Iran war takes familiar toll on Britain’s punch-drunk farmers April 17, 2026 The Iran war has left farmers facing another round of brutal cost rises. With the scars wrought by the cost-of-living crisis only just beginning to heal, many are warning that something will have to give. The bucolic West Suffolk estate managed by farmer Andrew Blenkiron does not, on appearances, look like a scene ravaged by [...]
Have a Puffy* Summer April 16, 2026 *Light, Layered and Unmistakably Moncler. Puffy Summer is more than a season. It’s the essence of Moncler’s DNA, evolved for lighter, brighter days outdoors – captured in a global campaign starring Jamie Dornan.
Dunelm shares slump after Iran war profit warning April 16, 2026 Shares in Dunelm have slumped after the homeware and furniture store warned its profits could dip as the Iran war damages consumer confidence. The FTSE 250 firm’s share price fell as much as 7.9 per cent on Thursday, to 789p, leaving the stock down more than 26 per cent in the year so far. The [...]
M&S Sparks rewards overhauled as retailer offers cash perks April 16, 2026 Marks & Spencer has overhauled its Sparks card reward scheme using AI after shoppers demanded cash perks instead of the existing points-based system. The upmarket food and clothing giant said it is responding to consumer criticism of its loyalty scheme by offering “personalisation and pounds, not points and tricksy pricing”. The Sparks Card had faced [...]
Ashmore share price plummets after Iran War leaves investors sitting on their hands April 16, 2026 Emerging market specialist Ashmore Group suffered a sharp drop in its share price during early morning trading, after the Middle East conflict brought earlier growth to a grounding halt and caused investors to “sit on their hands”. Shares tumbled 5.6 per cent in early trading to 209.4p, after the group reported a three per cent [...]
Santander and TSB kick off mortgage rate cuts after Iran turmoil April 16, 2026 Santander and TSB have kicked off the mortgage rate cutting cycle after lenders pulled deals and hiked their rates amidst the turmoil in Iran. From Thursday, Santander said it would be lower the price on higher loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages products by near 0.3 per cent, which includes its two-year fixed, first-time buyer products. Meanwhile, TSB said it [...]
‘Soul destroying’: Why London’s luxury property market has taken the biggest hit in a decade April 16, 2026 It’s been almost three years since Emma first put her Kensington home on the market. With an initial asking price of just over £4m, she turned down a number of early low-ball offers before accepting one only slightly below what she’d wanted. But after months of dithering, the buyer pulled out at the last minute. [...]
Tesco boss downplays double-digit food inflation warning over Iran war April 16, 2026 The boss of Tesco said he doesn’t “recognise” warnings that food inflation could soar to double digits this year due to supply chain chaos caused by the Iran war. Ken Murphy, chief executive of the supermarket giant, said he currently has no concerns over significant price inflation and “doesn’t know” whether this is coming down [...]
UK economy jumped above forecasts before Iran war April 16, 2026 The UK economy was growing ahead of expectations before the war in the Middle East erupted, official data has shown. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said GDP grew by 0.5 per cent over February, though City analysts have suggested the figures are “too good to be true” given trends seen in recent years. In [...]
Tesco shares jump as profit surges despite Iran ‘uncertainty’ April 16, 2026 Tesco shares jumped in early deals this morning after the retailer reported a better-than-expected profit for the year to the end of February. The supermarket giant made an operating profit of over £3.1bn in the year to February 2026 compared to its own forecasts of between £2.9 and £3.1bn. The supermarket expects to make an [...]