Tesco nears crucial update as Iran war threatens food inflation April 15, 2026 As the bosses of the country’s biggest supermarkets crowded into the chancellor’s office earlier this month, no voice will have been as loud as that of Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco. Rachel Reeves summoned grocery executives to discuss how the Iran war will impact Brits’ weekly shops, and Tesco’s results tomorrow will pull back [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks uneven as Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade begins April 14, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets were rocked yesterday by the US’ blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, adding a new layer of tensions to the weeks-long conflict in the Middle East. Vice-President JD Vance has accused the Iranian government of engaging in an “act of economic terrorism” through its [...]
Oil prices could race past $150 as ceasefire in ‘difficult phase’ April 11, 2026 Oil prices could shoot up beyond $150 per barrel if trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain disrupted as the US-Iran ceasefire was entering a “difficult phase”. Research company Kpler said that problems across the Strait could prompt markets to change tune and lead to oil prices jumping higher. The Brent crude oil price, [...]
Starmer told Trump to be ‘practical’ amid Strait of Hormuz tax rumours April 10, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has said he spent most of a conversation with Donald Trump on Thursday night talking about a “practical plan” to secure the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after he said he was “fed up” of the US president’s impact on energy bills. Starmer said he spoke to Trump about the blocked strait, which [...]
Easter boosts high street footfall but retailers hold their breath April 10, 2026 Retail footfall jumped in March as Easter boosted shopping activity, but business leaders fear tax and employment costs could yet cause havoc. Total footfall in the UK increased by 2.4 per cent last month, according to trade body the British Retail Consortium (BRC), offering a welcome boost for retailers after wet weather drove shoppers away [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks take a dip as Trump’s ceasefire in doubt April 9, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Hopes for peace in the Middle East are on thin ice with the ceasefire unveiled on Wednesday morning already seemingly in tatters. According to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, the US and Israel have already “violated” Iran’s 10-point ceasefire proposal in three ways. And [...]
Christian nationalism is a dead end for British conservatives April 8, 2026 JD Vance supports re-election of Viktor Orban because the Hungarian autocrat funds a network of think tanks and writers that are crucial to his own succession of Donald Trump. This is not the way forward for the British right, says Alys Denby “This is the horniest place I’ve ever been,” a fellow attendee said, noting [...]
‘Beautiful thing’: Trump moots US-Iran tax for ships in Strait of Hormuz April 8, 2026 President Trump has floated the prospect of a “joint venture” with the Iranian leadership on administering a tax on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in a new peace deal for the region. Trump said both the US and Iran could jointly tax ships passing through the stretch of water, which is critical for [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Blue-chip stocks boom on Trump and Iran ceasefire April 8, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Markets are in line for a major boom this morning after Donald Trump confirmed a two-week ceasefire with Iran shortly ahead of his latest bomb threat deadline. Trump announced the two-week postponement by stating the US and Iran were “very far along” with a “definitive” [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip ahead of Trump’s Iran deadline April 7, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The London market is set to return from the bank holiday break with a major hangover. Whilst the City enjoyed an Easter break, volatile trading continued with Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – hovering around the $110 mark after see-sawing between gains [...]