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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As it happened: FTSE 100 plunges as Iran pulls out of US peace talks; Mandelson files released

June 1, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil has nudged a touch higher to $93 per barrel this morning as uncertainty continues to cloud any prospect of a peace deal in the Middle East. The latest peace proposal between the US and Iran was said last week to be awaiting on the [...]
Fintech firms grew four times faster than traditional banks in 2025

June 1, 2026

The explosive growth of the global fintech sector continued in the last year, drastically outpacing its incumbent rivals but faced a challenge in cementing its market share. Fintech firms’ average growth rate was four times faster than that of traditional financial services at an average of 22 per cent in BCG’s Global Fintech Report 2026. [...]
Can Newcastle go posh? Our honest review of city’s first five-star hotel

May 29, 2026

In a far cry from the late noughties zeitgeist of Geordie Shore, Hotel Gotham offers a fresh brand of sexy that differentiates Newcastle from its MTV days. Once famous as the hangout for characters from that reality show, like Scotty T and Gary ‘the parsnip’ Beadle, Newcastle has quietly been building a higher-end repertoire of [...]
Natwest and Barclays sweeten mortgage costs as Iran peace hopes ease interest rate fears

May 29, 2026

Natwest and Barclays have become the latest lenders to sweeten up their mortgage deals, as hopes remain high that a peace deal will be reached in the Middle East that would bring calm to the interest rate environment. Both lenders have unveiled reductions in mortgage rates, with Barclays cutting its rates across the board by [...]
Top banks urge Rachel Reeves to expand small business lending scheme

May 29, 2026

Top UK banks are lobbying Rachel Reeves to beef up the government’s small business lending scheme in a bid to unlock more capital to be lent to firms. A letter penned by UK Finance – the banking industry body that represents the likes of Barclays, Lloyds and Natwest – has called for the Chancellor to [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise on Iran peace hopes; Asda and Ocado deal

May 29, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. After investors kicked into sell-off mode on Thursday amidst spiking tensions as the US and Iran exchanged strikes, attention is quickly turning back to hopes of a peace deal this morning. US and Iranian negotiators are reported to have reached an agreement on a 60-day [...]
Nationwide accused of picking ‘unfair fight’ with member board candidate

May 28, 2026

Nationwide has been accused of picking an “unfair fight” with one of its members who has sought to clinch a seat on the building society’s board. The mutual has opted not to recommend the candidacy of James Sherwin-Smith, who is running to be the first member to take a seat on Nationwide’s board in nearly [...]
Family-owned Tottenham brewer falls into administration as industry pressures mount

May 28, 2026

A beloved family-owned Tottenham brewery that was a key player in London’s craft beer renaissance has fallen into administration amidst mounting cost pressures on the industry. Redemption Brewing Company, which was the first commercial brewery to open in Tottenham in nearly 100 years, is officially listed on the formal register of new insolvency appointments as [...]
Jamie Dimon opens door to a $20bn JP Morgan takeover

May 28, 2026

Jamie Dimon has kicked the door open to the prospect of JP Morgan completing a major takeover that would shake-up the global banking landscape. The Wall Street boss raised the idea of the bank spending as much as $20bn (£15bn) as it looks to capitalise on the freed up capital from deregulation reforms. “I do [...]
As it happened: Stocks plummet on latest Iran war tensions; Neets crisis a ‘human tragedy’

May 28, 2026

Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The US and Iran are back to exchanging fire in a major blow to hopes of peace in the Middle East. Tehran struck an American airbase overnight in its retaliation for the US striking a military site that it said “posed a threat to US forces [...]

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By: Samuel Norman

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