Natwest and Lloyds: What to expect from FTSE 100 bank earnings next week July 21, 2025 The FTSE 100’s banking titans, Natwest, Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC are gearing up for what promises to be an interesting half-year reporting season. Lloyds and Natwest will kick off earnings on July 24 and July 25 followed by peers Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered the following week. The first quarter was defined by President Donald Trump’s [...]
Reeves warned pensions tax raid could cost UK in the long run July 21, 2025 City platform Hargreaves Lansdown has warned Rachel Reeves that “tinkering” with the pension tax relief could cost the UK in the long run and undermine the government’s fresh attempts to get workers to save more into retirement. The return of the Pensions Commission, which will report its findings on the adequacy of retirement savings in [...]
Wealth tax would be a ‘dangerous road to go down’, BNP investment chief warns July 21, 2025 The chief investment officer at BNP Paribas Wealth Management has become the latest senior banker to warn over plans to introduce a wealth tax in the UK, describing the move a “dangerous road to go down.” In an interview with City AM, Edmund Shing said the move was likely to discourage entrepreneurs from starting a [...]
Insolvencies ease in signs of UK businesses’ resilience July 18, 2025 Insolvencies declined slightly in June in signs UK businesses under pressure from higher costs have weathered through tax rises and low national spirits. In new data published by the Insolvency Service, company insolvencies fell by eight per cent in June compared to the month before. The number of insolvencies – 2,043 – was also 16 [...]
Doctors strike: Streeting floats student loan write-off in BMA meeting July 18, 2025 Wes Streeting could offer to write off student loan debt for doctors to persuade the British Medical Association (BMA) to call off a planned strike. The idea came up in an extended meeting between the health secretary and the medical union, just a week out from a five day walkout which could involve as many [...]
UK’s mid-sized firms at fastest growth since Labour elected July 18, 2025 Middle-market businesses are growing at their fastest rate since Labour was elected last July, fresh research has suggested, as UK bosses shake off cost increases in taxes and utility bills. Labour has made economic growth a central mission in government, with small and medium-sized firms highlighted as key to driving national income. Fresh research by [...]
Government must ‘take its head out of the sand’ after jobs plunge July 17, 2025 Small businesses have urged the government to “take its head out of the sand” over tax hikes and a flurry of fresh employment regulations after the Office for National Statistics reported another consecutive month of jobs losses. Responding to Thursday’s unemployment figures, the Federation for Small Businesses said the jobs plunge was “disturbing” and that [...]
Week in Business: Reeves bets on the banks but economy still hurting July 17, 2025 Rachel Reeves set out to charm the City this week, but elsewhere, the economy is reeling from high taxes and low confidence.
Bank of England urged to hold interest rates despite jobs drop July 17, 2025 A leading City forecaster has advised Bank of England policymakers to vote to hold interest rates at its next meeting in August to help battle rising inflation. Robert Wood, UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, warned the Bank of England not to read too much into the drop in jobs numbers, with initial estimates by the [...]
Labour minister: UK-EU trade deal could take another year to kick in July 17, 2025 The UK’s trade deal with the European Union, set to ease food standards and align energy markets could still take another year to come into effect, a Labour minister has warned. In a landmark post-Brexit deal, the UK and EU agreed a deal on food standards to slash red tape for British exporters while giving [...]