Housebuilder shares rally on Iran war peace hopes and help-to-buy revival August 3, 2026 Shares in leading London’s listed housebuilders jumped on Monday as investors bet a potential Iran war peace deal and a mooted new help-to-buy scheme would provide a boon to Britain’s flagging property market. FTSE-100-listed Persimmon jumped more than four per cent to 1,152 while mid-cap Vistry gained six per cent to 310p on Monday. Analysts [...]
AI powerhouses are betting on London’s future August 3, 2026 London is a truly global city with a world-leading financial sector, a sophisticated and mature technology ecosystem, and the infrastructure to support growth at scale – and with these major recent AI office signings, we are seeing the city endorsed by the businesses shaping frontier technology, says Mike Wiseman In my experience, the property market [...]
India’s £300m Commonwealth Games dress rehearsal for 2036 Olympics August 3, 2026 The next Commonwealth Games in Amdavad will have a budget double the size of Glasgow’s in what will be seen as a dress rehearsal for an Olympic Games in India. The largest city in Gujarat, also known as Ahmedabad, will host the next edition of the Games, which nearly went under when Durban and Victoria [...]
Astrazeneca share price tumbles on $400bn megamerger talks August 3, 2026 Astrazeneca’s share price slumped sharply on Monday as investors baulked at a potential $400bn megamerger with US rival Bristol Myers Squibb. Shares in the UK drugmaker slid six per cent in early trading to 11,866p after the Financial Times reported it has been holding talks regarding a potential tie-up with the US group in recent [...]
Staveley planning ‘big property play’ as she closes in on West Ham stake August 3, 2026 Amanda Staveley says she is planning a “big property play” in English football as the former Newcastle United closes in on a deal to buy a stake in West Ham United. Staveley, her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, and others have agreed to buy a 25.1 per cent stake in the Hammers, who were relegated to the [...]
AutoRek Acquires Grath to Set a New Standard in AI-Powered Reconciliation August 3, 2026 Financial services customers gain new AI-enabled capabilities - enterprise‑grade controls, rapid‑deploy SaaS, and Topa, an API‑accessible AI infrastructure for teams building proprietary reconciliation tools.
Astrazeneca explores $400bn megadeal with US rival August 3, 2026 Astrazeneca is exploring a $400bn (£300bn) merger with US rival Bristol Myers Squibb, in a deal that would create one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical groups. The FTSE 100 giant has held talks with the US group in recent months about a possible tie-up, according to reports in the Financial Times. Talks could lead to a [...]
Easyjet extends window for another Castlelake bid August 3, 2026 Easyjet has extended the window for another takeover bid from asset manager Castlelake after its offer was usurped by investment giant Apollo last month. The budget airline said on Monday that it was still set to recommend the Apollo deal to shareholders, which values its stock at £7.15 per share, but would extend Castlelake’s deadline [...]
As it happened: UK stocks cool after Astrazeneca drags; Trump and Iran clash over peace talks August 3, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The London stock market is starting the new week relatively mixed after Donald Trump hinted a deal between US and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz is near, but was contradicted by communication from Tehran. The US President has said that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran [...]
City trading ‘higher than thought’, FCA believes August 2, 2026 Trading volumes in London are up to three times higher in value than thought after so-called “dark trading” is taken into account, the City regulator believes. Analysis by the Financial Conduct Authority believes that trading valuations are much higher as some traders opt to use non-official channels. This kind of business, referred to as “dark [...]