US markets rally as tech stocks look to boost AI capabilities February 19, 2026 US markets closed higher on Wednesday, as tech stocks reaped the benefits of investors once again brushing off fears of an AI bubble. Tech stock share prices boomed, following reports from Bloomberg that Open AI is close to finalising the first phase of a new funding round, which is expected to bring in more than [...]
Unemployment hits post-pandemic high as wage growth slips February 17, 2026 The labour market continued to loosen in the final quarter of last year, official figures show, with wage growth easing and unemployment climbing steadily higher. The rate of joblessness crept up to 5.2 per cent between October and December, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the highest level since early 2021 and slightly [...]
Barry Connell: I’m not going to big up my horses anymore, apart from Marine Nationale February 10, 2026 THERE aren’t many trainers like Barry Connell; a former hedge fund manager who used to combine his job with riding out six days a week. Born close to Leopardstown in south Dublin, Connell was in his 30s before he learned to ride, yet he notched over 30 winners in the UK and Ireland before taking [...]
Newly listed Smarter Web Company share price plummets amid Bitcoin fall February 6, 2026 One of the London Stock Exchange’s newest members have suffered a staggering drop in its share price after becoming embroiled in the early morning Bitcoin plunge. The Smarter Web company, which listed on London’s main market just three days ago, suffered a 22.5 per cent drop in early morning trading to 31.25 pence. Since listing [...]
Bitcoin falls to lowest level as big tech sell-off intensifies February 6, 2026 The price of Bitcoin has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years amid the sweeping tech sell-off and nomination of a ‘hawkish’ Fed chair. A single bitcoin is now roughly worth $64,657 (£47,657), the lowest level since October 2024, with the price plummeting 24 per cent since the start of the year. The price [...]
AMD’s AI push gathers pace behind Nvidia February 4, 2026 Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) delivered another quarter of rapid growth, beating Wall Street forecasts on both revenue and earnings. Yet its shares tumbled as investors weighed what the numbers mean in a market still dominated by chip giant Nvidia. The chipmaker reported fourth quarter revenue of $10.27bn (£7.49bn), up 34 per cent year on year, [...]
Gold meltdown takes shine off speculative rally February 2, 2026 The 12th Century theologian Alain de Lille could be forgiven a chortle on his heavenly cloud after witnessing the latest rollercoaster in gold prices. “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold,” he warned over 800 years ago, a warning that many traders failed to heed in the latest speculative rally. Last Thursday the [...]
Ballad Lines review: A muddled musical with moments of brilliance January 30, 2026 A Jacobean vicar’s wife, a pregnant Presbyterian teen and a 21st-century New York lesbian walk into a bar – Ballad Lines is the result.
Who is Kevin Warsh, the man expected to become the next Fed chair? January 30, 2026 US President Donald Trump has said he will name his pick for Federal Reserve chair on Friday, ending months of speculation over who will replace Jerome Powell at the head of the US central bank. Trump said on Thursday evening that he would confirm the name of his candidate “tomorrow morning”, somebody who “is very [...]
The Apprentice 2026’s Tim Campbell: ‘Me, softer than Karren Brady? Nonsense!’ January 29, 2026 As The Apprentice 2026 arrives on screens, Lord Sugar’s newest aide Tim Campbell MBE meets Adam Bloodworth As The Apprentice 2026 arrives on screens this evening, viewers will no doubt be on the lookout for more of Baroness Karren Brady’s formidable eyebrow raises as she follows contestants getting evermore confused on their tasks. By comparison [...]