As it happened: Stocks mixed as Trump warns takes ‘two to tango’ on Iran peace June 4, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Donald Trump has hinted a peace deal in the Middle East could come as soon as “over the weekend” in the latest back-and-forth of negotiations between the US and Iran. The President yesterday doubled down once more on his claim that Iran is set to [...]
In 23 months Labour has dragged the UK economy to its knees June 4, 2026 Reading our interview with billionaire John Caudwell, in which he says he was “misled” by Labour’s pitch for power, I’m reminded of just how unambiguous Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves were in the run-up to the 2024 election. They promised to be “the most pro-business government this country has ever seen.” Some of us were [...]
For stock-picking success, think like a PE investor June 4, 2026 A certain City metric is taking off with investors as Easyjet is eyed by predators How do you pick shares for your investment portfolio? If you don’t understand the stock market, you could just chuck everything into a basic tracker fund and leave it be. If you’ve got a computer science PhD under your belt, [...]
London bucks trend as investors shun stocks in ‘near record’ demand for mixed-asset funds June 4, 2026 Gloom starts to lift in the City with first monthly net inflow into UK equities since November 2024 Investors cut their exposure to equities in favour of bonds and mixed-asset holdings in May, according to fresh data released on Thursday by global funds network Calastone. But London bucked the trend in what could be seen [...]
‘Tipping point’: CBI boss slams £345bn business tax burden amid ‘cost of doing business’ crisis June 4, 2026 The boss of the UK’s most influential business group will use a landmark speech to warn that the heavy business tax burden is nudging British firms towards a “tipping point”, directly linking the Labour government’s troubles to cost pressures on firms. At a speech for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s business dinner, chief executive [...]
Financial services contributed a tenth of UK economic output in 2025 June 3, 2026 The financial services sector contributed over a tenth of the UK’s economic output in the last year as the industry’s productivity outpaced average momentum. The industry provided a £290bn boost to the UK’s real GDP – a macroeconomic measure that adjusts the value of economic output for inflation – in 2025 marking around 11 per [...]
Global trade remains ‘alive and well’ despite tariffs and war, says DHL boss June 3, 2026 From conflict in the Middle East to shifting tariffs and rising concern over Britain’s supply chain resilience, businesses are facing an increasingly unpredictable trading environment. But according to DHL Supply Chain chief executive Hendrik Venter, global trade is adapting rather than retreating. For anyone responsible for moving goods around the world, the past few years [...]
China’s Chery poised to strike deal with Nissan to build cars at Sunderland plant June 3, 2026 Chery is on the cusp of building its first manufacturing presence in the UK in the latest sign of Chinese carmakers gaining a major foothold in Britain’s electric vehicle market. The Omoda and Jaecoo owner, which is the third largest carmaker in China, has unveiled a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nissan to explore [...]
UK in line for fresh US tariff hit as Trump proposes ‘forced labour’ levy June 3, 2026 Donald Trump has proposed a fresh round of tariffs that would hit numerous nations including the UK as the President seeks to rebuild his sweeping wall of levies that were struck down by the Supreme Court. The US is exploring a tariff of at least ten per cent on imports from up to 60 trading [...]
Cliff-edge warning: Fewer than 10 per cent of Brits to achieve a comfortable retirement June 3, 2026 Large numbers of Brits are at risk of facing a retirement ‘cliff edge’ as people fail to save enough to achieve a moderate or comfortable retirement. For someone living on their own, a comfortable lifestyle would require an annual income of £45,400, a level only nine per cent of Brits are on track to hit, [...]