By: Ali Lyon

Ali Lyon is the chief reporter at City AM, responsible for covering the full gamut of business, finance and wealth news. He has been at City AM full-time since July 2024. Get in touch with tips via email: ali.lyon@cityam.com. Follow Ali on X: @alilyon_94

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Astrazeneca ploughs £300m into UK in surprise U-turn

April 29, 2026

British drugs giant Astrazeneca has promised to plough £300m into its UK operations, just months after cancelling a nine-figure investment in a new lab after getting in a spat with the UK government over drug pricing. In a stunning volte-face, the UK’s largest pharmaceutical company said it would revive its £200m investment into a megalab [...]
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 [...]
WPP sales down again despite uptick in new business

April 28, 2026

WPP saw its revenue fall by more than six per cent in the first three months of 2026, piling pressure on the advertising giant’s turnaround plan just two months after it was unveiled. The FTSE 250 holding group saw its sales fall by 6.6 per cent to £3bn in the first quarter, while revenue less [...]
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 [...]
‘Mascots don’t move markets’: City grandee pours cold water on retail investment drive

April 28, 2026

The government’s industry-backed investing campaign will fail to usher in a new wave of retail investment unless ministers also promise to scrap the UK’s “hard to defend” tax regime on shares, the boss of a top investment bank has warned. Writing in City AM, Peel Hunt chief executive Steven Fine said that the record haul [...]
Shell snaps up Canadian energy firm ARC for $16.4bn in bid to boost production

April 27, 2026

Shell is to buy Canadian shale producer ARC Resouces in a $16.4bn deal that the oil major says will boost its production and deliver “value for decades”. The London-listed oil major, which has been under pressure from shareholders to increase output and revive its ageing reserves base, will pay for the deal using 25 per [...]
Space investment trust taps retail investors for spending splurge

April 27, 2026

An investment trust focusing on commercial space opportunities will raise £350m from retail investors in a bid to capitalise on the booming space technology market. Seraphim Space, the world’s first listed fund to specialise in backing space ventures, said it was launching one of the largest share issuances in British investment history to broaden access [...]
Baggage handler demands Heathrow red tape overhaul amid cost scrutiny

April 24, 2026

One of Heathrow’s longest-standing partners has joined a campaign demanding an urgent overhaul of the airport’s regulatory model, saying the hub’s current cost structure and performance languish behind other world-leading hubs. City AM can reveal that Menzies Aviation, which handles much of the baggage passing through the west London hub, has thrown its weight behind [...]
BP suffers shareholder revolt over climate U-turn at crunch AGM

April 23, 2026

BP’s turnaround plans were dealt a major blow on Thursday after its shareholders rejected two resolutions backed by the board and a sizeable minority voted against the reelection of its new chair. At a crunch annual general meeting (AGM), investors voted down the energy major’s proposal to dial back its reporting commitments on the climate [...]
Government launches Britain’s largest ever retail investing campaign

April 23, 2026

The government has unveiled its industry-backed push to encourage households to plough their savings into the stock market, in what is set to be the largest retail investing campaign of its kind in Britain’s history. Starring a red squirrel called ‘Savvy’, the Invest for the Future campaign will seek to “drive a step change in [...]

Shabana Mahmood set to be named Chancellor by Burnham

Delicious Orie: The boxer who swapped sparring for spreadsheets

Jamie’s Italian is awful but don’t worry, there are some great new Mediterranean restaurants too

By: Ali Lyon

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