On this day: The collapse of Barings Bank February 26, 2026 On 26 February 1995, 31 years ago today, Baring Bank, one of the City’s most venerable institutions, was declared insolvent after a massive fraud by one of its employees, Nick Leeson, recalls Eliot Wilson In the 1990s, following the wake of Big Bang and the influx of brash but wealthy, “Greed is good, greed is [...]
Service sector profits continue long decline February 26, 2026 Profitability in the UK’s service sector declined for the seventeenth consecutive rolling quarter, according to new data, with businesses reporting few signs of improvement on the horizon. The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) latest survey on the service sector showed that rising costs put businesses’ bottom line under pressure. A weighted balance of -28 per [...]
IGI Declares Extraordinary Cash Dividend February 25, 2026 International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (“IGI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: IGIC) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared an extraordinary cash dividend of $1.15 per common share. The extraordinary dividend is payable on April 6, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 18, 2026. About IGI: IGI is [...]
Microsoft hops on Lizzie line in search for new London HQ February 25, 2026 Microsoft has hopped on the Elizabeth Line in its search for a new London headquarters, with the US tech giant eyeing up Paddington and Canary Wharf as potential homes. The tech firm needs upwards of 200,000 sq ft from its new office and is seeking advice from CBRE, according to the Financial Times. Office space [...]
Graduate jobs crisis: Here’s who is actually still hiring in 2026 February 25, 2026 The job market is looking bleak. For recent graduates it’s not just a downturn, but a great big wall blocking off access to an early career. But in a vicious, Darwinian struggle for a meagre handful of jobs, there could still be advantages for grads. The whippersnapper hiring slowdown is a many-headed beast, but the [...]
James Reed: Youth unemployment crisis will have decades-long impact February 25, 2026 Those not working in their twenties are unlikely to start in their thirties. The youth unemployment crisis needs action, writes James Reed.
UK asset managers pile into cut-price software stocks after rout February 25, 2026 Two of Britain’s largest asset managers have bolstered their positions in under-fire software companies in a bet that markets are overestimating the harm that artificial intelligence will have on their business model. Aberdeen and Rathbones have both added to holdings data giants like Relx, Adobe and Experian, arguing that the firms’ cratering valuations are largely [...]
Reeves urged to cut bank tax as UK competitiveness lags February 25, 2026 Rachel Reeves is facing renewed calls to cut tax on the banking sector after new bombshell research laid bare the competitive disadvantage UK lenders are battling against. The Chancellor spared banks from a highly-anticipated fresh tax raid in the Autumn Budget but a new report – penned by the Association for Financial Markets (AFME) and [...]
IGI Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Unaudited Financial Results and Declares Ordinary Common Share Dividend February 24, 2026 International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (“IGI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: IGIC) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2025. Highlights for the fourth quarter and full year 2025 include: (in millions of U.S. Dollars, except percentages and per share information) Quarter Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31, 2025 [...]
The 18 best pubs in the City of London – picked by experts February 24, 2026 The City of London has some of the best old boozers in the country, from sprawling Victorian gin palaces to squat little drinking dens squirrelled away down forgotten alleyways. We asked the reporters at City AM – who know the Square Mile better than anyone – to name their best pubs in the City of [...]