HSBC profit drops after Iran war and private credit charges bite May 5, 2026 HSBC missed its profit target in the first quarter of the year after the blue-chip lender booked a mammoth credit charge. The FTSE 100 giant – which boasts a huge £230bn market cap – recorded a pre-tax profit of $9.4bn (£6.5bn), missing the $9.6bn pencilled in by analysts. This figure is also down $100m on [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gilt yields surge over Starmer fears; Intel, Pinterest shares rocket May 5, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Gilt yields have risen to their highest rate in nearly thirty years, as markets weigh up the prospect of an ousted Keir Starmer and lurch to a more left-wing government that might follow. The yield on 30-year government bonds rose 11 basis points on Tuesday [...]
Outernet CEO: Profiting from art shouldn’t be shameful May 5, 2026 The stigma of 'selling out' is unhelpful and outdated. Art and commerce have always coexisted, writes Outernet CEO Philip O'Ferrall.
Britain’s £800bn investment pile that isn’t being used May 5, 2026 Britain's 'mainstream investors' hold more than £800bn in net financial wealth, an investment sum large enough to meaningfully address the capital gap.
Kemi Badenoch: Thoughtful, patient…radical? May 5, 2026 With local elections just days away much of the focus has been on what the results will mean for Keir Starmer’s chances of survival. Related to this is the question of how well Reform and the Greens will do, with fewer column inches devoted to what lies ahead for the Conservatives. To some extent this [...]
‘Alarming’ lack of private credit understanding in finance bosses May 5, 2026 The elusive nature of the private credit industry has been called further into question with fresh data revealing less than one in five financial services leaders fully understand their exposure to the sector. A fresh report from Big Four firm KPMG has found just 14 per cent of financial services executives believe they are fully [...]
Tax hikes call time on two pubs a day crushing 2,400 jobs May 5, 2026 The government’s bitter round of tax hikes imposed on the hospitality industry is said to have forced the closure of two pubs a day in the first three months of the year in yet another blow to the already bruised sector. Figures from the Beer Bar and Pub Association (BBPA) showed 161 pubs across Britain [...]
‘Inflection point’: Challenger banks loan growth halved in 2025 May 5, 2026 Challenger banks have reached an “inflection point” after loan growth across the industry halved in the last year, a fresh report has warned. New analysis from Big Four firm EY showed lending growth across UK challenger, specialist and digital banks slowed to 4.5 per cent in 2025, down from 8.9 per cent. This came as [...]
Kemi Badenoch interview: ‘I want an economic revolution’ May 5, 2026 Kemi Badenoch has told City AM she wants to deliver “an economic revolution” in the UK, based on lower taxes, less government intervention and “a mindset shift” that puts businesses and the City at the heart of the growth agenda. Speaking ahead of this week’s local elections, the Tory leader says she is developing policies [...]
RWS to acquire UK AI platform in £40m deal May 4, 2026 Global AI solutions company RWS Holdings has reached an agreement to acquire UK based AI company Obviously in a bumper £40m deal as it looks to pivot to become a “technology-first business”. AIM-listed RWS agreed to buy the AI platform for an initial cash offer of £16.5m, with an earn-out consideration of up to £23.5m, [...]