Amanda Blanc has worked her magic at Aviva August 18, 2026 For twenty years Aviva found itself struggling to cement its position in the insurance market. The arrival of Amanda Blanc changed the group’s fortune and share price. Maisie Grice looks into how she executed Aviva’s revival and what could come next. Few FTSE 100 constituents have executed a turnaround quite like Aviva’s. The insurance giant [...]
As It Happened: Stocks dip as oil’s ‘slowing demand’ in focus; Iran threatens to extend war August 14, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices are holding up at $87 per barrel this morning as investors remain locked in wait-and-see mode while monitoring new updates coming out of US-Iran negotiations and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian regime handed a major blow to peace optimism after suggestining it could [...]
Aviva profits jump following Direct Line acquisition August 14, 2026 FTSE 100 insurance giant Aviva reported its operating profit for the first half of this year to be up 24 per cent, driven by the group’s “strong progress” following its acquisition of Direct Line in 2025. The London-listed insurer, which offers home, car, and life insurance in the UK and serves approximately 25 million customers, [...]
Exclusive: City giants tighten trans policies August 14, 2026 City firms are being forced to tighten up inclusion policies and prevent transgender staff from using single-sex bathrooms, after the equalities watchdog published fresh directions on enforcing the seismic Supreme Court ruling on gender last year. Square Mile giants including Admiral, Coventry Building Society and Santander have all updated their HR procedures to bar trans [...]
Shareholder backlash pushes up low-ball London takeover bids August 11, 2026 Top shareholders of London-listed firms are pushing back on takeover bids this year amid concerns buyers are capitalising on low valuations to pick up companies on the cheap. Foreign buyers have targeted companies across the London Stock Exchange this year including FTSE 100 firms Schroders, Intertek and Beazley. Retail investment firm AJ Bell said it [...]
Here’s how to fix London listings July 30, 2026 The exodus from the London Stock Exchange demands practical solutions, not complaint, says Jonathan Dickson This week DCC Energy became the latest FTSE 100 group to be taken private, amid growing global competition for listings. Just last month, it emerged that as many as 20 FTSE 100 companies may move direct listings to New York. [...]
FTSE 100 firm agrees £5.7bn takeover in latest private equity swoop July 27, 2026 FTSE 100 energy group DCC has agreed to a £5.75bn takeover by a group of private equity firms in another blow to the London Stock Exchange after a flurry of takeovers this year. US private equity firm KKR and Energy Capital Partners, a subsidiary of London-listed Bridgepoint, said this morning they would pay a total [...]
Healey: Squeezed businesses also need ‘breathing space’ July 23, 2026 Chancellor John Healey has said he is “just as concerned” by costs facing businesses as those facing households, adding that bosses also required “breathing space” to manage burdens from energy, labour and supply chains. Echoing Andy Burnham’s pledge to provide “breathing space” on the cost of living, Healey said he would aim to ease cost [...]
The Square Mile art gallery with amazing free exhibitions July 21, 2026 This Square Mile gallery is hosting free exhibitions throughout the summer You might have noticed a group of twenty-something students and creative types gathering in an art gallery at 130 Fenchurch Street recently – if you’ve wondered what’s going on there, the first bit of good news is you’re welcome to join in too. The [...]
The City doesn’t compete with Britain’s regions – it competes for them July 20, 2026 The City has never been an island, it has always been a bridge, connecting Britain with the world, channelling global capital into British innovation, and driving prosperity in every corner of the country, says Dame Susan Langley As Lady Mayor of the City of London, my role is to be the ambassador for UK financial [...]