Bank of England signals interest rate hikes ahead despite April hold April 30, 2026 The Bank of England has all but confirmed that interest rates will be hiked in the coming months as oil prices have shot up, despite opting to hold them in a meeting on Thursday. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee warned interest rates could climb back to 5.25 per cent from the current level of 3.75 [...]
Lone Star Funds Completes Sale of novobanco to BPCE April 30, 2026 Nani Holdings S.à. r.l., an affiliate of Lone Star Funds (“Lone Star”), today announced it has successfully completed the sale of its majority stake in Novo Banco, S.A. (“novobanco” or “the bank”), Portugal’s fourth-largest bank, to BPCE, a leading European banking institution. Pursuant to the purchase price mechanism agreed to in the June 2025 Memorandum [...]
How does a Pokemon card fetch £12m? Inside the lucrative world of rare trading cards April 30, 2026 The Pokemon and Matchattax cards you had when you were a kid could fetch big bucks now. From multi-million price tags to Premier League brand deals, Matt Kenyon digs into this unlikely new asset class. At a glance, it looked a bit like Comic Con. But in reality, Fort Knox would have been a better [...]
Vertu Motors lands multi-million payout from JLR cyber-attack April 30, 2026 Vertu Motors has landed a multi-million pound payout after suffering from the disruption caused by a cyber-attack at Jaguar Landrover. The AIM-listed car dealership said it was able to agree a £3.9m business interruption claim from its insurers after the attack “disrupted JLR vehicle supply, parts availability and connected systems used by JLR franchised retailers.” [...]
Whitbread to cut nearly 4,000 jobs in £2bn cost saving plan April 30, 2026 Whitbread is to slash nearly 4,000 jobs as part of plans to offload restaurants and sell off the freehold rights to its hotels, in a bid to raise £2bn. Shares in the company slipped on Thursday after it announced the plans to raise £1.5bn by selling off the freehold rights to a raft of its [...]
Everest Reports First Quarter 2026 Results April 29, 2026 Annualized 16.8% Net Income ROE and 16.7% Net Operating Income ROE $316 million of Underwriting Income and Combined Ratio of 91.2% Repurchased $331 million of Common Shares During the Quarter
Special relationship: Americans snub champagne in favour of English fizz April 29, 2026 Americans are flocking to English wine and snubbing champagne, the boss of England’s biggest winemaker has said. Kent-based Chapel Down said consumers across the Atlantic are fuelling record demand for English sparkling wine, as the AIM-listed firm bets big on the US market. Chief executive James Pennefather told City AM: “Americans are really embracing Chapel [...]
Number of top rate taxpayers surges as frozen thresholds squeeze Brits April 29, 2026 The number of higher and additional rate taxpayers in the UK has soared since the start of the decade as frozen thresholds have dragged nearly two million into paying higher rates of tax despite not being classified as traditional high-paid professionals. According to the latest personal income statistics from HMRC covering the 2023/24 tax year, [...]
Newcastle United’s Saudi owners in town for stadium discussions April 29, 2026 Newcastle United’s Saudi Arabian owners are on Tyneside this week to discuss the future of St James’ Park and plans for a £100m boost. Whether the Premier League club redevelop their famous ground or build a new one in the adjacent Leazes Park remains a contentious point for the club’s ownership and fanbase. But a [...]
Lloyds fires bank tax warning shot as industry ‘ripe for cash grab’ April 29, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group has warned the Treasury not to look at the banks for a tax raid as the industry sets its sights on booming profits in 2026. The FTSE 100 giant beat profit expectations by a cool £200m in the first-quarter after booking £2bn. This was also followed up by an upgrade to its [...]