Rachel Reeves plots ‘growth push’ as Labour set for bruising elections April 27, 2026 Rachel Reeves is plotting another “growth push” as the Labour party prepares itself for a potentially bruising defeat in the local elections. The Chancellor is set to unveil a new push for fiscal discipline, a closer relationship with the EU and planning reforms in a bid to ease the nerves of the party. The forthcoming [...]
‘There’s a lot of risk out there’ – Bank of England warns of market ‘adjustment’ April 24, 2026 A top Bank of England official has warned that global markets could fall even further with current share prices not reflecting the economic risks at play. Sarah Breeden, the Bank’s deputy governor for financial stability, said: “There’s a lot of risk out there and yet asset prices are at all-time highs. “We expect there will [...]
KBRA Releases Research – UK Building Societies: Resilient Fundamentals as Macro Pressures Weigh on Outlook April 23, 2026 KBRA releases its latest research report evaluating the UK building society sector. We believe the overall creditworthiness of the UK building society sector remains resilient despite ongoing macroeconomic pressures, housing affordability constraints, and elevated geopolitical uncertainty. While the housing market has stabilised following a period of elevated transaction activity, momentum is expected to soften due [...]
Barclays sweetens mortgage deals as interest rate decision takes focus April 22, 2026 Barclays has become the latest bank to wade into the flurry of mortgage rate cuts as lenders turn their attention to next week’s interest rates decision. The FTSE 100 giant cut rates across more than 20 mortgage products from Wednesday morning. It follows on from a slew of reductions from the likes of HSBC UK, [...]
Airfares, petrol pumps, rent: Inflation to jump due to Iran war April 20, 2026 Inflation is expected to jump to 3.3 per cent as the first effects of the war in Iran will be recorded in a new set of data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is expected to reveal that inflation inched up in the year to March due to soaring fuel prices and tremors across financial [...]
London house prices jump by £3k as market slows April 20, 2026 The average asking price of a home in Britain rose by nearly £3,000 in April, but London’s property market is showing clear signs of strain as higher mortgage rates and a surge in supply curb momentum. New figures from Rightmove show asking prices increased by 0.8 per cent month on month to £373,971, a £2,929 [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery as Starmer makes play to reopen Strait of Hormuz April 17, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The UK and France are set to co-chair a meeting with allies later today in a bid to strum up ways to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. The vital waterway, which sits off Iran’s coast, sees around a fifth of the world’s oil supply flow [...]
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 [...]
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Harvest Funding PLC April 15, 2026 KBRA UK (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to seven classes of notes issued by Harvest Funding PLC, a static RMBS securitisation backed by a seasoned non-conforming portfolio of United Kingdom (UK) residential mortgage loans, comprising performing, in-arrears and past-term exposures. The portfolio aggregates to £2.0 billion of first lien loans which are secured by owner occupied [...]
Wall Street banks’ $40bn haul overshadowed by economic threats April 15, 2026 Wall Street’s top banks are toasting a record revenue haul this week, but industry chiefs also struck a note of caution after bumper profits were driven by market volatility. JP Morgan led the pack with a net income of $16.5bn in the first-quarter of the year, up 13 per cent from the same period in [...]