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
Investec signals modest earnings growth March 19, 2026 South African investment and wealth management group Investec has signalled modest earnings growth in its latest update, after diverse revenue streams and ongoing investment offset macroeconomic challenges. The group expects a three to six per cent increase in earnings per share from the prior year, ranging from 81.6p to 84p. Headline earnings per share are [...]
Lloyd’s profits surge as Tiernan charts course for ‘efficiency’ era March 19, 2026 Lloyd’s of London has reported a pre-tax profit of £10.6bn, over a 10 per cent increase from the previous year, as its chief executive launches its new five-year strategy. Its gross written premiums climb to £57.9bn, up over 4 per cent. This was driven by volume growth as new syndicates joined the market; however, for [...]
UK job market weakens as economy set to worsen March 19, 2026 The jobs market failed to provide more positive signs for the UK economy as official data suggested that fewer postings were available for job seekers. An estimate published on Thursday showed that the number of payrolled employees dropped by 49,000 in February while data showed a small rise in January. The Office for National Statistics [...]
Bribing firms to hire us is an insult to young workers like me March 19, 2026 The government’s plans to subsidise companies to hire young workers is a sticking plaster over the self-inflicted wound that is youth unemployment, says Oliver Dean Pat McFadden, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, recently announced that the government will launch a £1bn scheme to shift young people away from unemployment and welfare and [...]
Can Reeves’ fiscal devolution plans defeat the Nimbys? March 19, 2026 Rachel Reeves plans to end the paradox of British politics whereby local people bear the costs of growth but rarely feel the benefits. Will it work? Asks John Oxley Rachel Reeves attracts many descriptions, but few would peg her as a revolutionary. Her new plan for the economic landscape of the country might change this. [...]
Zopa Bank’s profit booms despite ‘penalised’ motor finance hit March 19, 2026 Zopa Bank cruised to its third consecutive year of profitability in 2025 but has offered a stark warning it feels “penalised” by the UK’s financial watchdog after getting swept up in the motor finance scandal. The Canary Wharf fintech has set aside £7.9m in provisions for the car mis-selling saga, which centres around the use [...]
International investment into UK businesses dips March 19, 2026 High-growth British companies with international founders have seen significantly reduced cash injections from overseas over the last five years, raising concerns around inward investment into the UK. Sums raised by these companies have dropped 36 per cent since 2021, according to the latest analysis from Rathbones using data gathered from Companies House filings. The number [...]
Greene King to put 150 pubs on chopping block March 18, 2026 Pubs giant Greene King is considering selling 150 of its pubs and offloading dozens more to franchisees, as its managing director quits. The pub operator, which has 2,500 premises in the UK, has said it will put around 300 of its managed pubs into a separate unit – with 150 of these intended for sale [...]