As it happened: FTSE 100 hits new high after interest rates held July 30, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a 6-3 split. The City had pencilled in a hawkish hold from the Monetary Policy Committee after inflationary pressures were renewed on the latest round of strikes in the Middle East. Megan Greene, Catherine Mann and [...]
SES Reports H1 2026 Results & Reiterates Full-Year Outlook July 30, 2026 SES S.A. announces financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026. H1 2026 Performance (€ million) H1 2026 as reported (1) H1 2025 as reported (1) ∆ At constant FX (2) H1 2025 like-for-like(3) ∆ At constant FX (2) Average €/$ FX rate 1.17 1.08 1.08 Revenue 1,602 978 [...]
AB InBev Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results July 30, 2026 Solid top- and bottom-line performance: Revenue up by 5.6%, Beer volume growth of 1.1% and a 23.4% Underlying EPS increase
Bank of England may set the stage for interest rate hikes this year July 30, 2026 The Bank of England could today roll the pitch for a series of interest rate hikes this year after price shocks triggered by the war in Iran rippled through the global economy in the past quarter, City analysts have predicted. Analysts across financial firms in the City are expecting the Bank to leave interest rates [...]
Mortgage approvals inch up yet gains to be ‘retracted’ July 29, 2026 Mortgage approvals rose slightly in June, according to Bank of England data, yet growing fears of a rise in interest rates could set the property market back again. Net mortgage approvals climbed by around three per cent, from 56,565 in May to 58,200 in June. That remained below the six-month average of around 61,400, and [...]
Smurfit Westrock Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results July 29, 2026 Smurfit Westrock plc (NYSE: SW) today announced the financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026. Key Points: Net Sales of $8,031 million Net Income of $88 million, with a Net Income Margin of 1.1% Adjusted EBITDA1 of $1,140 million, with an Adjusted EBITDA Margin1 of 14.2% Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities [...]
On a roll: Greggs shares soar as it doubles down on aggressive expansion July 29, 2026 Shares in Greggs soared on Wednesday as the bakery chain said it plans to reach at least 3,500 stores in the UK after a jump in profit in the first half of the year. The sausage roll purveyor reported a 20 per cent boost in pre-tax profit to £76m in the six months to June, [...]
Bureau Veritas: Delivering on Our Commitments With Higher Sequential Organic Growth in Q2 and Continuous Margin Improvements July 29, 2026 Bureau Veritas (BOURSE:BVI): H1 2026 key figures1 › Revenue of EUR 3,258.4 million in H1 2026, up 2.1% year-on-year and up 5.0% organically (with a sequential improvement in Q2 2026 at 5.5% organic growth), › Adjusted operating profit of EUR 506.5 million, up 3.1% versus EUR 491.5 million in H1 2025, representing an adjusted operating [...]
Zohran Mamdani’s socialist superstore stunt won’t help poor New Yorkers July 29, 2026 Zohran Mamdani’s plan to open five state=owned shops with subsidised groceries will make little to no difference to the lives of New Yorkers, so why are you reading about it? Ask Kristian Niemietz New York City has a population of over 8.5m people, or close to 20m if we include the wider metropolitan area, and [...]
Healey faces £24bn spending squeeze as inflation puts tax rises in play July 29, 2026 Chancellor John Healey is facing a £24bn real terms squeeze on the public purse due to higher inflation and will be forced to hike takes to fund the government’s spending plans, a top think tank has warned. Price growth will peak at 3.8 per cent early next year before a slow return to the Bank [...]