Babcock predicts global government defence spending spree after hit to profit June 22, 2026 Babcock said it had suffered a £140m financial hit due to delays in a contract with the Royal Navy but reiterated its financial targets for the next year, predicting high spending as global governments plough cash into defence. Profit before tax slumped to £267.2m from £339.4m in the prior year after problems with its Type [...]
David Lloyd gyms limbers up for £4bn London float June 22, 2026 The owner of David Lloyd gyms is considering a £4bn London listing in what would be a major boost for the capital’s stock exchange. TDR Capital, which also owns Asda, is eyeing up the initial public offering (IPO) despite a dearth of high-profile listings in recent years, City PM understands. The private equity firm snapped [...]
Who could be Andy Burnham’s Chancellor? June 22, 2026 As speculation over the Labour leadership grips Westminster, Maurício Alencar looks at the possible candidates for the next Chancellor – an appointment that will face heavy scrutiny by the markets. Andy Burnham’s journey toward Downing Street so far has featured scores of polls outlining his popularity among Labour members and the public, Labour MPs travelling [...]
Ocado to replace founder Steiner as shares plunge June 22, 2026 The board of Ocado is on the hunt for a successor to its founder and chief executive, Tim Steiner, as the e-commerce group faces up to a rapidly falling share price. The FTSE 250 firm, which offers online shopping and warehouse automation services, confirmed on Monday that it is putting together a succession plan for [...]
Castlelake urges Easyjet investors to back £4.7bn takeover bid June 22, 2026 Private equity firm Castlelake is calling on investors in Easyjet to lobby the budget airline to accept its third takeover offer, after the FTSE 250 carrier slapped down its latest bid over the weekend. The bidder said on Monday that Easyjet has rejected three successive takeover bids and criticised the airline for its “unwillingness to [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 finishes higher as US-Iran talks progress and Starmer resigns; Space X shares fall after bond sale June 22, 2026 Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Markets are set to start off the new week facing renewed threats on both the domestic and geopolitical front. Over the weekend, fractures that were forming in the US-Iran peace deal burst wide open after Iran’s top military command said it shut the Strait of Hormuz after “violations” [...]
Manchester City and Chelsea boosted by lawyer’s compensation claims verdict June 22, 2026 Any football clubs seeking to bring compensation claims in the wake of Burnley’s landmark £40m award will face significant hurdles, a former Premier League lawyer has warned. The decision by an independent disciplinary commission earlier this month to order Everton to pay an eight-figure sum to Burnley has been tipped to trigger a landslide of [...]
Brexit 10 years on: Labour’s EU reset deal is ‘no growth strategy’ June 22, 2026 The Labour government’s “reset” deal with the EU is not delivering substantial gains on growth, trade specialists and economists have warned on the anniversary of the Brexit referendum’s polling day. The government’s first deal with the EU struck in May last year, which will be ratified by parliament in a bill over the course of [...]
Starmer will resign, Trump says June 21, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce his resignation as early as Monday, according to media reports and President Trump, after Andy Burnham’s victory in Makerfield paved the way for his ascent to Downing Street. Starmer will set out timings for his exit in a speech on Monday, The Observer newspaper reported, after his grip [...]
Iran to close Strait of Hormuz as Trump threatens toll June 21, 2026 Iran’s top military command has said it will shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement despite President Trump’s threats to impose a toll if the stretch of water is closed off. The Iranian leadership said the crucial shipping passage will be closed to vessel traffic as the “first [...]