ESG is still undermining fiduciary duty April 2, 2026 Donald Trump may have forced many banks and asset managers to drop the term ESG, but trendy diversity and net zero requirements are still very much alive, and they’re undermining your property rights, says James Graham For some years, the term ‘ESG’ (Environment, Social, and Governance) dominated the world of finance, a shorthand for trendy [...]
UK banks blast regulations for ‘penalising’ good risk management April 2, 2026 Top lenders have laid bare their frustrations with UK banking regulation in a bombshell new report that urges the removal of “excessive conservatism”. In response to the Bank of England’s review of capital requirements, the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) – which represents over 150 global banks, including the UK’s Big Four – [...]
The Capitalist: Warning – this is an April Fool’s joke! Haha! April 1, 2026 April Fool's, AI 'writers' and economists playing football; catch up on the latest City gossip in this week's The Capitalist.
FTSE 100 suffers worst month since Covid as Iran war rages on April 1, 2026 The FTSE 100 suffered its worst month since the coronavirus in March, after the United States’ war in the Middle East sparked a historic market reaction that has seen government borrowing costs sprial and oil prices subjected to their largest single-month jump on record. Despite a relief rally on Tuesday, London’s blue-chip index fell more [...]
Britain’s most AI-exposed sectors foot biggest tax bill March 31, 2026 The UK sectors most exposed to artificial AI are concentrated in the same parts of the economy that generate the bulk of tax revenues, according to government and industry data. A 2026 assessment from the UK government shows AI is most applicable to tasks involving data processing, analysis and routine cognitive work, activities concentrated in [...]
Britain is still paying a heavy price for Covid lockdowns March 31, 2026 Six years on from the first lockdown, Britain hasn’t returned to its pre-Covid path – instead becoming a high-tax, low-growth less free nation, says Alex Pugh A little over six years ago, 27m people watched UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tell them to “stay home” to tackle the spread of coronavirus. Johnson said you should [...]
House prices pick up but property outlook remains ‘clouded’ March 31, 2026 House prices picked up in March as the property market gained traction after a slow start to the year, though experts warn the Iran war could “cloud” this momentum. The UK’s house prices rose by 2.2 per cent year on year in March, up from one per cent growth in the year to February, as [...]
On this day: The death of JP Morgan March 31, 2026 Today in 1913, John Pierpoint Morgan died in Rome having saved the United States from financial catastrophe not once but twice, writes Eliot Wilson Today in 1913, in Rome’s Grand Plaza Hotel, a 75-year-old American died in his sleep. He was a big man, 6’2” and heavyset, with sharp, unsettling eyes and a purple, swollen [...]
AngloGold Ashanti Holdings plc Announces Capped Cash Tender Offers for Part of Its 3.375% Notes Due 2028, 3.750% Notes Due 2030 and 6.500% Notes Due 2040 March 30, 2026 AngloGold Ashanti Holdings plc (the “Offeror”), a company incorporated under the laws of the Isle of Man, announces today the offers to purchase for cash the outstanding series of its (i) 3.375% notes due 2028 (the “2028 Notes”), (ii) 3.750% notes due 2030 (the “2030 Notes”) and (iii) 6.500% notes due 2040 (the “2040 Notes” [...]
Mortgage approvals bounce back after two-year low March 30, 2026 Mortgage approvals have bounced back after slumping to a two-year low last month, suggesting the property market was regaining momentum before the Iran war shocked global markets. The number of approved mortgages for house purchases increased to 62,600 in February, up from the two-year low of 60,200 in January, according to the Bank of England. [...]