Bank of England Live: Interest rates held as hawks warn of ‘highly uncertain’ energy prices April 30, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has today decided to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a hawkish display. In last month’s decision, the Bank held rates in a unanimous decision. Afterwards, short-term gilt yields, which reflect government borrowing costs, sharply rose as traders priced [...]
Unilever gets Marmite reaction to McCormick deal as investor fury spreads April 28, 2026 Unilever is facing a mounting investor backlash over its recent multibillion-pound tie-up with US food giant McCormick, with shareholders accusing the consumer goods behemoth of rushing the deal through without a vote and loading the new vehicle up with too much debt. Shareholders in the FTSE-100 conglomerate told City AM that they were supportive overall [...]
Marmite maker Unilever creates food empire in $45bn merger March 31, 2026 Unilever has sealed a $45bn merger of its food brands with US spice and seasoning giant McCormick, forging a $60bn food empire in which the London-based firm holds a majority stake. Unilever and its shareholders will own 65 per cent in the new body, with the firm receiving $15.7bn (£11.6bn) in cash and the equivalent [...]
Unilever freezes hiring as Iran war poses ‘significant challenges’ March 31, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Unilever has placed a global freeze on hiring for at least three months as the Iran war wreaks havoc on global supply chains and fuel prices. The London-based business, which owns Dove soap and Hellman’s mayonnaise, told staff the ban on hiring will affect “all levels” of recruitment and was taken in [...]
Unilever food spin off gets marmite reception March 20, 2026 Unilever’s talks over selling its food business has been met with a marmite reception as analysts warned a deal may not pay off until the long-term. The FTSE 100 giant said on Friday it is in talks with US spice and seasoning maker McCormick over offloading its food brands, including Marmite and Hellman’s. The move [...]
Unilever confirms talks to sell food arm March 20, 2026 FTSE 100 giant Unilever has confirmed it is in talks to offload its foods business, which includes iconic brands like Hellman’s and Marmite. The mayonnaise-maker said it has received an offer from US seasoning manufacturer McCormick and is now in discussions with the firms. The company has been prioritising its €13bn (£11.2bn) beauty and personal [...]
Not-so-drastic Dave: Diageo boss defies expectations of slash-and-burn reign February 25, 2026 ‘Drastic Dave’ Lewis, who gained a reputation for cost-cutting and ruthless rationalisation during his time at Unilever and Tesco, was more ‘demure Dave’ when announcing Diageo’s first results of his tenure as chief executive. The spirits giant has been struggling in recent years, with its share price down 22 per cent year-on-year – and Lewis’ [...]
‘Drastic’ Dave to serve up new vision for Guinness maker Diageo February 22, 2026 It’s been a rocky 12 months for drinks titan Diageo and Sir Dave Lewis will be looking to cure the firm’s long-running hangover when he serves up his future vision next week. Diageo’s stock has tumbled over 15 per cent in the last 12 months with a notable drop in November after operating profit growth [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Schroders in £10bn deal; UK economic growth lags February 12, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. It was another record day for the FTSE 100 on Wednesday, which secured its highest close of all time. On a strong day for commodity-related stocks in London, London’s blue-chip index closed 1.14 per cent higher at 10,472p. But it wasn’t all cheery in the [...]
FTSE 100 hits fresh record after gold and silver rout February 2, 2026 The FTSE 100 hit a fresh record on Monday despite being swept up in a global sell-off of metals and tech stocks that had pushed Asian and European stock markets deep into the red earlier in the day. The UK’s blue-chip index closed up 118 points to end the day at an all-time high of [...]