If defence is a priority, government must be honest about who pays February 24, 2026 America has made clear that Europe must stand on its own two feet when it comes to national security. But defence ambitions must be reconciled with balance sheets already stretched to their limits, says Helen Thomas The largest build-up of American military assets in the Middle East for two decades alongside last week’s Munich Security [...]
Thousands of entrepreneurs quit the UK in the past two years, says wealth manager February 21, 2026 Nearly 6,000 owners of high-growth businesses left the UK over the past two years, following changes to the UK’s tax regime and growing concerns over economic competitiveness. According to research from wealth manager Rathbones, who analysed Companies House filings from between January 2024 and 2026, of the business owners who have left the UK, the [...]
US Supreme Court rules Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were illegal February 20, 2026 The US Supreme Court has handed down a landmark ruling that the sweeping tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on trading partners last year were illegal. Justices were weighing up a case centred around the Emergency Economic Powers Act that allows a President to regulate imports during a national emergency. The White House had argued the [...]
Reeves lands £30bn reprieve ahead of Spring Statement February 20, 2026 Rachel Reeves has secured a record-breaking borrowing reprieve in fresh data that comes ahead of the Chancellor delivering her Spring Statement in March. The Treasury has been handed a surplus of £30.4bn in January, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show, after a surge in tax receipts. The figure is £15.9bn higher [...]
Takaichi’s gamble paid off, but can she keep investor interest high? February 18, 2026 Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, roared to victory last week in the biggest landslide election win in postwar history, with voters encouraged by her pledges to revitalise the tired economy. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 316 seats, more than two-thirds of seats in parliament’s lower house, granting the prime minister a ‘super-majority’. [...]
Could Dutch-style wealth taxes be coming to Britain? February 17, 2026 Governments everywhere prefer revenue that can be framed as “fairness”. If the Dutch can make taxing gains as they accrue work without damaging long-term capital formation, it will not stay a Dutch story for long, says Helen Thomas The Netherlands has just approved a reform to its capital gains tax regime that is already sending [...]
Allegion (NYSE: ALLE) Reports Q4, Full-Year 2025 Financial Results, Introduces 2026 Outlook February 17, 2026 High-Single Digit Revenue Growth for the Enterprise and Continued Strength in Americas Non-Residential Quarterly Financial Highlights (All comparisons are year-over-year, unless otherwise noted) Net earnings per share (EPS) of $1.70, up 3.0% compared with $1.65; Adjusted EPS of $1.94, up 4.3% compared with $1.86 Revenues of $1,033.2 million, up 9.3% on a reported basis and up 3.3% on an organic basis Operating margin of 20.3%, compared with 19.5%; Adjusted operating margin of 22.4%, compared with 22.1% Full-Year Financial Highlights (All comparisons are year-over-year, unless otherwise noted) EPS of $7.44, up 9.1% compared with $6.82; Adjusted EPS of $8.14, up 8.1% compared with $7.53 Revenues of $4,067.3 million, up 7.8% on a reported basis and up 4.1% on an organic basis Operating margin of 21.1%, compared with 20.7%; Adjusted operating margin of 23.2%, up 40 basis points compared with 22.8% Available cash flow, which is defined as net cash from operating activities minus capital expenditures, was $685.7 million for 2025, an increase of 17.6% 2026 Full-Year Outlook Highlights Full-year reported revenue growth is estimated to be 5% to 7%, with organic revenue growth estimated to be 2% to 4% Full-year adjusted EPS is estimated to be $8.70 to $8.90 Available cash flow is estimated to be 85% to 95% of adjusted net income
Defence stocks rally after Starmer vows to ‘go faster’ on spending pledge February 17, 2026 Investors piled into defence stocks on Monday after Keir Starmer said the UK needed to “go faster” on defence spending to combat the growing threat from Russia. The Prime Minister warned that the UK needed to “step up” its defence commitments amid reports that he wants to ramp up the defence budget by tens of [...]
Oak Furnitureland pares back losses as firm eyes showroom expansion February 16, 2026 Oak Furnitureland is eyeing further showroom expansion after the retailer improved its profitability. The Swindon-based business is targeting a host of new stores over the course of 2026 following the opening of a new showroom in Coventry in September, and is eyeing a refurbishment of at least half of its existing store estate by the [...]
AB InBev Reports Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 Results February 12, 2026 Underlying EPS increased by 6% with continued margin expansion and free cash flow generation of 11.3 billion USD