from climate change [...]
Trump officials claim Iran is ‘weaponising global trade’ May 5, 2026 The United States’ most senior military officer has warned that Iran’s sustained assault on commercial shipping threatens to destabilise the world economy, accusing the country’s leadership of deliberately weaponising the global supply chain. General Dan Caine, the former venture capitalist currently serving as chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, made a stark intervention [...]
After a ‘stunning’ update, what does the future hold for long-suffering BP? April 30, 2026 BP wowed shareholders with its first quarter results – doubling profit and bolstering its balance sheet. But with an activist breathing down its neck, its new boss Meg O’Neill isn’t out of the woods yet, writes Ali Lyon As she sat down to pen her first email to BP’s 100,000 staff, Meg O’Neill opted against [...]
Global equity markets are dangerously overconfident April 28, 2026 Global equity markets show a dangerous disconnect by continuing to rally – fueled by an overconfidence in policy backstops – despite the severe and persistent supply-side risks caused by the ongoing energy shock from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, says Helen Thomas There is a growing disconnect between the resilience of global equity [...]
Government borrowing costs soar as Iran war drags on April 28, 2026 The government’s borrowing costs have risen to their joint highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, after a sharp jump in the oil price prompted a sell-off in UK debt because of concerns over inflation. The yield on the 10-year gilt – the main benchmark for any government’s long-term ability to borrow – climbed back [...]
Economy could suffer for eight months after Iran war ends, minister says April 26, 2026 Surging food and energy prices caused by the Iran war could last for more than eight months after the conflict ends, Starmer’s right-hand man has said. Higher petrol, food and plane ticket prices will persist for “eight-plus months” following the end of the conflict, chief secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said. The minister [...]
‘Waste of time’: Trump cancels envoys’ trips to Pakistan for Iran talks April 26, 2026 Donald Trump has cancelled a trip by US envoys to Pakistan to hold more peace talks with Iran, shortly after Tehran’s delegation left Islamabad. The US President said special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner would be wasting “too much time” on the trip, accusing Iran’s delegation of “tremendous infighting and confusion”. The collapse [...]
Mondi shares slump over Iran war cost warning April 24, 2026 Shares in paper and packaging giant Mondi have slumped after the firm revealed it is facing soaring costs as a result of the Iran war. The FTSE 100 firm saw its share price drop by more than six per cent in early trading, as it warned it has already faced higher energy, raw material and [...]