Celebrity-backed spirit brands steal the spotlight April 9, 2026 Whisky Business: City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky. According to research conducted by the Financial Times, five of the biggest listed alcohol producers, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Campari, Brown Forman and Rémy Cointreau, are sitting on $22bn worth of ageing spirits, the highest level of inventory in more than a decade. This growing pool [...]
Holland & Barrett bets on high street with public health pivot April 9, 2026 Holland & Barrett is mounting a renewed focus on its high street presence, offering free health drop-ins amid growing online misinformation and an “under pressure” NHS. The health foods retailer has faced huge losses in recent years and its new chief executive is battling to raise the profile of its high street stores. Anthony Houghton, [...]
All points West to Grangeclare in Stellar Grand National April 8, 2026 FOLLOWING yesterday’s declarations for the 2026 Grand National (4.00pm), the time has come to offer up this year’s selections for the world’s most famous steeplechase. As ever, there will be a maximum field of 34 runners taking on this unique test. With 30 big fences to negotiate over the stamina-sapping four-mile -two-and-a-half-furlong trip of Aintree’s [...]
Close Brothers and First Rand look to park motor finance row April 8, 2026 After countless speed bumps, sharp handbreak turns and a fair few false starts, the two banks that took the motor finance scandal to the top finally look to put it in the rearview mirror. Close Brothers and Aldermore owner First Rand have sought to wrap up the over two-year long saga after the financial watchdog [...]
Energy bills threat recedes but retail and hospitality remain on brink April 8, 2026 Retail and hospitality leaders are optimistic that the Iran-US ceasefire could spare them from the worst energy bill shocks, but are urging the government to address an array of other cost pressures. British businesses had warned that the soaring energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East could be devastating if the conflict [...]
‘Beautiful thing’: Trump moots US-Iran tax for ships in Strait of Hormuz April 8, 2026 President Trump has floated the prospect of a “joint venture” with the Iranian leadership on administering a tax on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in a new peace deal for the region. Trump said both the US and Iran could jointly tax ships passing through the stretch of water, which is critical for [...]
AFC Wimbledon seeking fan investment at £26.8m valuation April 8, 2026 League One side AFC Wimbledon is seeking further investment at a valuation of £26.8m through crowdfunding. The Dons, who sit 16th in the third tier of English football, have registered themselves on investment platform Republic, offering up a maximum allocation of £68,125. The site states that this is an “opportunity to invest in AFCW PLC [...]
Son of world’s richest banker challenged US law firm over $35m legal bill April 8, 2026 Alberto Safra survived a bitter fight over his father’s $23bn fortune. Then the legal bill arrived, all $35m (£26m) of it. Safra, son of Brazilian billionaire Joseph Safra, now deceased, was billed over $35m for less than two years of work over a ‘bitter multibillion-dollar estate feud’ and one of the largest inheritance battles in [...]
Iran conflict sparks worst month of outflows since Autumn Budget April 8, 2026 The Middle Eastern conflict has triggered the worst bout of equity market outflows in months as investors retreated from stocks over fears of soaring inflation and fuel shortages. Equity fund outflows jumped to £1.4bn in March, a jump of 55.3 per cent compared to February, marking March as the worst month since November 2025, when [...]
Construction firms slash jobs after biggest-ever cost inflation rise April 8, 2026 Construction businesses cut jobs at a faster pace in March while the month-to-month inflation rise was the largest on record in a survey that has existed for 29 years. S&P Global said the difference in a reading for cost inflation between February and March was the largest it had ever recorded since data collection began [...]