FTSE 100 Live: Fed interest rates, retail sales, GDP December 9, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog covering the FTSE 100 and other big market moves. Investors are bracing for a crunch decision at the Federal Reserve this Wednesday, with markets pricing in a 25 basis point cut to bring interest rates down to 3.5-3.75 per cent. Forecasters will be taking a [...]
Black Friday boost fails to materialise for Britain’s high streets December 9, 2025 UK retail sales failed to meet shops’ expectations this Black Friday as pre-budget jitters dampened spending. Retail sales increased by 1.4 per cent year on year in November, against a decline of 3.3 per cent in November 2024 and below the 12-month average growth of 2.5 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). [...]
River Island sets sights on profit after losing almost £125m December 8, 2025 River Island lost almost £125m in the year before being saved from the brink of administration, it has been revealed. The high street retailer’s restructuring plan, which was approved in August, involved 33 stores being closed with the loss of hundreds of jobs. The proposal also included rents being reduced – some to zero – [...]
Growing threats to UK financial stability December 4, 2025 What keeps you up at night? For the governor of the Bank of England it’s a long list of threats to the UK’s financial system – so let’s take a look at them. The Bank of England’s latest financial stability report makes for a sobering read. It says “risks to financial stability have increased during [...]
AJ Bell: Revenue jumps as customer numbers surge December 4, 2025 Investment platform giant AJ Bell has reported a record financial performance after the group attracted thousands of new customers. Group revenue rose by 18 per cent over its financial year to the end of September to £317.8m, up from £269.4m the 12 months before. Profit before tax increased by 22 per cent to £137.8m, up [...]
FICO UK Credit Card Market Report: September 2025 December 4, 2025 New data following Autumn Budget shows continued pressure on household finances with spending lower and balances higher than 2024
Argos treated like an ‘unloved child’ by Sainsbury’s December 4, 2025 Argos “is not performing to the best of its ability” and the strategy of its owner, FTSE 100 giant Sainsbury’s, has left it like an “unloved child”, according to an analyst. The future of Argos was thrust into the headlines after Sainsbury’s confirmed in September that it was in discussions to sell the retailer to Chinese e-commerce giant [...]
Weight-loss drugs ‘fundamentally changing’ the way Brits eat December 3, 2025 The rise of weight-loss drugs is starting to affect supermarket sales, with experts warning that the sector is unprepared for the change this Christmas. More than one in ten Brits is set to host someone on GLP-1 medication this year, prompting less alcohol and fewer sweets on the menu. “There is a worry that Christmas [...]
Toyota warns of ‘challenging road ahead’ after profit falls £100m December 3, 2025 The UK manufacturing arm of Toyota has warned “the road ahead may be challenging” after its profit slumped by more than £100m during its latest financial year. The division of the Japanese giant said the “uncertainties of the automotive industry and infrastructure to support vehicle type” were the main factors behind its pessimism. However, Toyota [...]
CI Financial Corp. Announces Private Offering of Euro Notes December 2, 2025 CI Financial Corp. (“CI” or the “Company”) today announced that it intends, subject to market and other conditions, to offer and sell (the “Offering”) in a private placement to eligible purchasers a series of its senior unsecured Euro-denominated notes (the “Notes”). Separately, the Company intends to commence an offering of senior unsecured Canadian dollar-denominated debentures [...]