As it happened: FTSE 100 see-saws after inflation undershoots; Oil at $80 as Trump threatens ‘dropping bombs’ on Iran June 17, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Fresh inflation data this morning showed a reading of 2.8 per cent leading the consumer price index unchanged from May. This came under the expectations of a poll of City analysts by Bloomberg that forecast inflation would come in at three per cent for May. Core inflation, which [...]
SpaceX lands record $75bn raise as Wall Street braces for mega debut June 12, 2026 Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to begin trading on Friday after pulling off the largest IPO in history, with investor demand reportedly topping $250bn (£186bn) and early trading indications pointing to a big first-day jump. The aerospace and AI giant raised $75bn at a fixed price of $135 per share, giving the company a valuation [...]
SpaceX is preparing for blast off, but will the mega IPO send investors into orbit? June 11, 2026 SpaceX is set to launch the largest retail allocation ever attempted in a megacap IPO as part of its hotly anticipated listing on the Nasdaq tomorrow, with around 30 per cent of shares reserved for retail investors. Bret Johnsen, SpaceX CFO, has said the unusually large allocation is a deliberate recognition of “folks that have [...]
More than 80 retail bosses urge Starmer to tackle youth unemployment crisis June 10, 2026 More than 80 retail bosses have called on the Prime Minister to set out urgent measures to tackle youth unemployment, warning that the “ladder of opportunity for young people is wobbling”. The chiefs of leading retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis have called on Sir Keir Starmer to safeguard the position of retail as [...]
Reeves’ summer of fun won’t deliver growth May 29, 2026 Instead of attempting to stimulate demand, Reeves should focus on helping hospitality from the supply-side, writes Matthew Bowles.
Lidl leapfrogs Morrisons to become UK’s fifth-biggest supermarket May 27, 2026 Lidl has soared past struggling Morrisons to become the UK’s fifth-biggest supermarket, as its heavy discounting gave the grocer an edge in the fiercely competitive market. The German grocer snatched an 8.6 per cent market share, powered by an 8.8 per cent uplift in sales across the last 12 weeks, according to data by Worldpanel. [...]
As it happened: US-Iran peace hopes sends oil lower; Brits handed energy price cap blow May 27, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Global markets were able to take the new developments in the Middle East in their stride on Tuesday amid hopes a peace deal was on the horizon. The FTSE 100 ended the day in the green and despite some choppy trading oil prices eased. This [...]
Is housebuilding in London impossible? May 25, 2026 After its 900-home development in Peckham was blocked, housebuilder Berkeley said it can “no longer invest” in London. Felix Armstrong asks whether development in the capital really has hit a brick wall At the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London, shoppers are met with graffitied walls, peeling paint and shuttered retail units. The site began [...]
Morrisons blames Labour for closure of 100 lossmaking stores May 22, 2026 Morrisons has taken aim at Labour policy for “significant cost increases” as it announced the closure of 100 lossmaking stores. The supermarket chain said on Thursday that it will close the 100 unprofitable Morrisons Daily convenience stores, in a move which could affect hundreds of jobs. Morrisons has faced steep debt costs following its £7bn [...]
DNA Payments and ETABS Partner to Offer Integrated Payment Solutions for Retail and Trade Businesses May 20, 2026 E-Trading and Business Services Ltd (ETABS) has partnered with DNA Payments, the UK’s leading independent payments provider, to bring reliable and secure integrated payment solutions to UK retail, trade, and warehousing businesses, both in-store and online. ETABS’s unified software helps retail businesses manage everything from large inventories to busy trade counters and shop floors, covering [...]