Barclays boss: UK banks are taxed too much September 12, 2025 Ahead of the Autumn Budget, Barclays’ chief executive has called on the government to curb pay rises for public sector workers and to avoid increasing taxes on banks. Speaking to the Financial Times, CS Venkatakrishnan said “we need to find a way to curb wage inflation,” and emphasised the need to curb expenditure at the [...]
Spotlight turns to FTSE 100 clients of Peter Mandelson’s advisory firm after government sacking September 12, 2025 After Peter Mandelson’s dramatic ousting from government over his close relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the firms that chose to partner with his consultancy Global Counsel have come under the spotlight. More than two dozen major corporations hired Global Counsel to conduct lobbying services over the past two years, disclosures from the Office of the [...]
Mark Kleinman: City would sour on Reeves after bank tax September 11, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week he tackles what a bank tax would do to Reeves’ hard-earned City cache, a top pick for the new HSBC chair, and Oaknorth’s potential move abroad Will she or won’t she? The question of [...]
Starling Bank eyes £4bn valuation in secondary share sale September 10, 2025 UK fintech Starling is eyeing a valuation of £4bn in a new secondary share sale. The digital lender is in talks with Morgan Stanley and Rothschild to run the sale process, which the firm is hoping could help it net a valuation between £3.5bn and £4bn. The sale – the first since the group’s valuation [...]
Janus Henderson’s Laura Foll on navigating UK equities and value investing September 10, 2025 Laura Foll is co-manager of the Lowland and Law Debenture investment trusts at Janus Henderson, as well as Janus Henderson’s UK Equity Income & Growth open-ended fund. Later this month, on 17 September, City AM is partnering with Law Debenture on its new financial education initiative, WIN, which aims to support those new to investing. [...]
Challenger banks face ‘profitability trap’ at growth crossroads September 8, 2025 The UK banking sector faces a profitability roadblock that will give the industry’s challengers an “existential” turning point. Fresh data from KPMG suggests the industry’s average return on equity will fall to eight per cent come 2027 down from 13 per cent four years prior. This is set to spark an £11bn reduction in pre-tax [...]
Kendall faces tough test to rescue UK’s broken AI policy September 5, 2025 Liz Kendall is expected to replace Peter Kyle as science and tech secretary in a major reshuffle by Keir Starmer, inheriting one of the government’s most urgent briefs: artificial intelligence. Kyle is reportedly moving to the Department for Business, with the skills brief carved out of the Department for Education. His departure from the tech [...]
UK firms race into AI as Peter Kyle urges regulators to keep pace September 5, 2025 Tech consultancy firm Capgemini has urged that, despite businesses racing to roll out generative artificial intelligence (genAI), most remain aptly unprepared for the governance challenges it will bring. This warning comes just as the UK government leans on the technology to sharpen its competitive edge and cut red tape. The French consultancy’s AI survey, published [...]
Banks’ bond market headache spells trouble for FTSE 100 September 4, 2025 The frenzy in the bond market spells trouble for banking stocks and could create broader issues for the FTSE 100. Bond markets have had a tumultuous week, with the UK’s 30-year gilt yields hitting a 27-year high. This was triggered by a global sell-off, as well as political unease stemming from a Downing Street reshuffle [...]
Rachel Reeves warned on bank tax by lobby group boss September 4, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been hit with a firm warning from the banking industry to avoid taxes on the sector or risk harming economic growth. The Chancellor has received a letter from the boss of UK Finance – a lobby group for the banking industry – which details the harm of tax on the sector. David [...]