Government borrowing costs mount on fears of inflation spike March 9, 2026 Government borrowing costs have climbed on escalating fears that the war in the Middle East will push up inflation and leave interest rates higher. The 10-year gilt yield jumped by some 14 basis points on Monday morning as traders continue selling off their gilt holdings over mounting fears that interest rates could rise. Longer-term gilt [...]
FTSE 100 Live: US stocks sink on open; Iran warns oil price could hit $200 March 9, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. The chaos in global markets of last following the breakout of conflict in the Middle East is poised to continue as tensions in the Gulf showed no sign of slowing down over the weekend. The price of oil notched its highest gains in a single [...]
Oil on track for biggest weekly jump in 4 years as US mulls intervention March 6, 2026 The oil market is set for its biggest weekly gain in four years after the crisis in the Middle East sent ripples through the energy markets. The price of Brent crude has risen by around 18 per cent in the last week, tipping over $85 a barrel. Should the gains hold up, it would mark [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jittery amid oil tensions; Khan woos Anthropic AI March 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Inflation fears have dominated the week and as for the time being, they don’t look to be heading anywhere. The FTSE 100 ended Thursday’s session slipping 1.5 per cent to 10,413.94p as markets battled renewed fears of an energy crisis. Brent crude futures – the international [...]
Aviva’s profits surge following Direct Line acquisition March 5, 2026 Aviva’s acquisition of Direct Line in 2025 contributed £174m to operating profit for the FTSE 100 giant, as the group’s overall operating profit increased by 25 per cent to £2.2bn. The group informed shareholders that it achieved its 2026 financial targets one year early, specifically reaching its £2bn operating profit and £1.8bn Solvency II own [...]
Double-digit profits at Admiral as dividends rise for shareholders March 5, 2026 FTSE 100 listed insurer Admiral reported double-digit profit growth over the last financial year, as the group pivots itself toward high-tech commercial insurance. The group profit before tax rose 16 per cent to £958m – up from £827m in 2024 – as its UK motor division surpassed the £1bn profit mark. Its other UK personal [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Airline shares fall after Wizz Air profit warning; Primark new boss March 5, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Global markets returned to a touch of stability on Wednesday as energy prices retreated as investors awaited the latest on the events in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 ended the day 0.8 per cent higher at 10,567.65p – still far below it’s level at [...]
Profit slides as Beazley eyes Bermuda amid Zurich £8bn takeover March 4, 2026 One of the UK’s biggest listed insurance firms suffered a slide in profit as the company prepares to be acquired by Swiss giant Zurich. FTSE 100 insurer Beazley posted pre-tax profit of $1.14bn (£870m) for the year to end December 2025, a fall of around a fifth compared to the previous year amid a softening [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks inch back up; UK faces energy bills warning March 4, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement. The Chancellor wheeled out new forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility that cut growth for 2026 but – albeit modestly – upgraded it for the years to come. But forecasts were quickly labelled out of date by [...]
UK gas prices spike over 90 per cent amid US-Iran war March 3, 2026 Gas prices in the UK have nearly doubled as the war between US and Iran ramped up since the weekend. The price of UK wholesale gas prices – which reflect the costs energy suppliers pay to producers for natural gas before selling to household and businesses – has rocketed by 93 per cent in just [...]
