By: Samuel Norman

Senior City Reporter Samuel is a Senior City Reporter covering all the top financial institutions from retail banks to fintechs as well as stories on capital markets and economics. He has broken stories on some of the biggest names in the City and regularly writes in-depth analysis pieces on companies and industry trends. Samuel also leads on City AM's morning liveblog from 7am everyday. He writes a weekly column found in print and online on Wednesdays. He can be contacted at samuel.norman@cityam.com and posts on LinkedIn and X at x.com/samnormanwrites.

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UK business confidence bounces back from Trump’s tariff blow

May 30, 2025

UK business confidence rallied in May as global financial markets made their recovery from President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught. Lloyds Bank business barometer jumped 11 points over the last month to 50 per cent. – marking a nine month high. The lender surveys 1,200 companies and weighs up the percentage of firms that have a [...]
Nationwide hands customers billions as FTSE 100 banks up shareholder payouts

May 30, 2025

Nationwide returned billions to customers in 2024 whilst the FTSE 100 banking juggernauts used excess capital to up payouts for shareholders. The building society handed customers £2.8bn in the last year through a combination of reward schemes that offered better rates on savings and loans. Meanwhile, listed banks used their extra cash to give big [...]
Starling Bank: The rise and fall of a fintech darling

May 30, 2025

Over a decade ago three fintechs entered the banking scene and set their sights on reshaping its landscape. Starling, Monzo and Revolut rapidly expanded as they leveraged modern tech to streamline banking operations, enhance consumer experience and disrupt traditional financial models. The trio of fintech darlings ballooned customer bases in record numbers. But as two [...]
A third of UK fintechs put customers data at risk of cyber attack

May 29, 2025

UK fintechs are putting thousands of customers in jeopardy by leaving themselves vulnerable to a cyber attack, shocking new research reveals. Nearly 800 firms’ digital presence was analysed by the ethical hacking platform Ethiack as it scrutinised their cybersecurity. Four in ten fintechs were found to be giving hackers a “powerful headstart” by revealing software [...]
Barclays and HSBC shares jump after Trump’s legal blow

May 29, 2025

Shares in FTSE 100 banking giants rallied on Thursday after President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda was dealt a blow from the courts. Barclays and HSBC climbed over one per cent to 328.05p and 874.50p, while Standard Chartered jumped nearly two per cent to 1,158.00p. This came as the US Court of International Trade declared Trump’s [...]
Premier Miton: Asset manager faces tariff strain

May 29, 2025

AIM-listed fund manager Premier Miton recorded a drop in its assets for the first half of the financial year, citing “investor caution, particularly toward UK and European equity strategies”. The firm’s assets under management dropped to £10.2bn, compared to £10.7bn in September 2024. Net outflows jumped to £254m, a sharp increase from £46m for the same [...]
Nationwide posts bumper year after stamp duty rush

May 29, 2025

Nationwide Building Society bolstered its takings in the 12 months to March 31 2025, after a rush to beat the stamp duty deadline led to a surge in first-time buyers. The firm said it served more first-time buyers than any other lender in the UK, with 120,000 purchasing their first home. This was a significant leap from [...]
Reeves’ tax raids crush business confidence – but worst is yet to come

May 29, 2025

Business confidence plummeted in the three months to May as Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes took hold and firms have warned more pain is to come. Consumer services’ optimism marked its eight consecutive month of decline at -42 per cent, whilst levels of business value plunged to -56 per cent. This was down from -44 per [...]
Revolut: UK is ‘entrepreneurial hub of Europe’

May 28, 2025

UK entrepreneurship has stormed ahead of its European rivals, according to findings from the region’s most valuable fintech company. Fresh data from Revolut’s business arm shows half of British businesses using its services are startups, a figure that dwarfs its European counterparts. Their closest rivals, the Netherlands and Ireland, sit at near 40 per cent. [...]
Gen Z investors reliant on LinkedIn and TikTok finfluencers for advice

May 28, 2025

Gen Z has led the charge in a growing trend of using social media for investment advice, according to new data from Charles Schwab. Over 70 per cent of Gen Z use social media and financial influencers – dubbed finfluencers – when making investment decisions, the data suggests. LinkedIn was valued as the top social [...]

Entain and Rank warn Budget tax hikes threaten betting shops and jobs

Football regulator’s reputation rests on its handling of Manchester City

The Cherry Orchard – Harold Pinter Theatre: Kristin Scott Thomas is luminous

By: Samuel Norman

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