Financial services brace for more job cuts as clouds gather July 7, 2025 Financial services firms are expecting a rapid increase in jobs losses over the coming months as investment plans and optimism levels sink to fresh lows. The sector’s activity fell at the fastest rate since December 2023 in the three months to June, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). This marked the first time [...]
Personal guarantees ‘overuse’ holding UK growth back July 7, 2025 The “overuse” of personal guarantees in borrowing arrangements is holding businesses back and stifling UK growth, innovators have warned, with only a small minority of companies claiming they would borrow from banks with their personal savings or assets on the line. A new survey of some 1,400 small business owners by the Federation of Small [...]
Analysis: A US-EU trade deal looks unlikely. What does that mean for the UK? July 7, 2025 The clock is ticking on the EU-US trade deal set to expire on 9 July. The European Union is pushing for immediate relief from tariffs, but the bloc expects even a best-case deal to include a degree of asymmetry. While the UK is not at the negotiating table, Britain may find itself absorbing collateral damage [...]
Rolls-Royce investors ‘have made a mint’ as shares near £10 July 7, 2025 FTSE 100 darling Rolls-Royce is on the cusp of hitting its latest impressive milestone as its shares edge closer to being worth £10 each. The Derby-headquartered giant has enjoyed an almost unprecedented run of success on the London Stock Exchange since the low of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company recently became worth more than £80bn [...]
Scottish Widows owner: Pension funds deal risks making UK like China July 7, 2025 Labour’s flagship deal with pension funds risks making the UK economy more like China, the boss of Lloyds Banking Group has warned after its subsidiary Scottish Widows chose not to sign up to the agreement. Chancellor Rachel Reeves won the support of 17 pension funds which agreed to invest at least five per cent of [...]
Burberry shares back in fashion after doubling in value to near FTSE 100 return July 7, 2025 Shares in Burberry have doubled in value in the space of just three months as the fashion label seeks a return to the FTSE 100. The fashion label’s market capitalisation has been on the rise after its shares fell to 654p on 18 April after having commanded a price of more than 1,200p on 7 [...]
Octopus’s Greg Jackson: We have been gaslit by vested interests July 7, 2025 Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson has accused his opponents of “gaslighting” ahead of an imminent decision by ministers on whether to split up the UK’s power market. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to draw a line under the zonal pricing debate as early as this week after months of increasingly fierce lobbying from [...]
Hiring confidence worst in 13 years as businesses brace for further tax hikes July 7, 2025 Appetite for hiring among employers has fallen to lows not seen since 2012, as bosses bring up the drawbridge following bruising hikes to business rates and more tax rises looming at the next Budget. Research from the BDO Business Trends barometer found that firms are “holding back recruitment” despite indications of a summer recovery. Employment [...]
UK becomes ‘most attractive country’ for investment as risk appetite grows July 7, 2025 The UK has risen up the ranks to become the joint top location for investment among CFOs around the world, a new survey has suggested, with financial officers open to taking on greater risks. City leaders and policymakers have widely spoken about their desire to take on bigger gambles to drive returns and improve growth [...]
Wimbledon: Tennis battles with its future off the court July 6, 2025 With Wimbledon well into its fortnight the spotlight has once again fallen on the Centre Court, with sold-out crowds, record prize money and the prestige of tennis hospitality all to last another week. A British upset or two is likely to fuel national excitement, while the Championships continue to top YouGov’s rankings as the most [...]