Barclays profit surges as equity traders cash in on volatility Banking Barclays profit surged ahead of expectations in the second quarter of the year as market turmoil fuelled a bumper performance in its equity trading division. The FTSE 100 giant revealed it would launch a new £1bn share buyback after pre-tax profit jumped 17 per cent from the prior year to £6.1bn across the first half [...]
Iwoca closes bumper debt facility as sale speculation mounts Fintech Small business lender Iwoca has inked a new £250m debt facility that will help it ramp up its lending power just days after it emerged it had instructed bankers to launch a sale process valuing it at north of £1bn. The fintech closed the credit line from a household name bank and private credit giant [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise but oil tops $95; inflation eases Markets Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Wednesday and new Chancellor John Healey secured an early boost after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that inflation slowed in June. Headline CPI inflation dipped from 2.8 per cent in May to 2.6 per cent in June. Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the [...]
Renault Scenic E-Tech 2026 review: An electric SUV for our times July 17, 2026 The Renault Scenic pioneered the practical but unfashionable compact MPV in the 1990s. Now it has returned as a more conventional electric SUV. John Redfern sees how well this reimagined Renault suits our different times. Three decades ago, Renault launched the original Megane Scenic to the world, kickstarting the small MPV category. It was a [...]
The Executive Ledger: Is the company car consigned to history? July 17, 2026 The traditional executive company car used to be defined by a beautifully simple set of rules, writes motoring journalist Tim Barnes-Clay. It required a German saloon, 3.0 litres of naturally aspirated displacement, finished in metallic paint, and a designated parking space close to the boardroom doors. It was a statement of seniority, paid for by [...]
FCA boss takes aim at motor finance lenders and claims firms July 15, 2026 The boss of the City watchdog has taken a fresh swipe at the parties opposing the regulator’s motor finance redress scheme. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), told the Treasury Committee that he was “concerned about the integrity of the claims management market” and took a shot at lenders for trying [...]
Motor finance war of words heats up as City watchdog blasts law firm’s motives July 8, 2026 A blistering war of words has broken out between the City watchdog and the firms leading the consumer legal challenge to its £9bn motor finance scheme. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has urged the Upper Tribunal to throw out the case entirely as it slammed Courmacs Legal and its client Consumer Voice, for a serious [...]
‘In fine fettle’: Pall Mall’s RAC waiting list grows as posh club toasts profit boost July 6, 2026 The Royal Automobile Club has seen a rise in its waiting list as the posh Pall Mall private members’ club toasted a surge in profitability. The institution, which was founded in 1897 as a motoring club and later spawned the roadside assistance business RAC, saw its waiting list increase by 7 per cent in 2025 [...]
Close Brothers shares fall as motor finance scandal threatens worst returns in Europe July 6, 2026 Close Brothers shares tumbled on Monday morning after a damning broker downgrade warned the bank was poised to deliver the “lowest value-creation” of Europe’s top 50 banks. The FTSE 250 bank’s stock was down nearly nine per cent in early trading to 401.70p as investors scurried for the exit door. The loss came on the [...]
Inside the Gumball 3000, the world’s most outrageous motoring event July 4, 2026 Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin has teamed up with the world’s most outrageous motoring event, the Gumball 3000. Adam Hay-Nicholls explores the rally’s wild history, its improbable legends and its enduring appeal Sports cars and watches go hand in glove. Synergies of precision timing and craftsmanship are used to cement the credentials of each brand, whether [...]