Wickes gains as Brits go budget in kitchen refurbs September 15, 2026 Wickes is benefiting from a slowdown in consumer spending as Brits switch to the value home improvement retailer and away from premium rivals, its boss has said. The FTSE 250 group posted a 2.1 per cent jump in revenue to £865m in the six months to June, buoyed by rising sales of big ticket items [...]
London-listed builder exits ‘challenging’ housing sector after property market slowdown September 15, 2026 A top listed construction firm has pulled out of the UK’s “challenging” housing sector after a slump in demand for new homes across the country. FTSE 250 firm Kier told shareholders on Tuesday that it is pulling all capital out of the residential property sector in a bid to “de-risk” its portfolio. The group’s pre-tax [...]
Justice minister: legal services must embrace AI September 15, 2026 The economic prize from AI won’t simply go to the countries that develop the most powerful technology. It will go to the countries where businesses have the confidence to use it, invest in it and build around it, says Sarah Sackman I can remember when I started my legal career 20 years ago, we still [...]
Mortgage rates at five-month high ahead of Bank of England decision September 14, 2026 Borrowers are bracing for more mortgage woes ahead of the Bank of England’s interest rate decision this week. Mortgage rates have climbed to their highest level in nearly five months after some 25 lenders hiked their deals in the last week including the likes of HSBC, Lloyds and Nationwide. The average two-year fix has risen [...]
Why middle eastern capital is becoming part of London’s fintech story September 11, 2026 London has spent years building one of the world’s most sophisticated fintech ecosystems. Its strength comes not only from technology, but from the combination of capital, financial expertise, regulation, legal infrastructure and access to international markets. Increasingly, another element is becoming part of that story: investment and commercial interest from the Middle East. Across the [...]
City lawyer pleads not guilty to insider dealing charges September 11, 2026 A City lawyer has pleaded not guilty to five counts of alleged insider dealing for trading in the assets of maternity fashion brand Seraphine Group. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed in July that it charged Richard Bloomfield, 38, with allegedly using inside information he obtained while advising on the buyout of London-listed maternity brand [...]
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to UK Logistics 2026-4 DAC September 10, 2026 KBRA UK (KBRA) is pleased to announce the assignment of preliminary ratings to five classes of UK Logistics 2026-4 DAC, a CMBS single-borrower transaction. The collateral for the transaction is a £613.7 million limited recourse, first lien mortgage loan expected to be originated by Barclays Bank PLC in September 2026. The floating-rate loan is expected [...]
London hotels call on GLA to halt overnight visitor levy plans September 10, 2026 The London Hotel Association is calling on the Greater London Authority (GLA) to pause progress towards the proposed Overnight Visitor Levy (OVL), warning that implementation is moving ahead before the potential economic, commercial and operational consequences have been properly assessed. Following a recent meeting with the GLA, a collective of London hotels from the London [...]
GasEntec Announces New Ownership Structure, Accelerating Next Phase of Global Growth September 10, 2026 Independent LNG infrastructure and technology company expands investment in proprietary technology, modular solutions and global project development.
The aristocratic landowner taking record rent from ‘cradle-to-grave’ health empire September 10, 2026 One of London’s biggest landowning families raked in record rent from its Marylebone property empire last year, helped by a surge in demand at its ‘cradle-to-grave’ private healthcare district. Howard de Walden Estates, which owns the Harley Street health district and the residential Marylebone Village, grew its rental income from the estate by 9.3 per [...]