Tesco fuel sales drag up slowing growth June 18, 2026 Tesco has revealed a nearly 20 per cent boost in fuel sales as the Iran war sends petrol prices soaring, dragging up otherwise slowing revenue. The FTSE 100 supermarket saw fuel sales jump by 19.5 per cent to £1.7bn in the three months to May, while total sales growth slowed to one per cent to [...]
HSBC coughs up $25m over Australian scam failures June 18, 2026 HSBC has agreed to cough up just shy of $25m after admitting to failures in protecting customers in Australia from scammers. The Australian arm of Europe’s biggest lender was investigated by the watchdog over alleged “widespread and systematic failures” to shield its customers targeted by fraudsters. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said it [...]
Job vacancies fall again in unemployment risk June 18, 2026 Job vacancies available across the UK dropped again, official data revealed, posing a further risk for Britons out of work. The Office for National Statistics said the number of job vacancies fell by 19,000 between March and May. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 per cent per cent compared to five per cent in data [...]
An England World Cup isn’t just football – it is money, politics and a nation’s bad habits June 18, 2026 England are being asked to win the World Cup, yes, but the absurdity is that they are required to do so much more in the process, both commercially and politically, writes Ed Warner. And so they’ve begun. Our boys, Tom’s 26. Their world is in motion, three lions on their shirts, out to erase 60 [...]
As it happened: Stocks sink after Fed and Bank of England opt for hawkish hold; Oil price tumbles June 18, 2026 Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Interest rates were left unchanged at 3.75 per cent in Bank of England’s monetary policy committee meeting today as rate-setters wait to find out whether the Iran war peace deal holds up. The Bank’s decision followed Thursday’s inflation data, which stayed below undershot expectations after coming at 2.8 [...]
LLPs remain under watchful eye – especially from the taxman June 18, 2026 Despite dodging Budget day taxes, the UK’s limited liability partnership (LLP) model is still facing intense scrutiny, this time from HMRC, which just had a good result from the top court this week, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The LLP model, used by professional services such as law firms and accountancy firms, came into force 25 years [...]
City law firms ‘sleepwalking into a crisis’ over AI overreliance June 18, 2026 As legal tech valuations skyrocket, and AI dominates the airwaves, City law firms have been warned they are ‘sleepwalking into a crisis of judgment’ by treating AI as a definitive authority rather than a collaborative tool. A report by Positive Group, exclusively shared with City PM, stated that the legal sector faces a potential crisis [...]
Exclusive: O2 Arena bosses open to hosting another Formula 1 launch event June 18, 2026 O2 Arena bosses are open to hosting another Formula 1 launch event if the motor racing series decides to repeat its popular pre-season showpiece. To celebrate its 75th season, Formula 1 staged a sell-out event at the 20,000-capacity O2 in Greenwich, with all teams showing off their cars alongside music from the likes of Machine Gun [...]
Interest rates next change ‘far more likely down than up’ June 18, 2026 Interest rates are set to be held on Thursday in what some analysts believe could be a split decision as two Bank of England officials could back a 25 basis point hike. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.75 per cent, though some members could back a [...]
City investors raise alarm on Burnham’s Chancellor pick June 18, 2026 Andy Burnham’s bid to return to parliament poses a risk to financial markets, City analysts have warned, as his next pick as Chancellor could heavily sway traders’ views. City analysts have said they will be closely watching out for developments on Friday as results from the Makerfield by-election emerge in the early hours of the [...]