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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Barclays in legal battle with MFS administrators over part of £160m holding

August 4, 2026

The administrators of collapsed mortgage lender MFS are taking legal action against Barclays after the bank allegedly refused to hand back millions of pounds sat in its accounts. Alix Partners, which was appointed as joint administrators for Market Financial Solutions in February, filed a High Court claim against Barclays, represented by Latham and Watkins, on [...]
Metro Bank profit jumps as it bucks branch closure trend

August 4, 2026

Metro Bank secured its highest half-year profit on record in the first six months of 2026 as it bucked an industry-wide trend of branch closures and grew its small business offering. The FTSE 250 bank recorded a £60.7m pre-tax profit, up 41 per cent from the same period last year. This was driven by a [...]
HSBC kicks off $1bn share buyback after profit smashes forecast

August 4, 2026

HSBC has resumed its share buyback programme after profit soared past expectations in the second quarter of 2026. The FTSE 100 bank – whose market cap of £274bn makes it the London Stock Exchange’s most valuable company – posted $10.1bn (£7.5bn) in pre-tax profit for the last three months, surging past an internal forecast of [...]
As it happened: Oil prices tumble as Bessent says US-Iran deal imminent; miner stocks rally

August 4, 2026

Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. The price of oil tumbled on Tuesday afternoon after a senior Trump ally said that a deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz could be agreed with Iran in the coming days. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – tumbled [...]
Oil price falls but Trump and Iran clash on negotiations claim

August 3, 2026

The price of oil has drifted lower after Donald Trump called off strikes on Iran but progress towards a finalised peace deal continues to stall as the President clashes with Iran’s leadership. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – tumbled over five per cent on Monday to below $83 per barrel as [...]
Chrysalis marks down Starling stake again and reduces Klarna holding

August 3, 2026

Chrysalis Investments has slashed the price tag of its Starling stake for the second straight quarter. The British investment trust marked down the value of its holding in the digital bank by five per cent to £356m in the second quarter. This helped contribute to an overall drop of 2.35p per share in Chrysalis’ net [...]
Easyjet extends window for another Castlelake bid

August 3, 2026

Easyjet has extended the window for another takeover bid from asset manager Castlelake after its offer was usurped by investment giant Apollo last month. The budget airline said on Monday that it was still set to recommend the Apollo deal to shareholders, which values its stock at £7.15 per share, but would extend Castlelake’s deadline [...]
As it happened: UK stocks cool after Astrazeneca drags; Trump and Iran clash over peace talks

August 3, 2026

Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The London stock market is starting the new week relatively mixed after Donald Trump hinted a deal between US and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz is near, but was contradicted by communication from Tehran. The US President has said that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran [...]
China’s mega London embassy to go ahead after High Court blocks challenge

July 31, 2026

Plans for a new Chinese super embassy in central London will go ahead after the High Court blocked a challenge to the controversial site. The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association (RMCRA) had initiated legal action against the government’s housing department and Tower Hamlets council over concerns the embassy could enforce “draconian” Chinese laws in the [...]
Revolut will become $1 trillion company by 2035, says early VC backer

July 31, 2026

Revolut will secure a price tag of $1 trillion within a decade, an early backer of the fintech has claimed. The digital banking juggernaut is in the midst of a secondary share sale at an expected valuation of $115bn and was last valued at $75bn in November 2025, when it landed investment from chip giant [...]

Investor pressure mounts on boss of King’s favourite interior designer

Bagatelle: Is exclusive Chelsea offering future of Premier League hospitality?

Inherit film review: Thai horror explores society’s Faustian pact

By: Samuel Norman

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