‘Bond market tantrum risks’: Gilt traders brace for Labour leftward pivot as Starmer future uncertain
What makes Rachel Reeves think she should be picking winners? March 20, 2026 Rachel Reeves’ vision for an “active and strategic” state is just old fashioned dirigisme with a new name, says Emmanuel Igwe A few hours before her Mais lecture this week, the chancellor had told Faisal Islam in an interview that she “so believed in an active and strategic state… working with working people to shape the [...]
Wetherspoon shares tumble as profit disappoints March 20, 2026 Shares in the country’s best-known pub chain have tumbled after profit failed to meet expectations even after they were downgraded. Pre-tax profit at JD Wetherspoon fell by 32 per cent to £22m for the first half of this year, and operating profit fell 18 per cent to £53m, below analyst expectations of an eight per [...]
Open banking is a growth engine Britain cannot ignore March 20, 2026 Open banking doesn't grab headlines like AI, but combining these technologies can deliver exponential benefits, writes John Glen MP.
Revolut poised to hit Natwest and Lloyds in deposit war March 20, 2026 Revolut’s long-awaited UK banking licence approval is set to trigger a “deposit war” that could hand a major blow to incumbent giants Natwest and Lloyds. The $75bn fintech juggernaut finally bagged its full-fat UK banking permit earlier this month after a four-year tussle with regulators. Analysts are expecting the move to send ripples across the [...]
Bank of England rebuffs calls to speed up ‘shadow banking’ stress test March 19, 2026 The Bank of England has rejected calls to speed up its inaugural stress test of the private credit industry, despite growing fears that a downturn in so-called shadow banking may pose a systemic threat to the global financial system. In a letter to the House of Lords’ Financial Services and Regulation Committee seen by City [...]
‘Confidence exits UK economy’: FTSE 100 dips below 10,000 mark March 19, 2026 The FTSE 100 dipped below the 10,000 mark as stocks plunged on Thursday on fears the war in the Middle East was set to bring regional energy production to a halt. Traders sold off assets en masse over the course of the day, with the FTSE 100 falling by some 2.5 per cent amid turmoil [...]
HSBC job cut plans add to mounting AI warnings for banks March 19, 2026 HSBC is weighing up cutting as many as 20,000 jobs across its global business as part of a longer-term push towards automation and AI, forming the clearest signal yet of how the technology is beginning to reshape the banking workforce. According to reports, the lender is understood to be considering reductions equivalent to around 10 [...]
Kolibri Global Energy Announces Year End Results With a 15% Increase in Production to Over 4,013 BOEPD March 19, 2026 All amounts are in U.S. Dollars unless otherwise indicated: 2025 HIGHLIGHTS Average production for 2025 was 4,013 BOEPD, an increase of 15% compared to 2024 production of 3,478 BOEPD. The increase is due to production from the wells that were drilled and completed in 2025 Net revenues for 2025 were $56.9 million, a decrease of [...]
Bank of England holds interest rates in unanimous decision March 19, 2026 Interest rates have been held as policymakers at the Bank of England warned the war in Iran could send prices spiralling as soon as April. Members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) left interest rates unchanged at 3.75 per cent, with guidance to cutting rates in upcoming meetings now being dropped altogether. Several policymakers, including [...]
TITAN Group: Full Year Results 2025 March 19, 2026 Very strong performance delivers another record year