UK tariff threats put small businesses on alert May 6, 2025 UK small businesses have already taken steps to reduce trading with the US amid a temporary reprieve from tariffs, a leading industry group has suggested. The Labour government is yet to rule out retaliatory tariffs on US goods given President Trump’s trade war could hit UK exporters in under three months. But new research indicates [...]
EY: Profit warnings surge points to ‘economic shock’ May 6, 2025 Nearly one in five listed companies have told investors that they expected profits to decline in the past twelve months, new research has suggested, reflecting firms’ vulnerabilities to higher taxes and damaging tariffs. Chancellor Reeves flattered investors in the run-up to last year’s election, calling Labour the “natural party of business”. But a new report [...]
Magnificent Seven magic is ‘dead’, says top tech investor May 6, 2025 For years, investors have relied on the Magnificent Seven to provide massive returns. Now, one of its biggest beneficiaries has said that strategy is “mostly dead”. The small group of giant tech stocks has seen a tripling of its total weight in the S&P 500 over the last decade, and now makes up around a [...]
UK scale-ups face crisis as growth capital hits seven-year low May 6, 2025 Growth capital has hit a seven-year low on both volume and value with the UK start-up to scale-up pipeline “broken”, a fresh report has warned. Figures seen by City AM revealed Series A funding – investments of £2m to £10m for startups looking to grow – had slumped to £2.4bn in the 12 months to [...]
In memory of Richard Vines, a sage and a gentleman May 6, 2025 My friend Richard Vines, chief restaurant critic of Bloomberg for 25 years, passed away this week. A champion of both genius chefs and restaurateurs, he was a wonderful man who I admired hugely. Over the last few days, I have been reminded of some magnificent City lunches with Richard; at Kym’s by Andrew Wong, after [...]
Construction firm insolvencies jump to fresh high amid rising costs May 5, 2025 Construction business insolvencies have increased to their highest-ever level, a City AM analysis has found, as a barrage of rising costs continues to squeeze many in the sector to the point of collapse. As many as 840 construction firms appointed liquidators or administrators in the first four months of the year, the analysis of corporate [...]
Lights, camera, taxes: British film industry rattled by latest Trump tariff threat May 5, 2025 British media execs have been put on edge after Donald Trump took aim at foreign filmmakers in his latest tariff frenzy. In a brash social media post, the US president accused countries of a “concerted effort” to lure talent away from Hollywood in what he called a “national security threat” and vowed to impose tariffs [...]
US services growth ‘stalling’ as recession looms large May 5, 2025 Donald Trump’s tariffs are having a knock-on effect on growth in the US services, fresh data has suggested, as market uncertainty prompts business leaders to delay investment decisions. The US president’s trade policies have confused firms in the sector despite exemptions from taxes on imports, S&P Global said on Monday. April saw its lowest level [...]
Amazon row proves Trump’s America is an unreliable partner for business May 5, 2025 Trump’s overreaction to an unconfirmed story about Amazon including the cost of tariffs on its price labels businesses must now navigate a landscape where loyalty to the President matters more than logic, says Eliot Wilson It started with Punchbowl News. On Tuesday last week, as Donald Trump was marking 100 days in office, the Capitol [...]
Bank of England set to cut interest rates as US tariffs in focus May 4, 2025 UK interest rates are set to be cut to 4.25 per cent as the Bank of England eases costs for borrowers while it digests the impact of US tariffs on the economy. Most economists are expecting rates to be reduced by 0.25 percentage points on Thursday. Sandra Horsfield, an economist for Investec, said it is [...]