FTSE 100 banks add £80bn in market value this year August 19, 2025 Shares in the UK’s top FTSE 100 banks, Barclays, Natwest, Lloyds and HSBC have all hit decade highs this year, producing more than £80bn in market value. The banking sector is the second-best performing FTSE 100 sector this year with a return of 37 per cent, second only to the defence sector. The FTSE 100’s [...]
Starling Bank snaps up UK fintech firm in small business push August 19, 2025 Starling Bank has snapped up its UK fintech peer Ember in a bid to ramp up its services for small business customers. The London-based firm said as part of the takeover, Ember’s tax and bookkeeping software will be built into Starling’s app and online bank. The deal, which Starling did not disclose the price of, [...]
Lunchtime Tourism: Is there a better City green space than the Garden at 120? August 18, 2025 To get you in the mood for out Toast the City Awards celebrating everything that makes the Square Mile great, we asked a professional tour guide to recommend his favourite City spots. “The first weeks of August,” said American writer Natalie Babbitt, “hang at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, [...]
Premier League: How to spot, and avoid, ticket scams August 16, 2025 With the Premier League back across the country, how do fans avoid being scammed by fraudsters to the tune of hundreds of pounds? Fraud is currently the most prevalent crime against individuals in the UK, accounting for an estimated 41 per cent reflected in the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending [...]
Beazley: Shares slump after profit falls August 13, 2025 Shares in Lloyd’s of London insurance group Beazley fell more than 11 per cent after the company reported a sharp drop in profit for the first half of 2025. Beazley reported a profit before tax of $502.5m (£371.9m) for the six months ending 30 June 2025, down from the $728.9m reported in the first half [...]
Pool Re: The UK’s secret weapon of insuring against terrorism August 13, 2025 When the private insurance market buckled under the threat of terrorism, the government stepped in to ensure that businesses would not be left alone
Rachel Reeves told to ‘get out of the way’ ahead of Autumn Budget August 13, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been told to “let businesses get on with it and get out of the way” ahead of delivering her second Autumn Budget in the coming months. A group of 1,500 private business leaders surveyed by KPMG said the Chancellor should focus on promoting higher wages and lower costs for companies. They [...]
S&U shares jump as bank predicts profit ‘resurgence’ August 12, 2025 Shares in specialist lender S&U rallied as markets opened on Tuesday after the bank said its “resurgence in profitability” had begun to materialise. The London-listed firm’s stock was up over three per cent in early trading to 1,940. The jump came after the lender provided an upbeat trading update, anticipating building momentum for the second [...]
Hiscox shares jump after firm lifts buyback despite wildfire losses August 6, 2025 Shares in Lloyd’s of London insurer Hiscox jumped more than 10 per cent in early deals this morning after the company hiked its share buyback. Overall, the group posted a slight fall in interim profit as wildfire claims hit its reinsurance division, but the group increased capital returns on the back of substantial investment income. [...]
FTSE 100 banks outperform but face tougher waters ahead August 4, 2025 The FTSE 100’s banking constituents breezed through the second quarter results season as interest income remained stable and trading income soared on the back of market volatility. The ‘Big Five’ banks of London’s flagship stock index – Barclays, HSBC, Natwest, Lloyds and Standard Chartered – pocketed a combined £12.8bn in the three months to June [...]