‘Inflation fears’ and trade turmoil to reinforce sterling rally August 28, 2025 A fresh bout of inflation and Donald Trump’s capricious approach to trade policy should extend the pound’s rally well into next year, according to a top investment bank which has raised its 12-month forecast for sterling against the dollar. Panmure Liberum’s Simon French said the recent string of hotter-than-expected inflation readings in the UK was [...]
Watch: Are we on the brink of a financial crisis? August 28, 2025 This might be the calm before the storm; the final stretch of a summer holiday that we might look back on as heady days before things turned very nasty indeed. Yesterday I interviewed the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Business Secretary – all lined up in the City AM studio. The video will be [...]
Torsten Bell: Who is the mastermind behind the 2025 Autumn Budget? August 28, 2025 When parliamentary candidates were revealed ahead of last year’s elections, Torsten Bell was one of the better-known names on Labour’s list. With his glaringly wonkish CV and swaggering way of talking up esoteric economic policies, he seemed primed to one day leave his mark on a Budget. According to the New Statesman, his opportunity to [...]
FTSE 100 reshuffle: Metlen to oust Taylor Wimpey August 28, 2025 A number of FTSE 100 constituents are set to find their spot at risk as the index heads towards a reshuffle. Metlen Energy and Metals, which switched its primary listing from Athens to London, is expected to capture a spot on London’s flagship stock exchange in the September reshuffle. The industrial firm has a market [...]
Gilt trip: why markets are punishing Rachel Reeves August 28, 2025 Without a credible and transparent medium-term fiscal plan, bond markets will continue to price in higher risk and demand higher returns, says Gareth Davies The UK economy faces an uncomfortable reality. On one side, inflation has continued to rise. On the other, government borrowing costs have surged, with gilt yields now at their highest level in [...]
Are franchise IPOs the end game for The Hundred’s £1bn investors? August 28, 2025 Have The Hundred’s investors figured out yet how they will make a return? Look out for minority stake sales and maybe even listings in India, says Ed Warner. Never make an investment without having a plan on how to sell it. Illiquidity can scupper the most enticing of propositions. The very best portfolio managers, especially [...]
England’s fertility rate drops to record low August 27, 2025 The fertility rate across England and Wales has fallen to a record low, according to official figures, which is likely to fuel clashes between policymakers and economists over immigration controls. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the total fertility rate, which is measured by the number of children women would expect to [...]
Bank of England’s Mann: ‘Squeeze out’ inflation with rate holds August 26, 2025 Inflation is likely to become “persistently elevated” unless it is squeezed out with a more restrictive monetary policy than the Bank of England is currently predicting, a top Bank of England official has warned. In a hawkish speech delivered on Tuesday, Monetary Policy Committee member Catherine Mann said the spectre of further price rises looked [...]
Lloyds to hand shareholders over £17bn by 2027, analysts say August 26, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group shareholders are set for a bumper payout with analysts projecting the lender will return over £17bn to investors by 2027. The FTSE 100 giant was listed as Jefferies analysts “preferred” banking stock following a strong year-to-date performance. Shares in Lloyds have jumped over 50 per cent since January. The bank received a [...]
How the housing crisis is killing romance August 26, 2025 Young couples are increasingly finding buying a house a bigger barrier to adulthood than getting married, says Emma Revell As bank holiday weekends ago, spending one in the gorgeous late August sun celebrating the wedding of two close friends is definitely up there. Weddings, along with buying a home and becoming a parent, are one [...]