As it happened: Stocks jump on defence and metals boost; Oil on track to shed a fifth on US-Iran peace hopes Markets Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Oil’s speed of decline has taken a hit this week as investors were forced to pause at the renewal of strike action between the US and Iran. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was steadying above $73 per barrel, holding onto some of the [...]
As it happened: Starmer dealt defence blow as investors react Markets This was the City PM liveblog on Thursday 11 June. John Healey resigned as defence secretary over a lack of funding for the armed forces, heaping pressure on Sir Keir Starmer. Industry officials reacted with regret and paid tribute to Healey. The FTSE 100 also climbed on Thursday to defy fresh tensions between Iran and [...]
As it happened: US jobs smash forecasts; Stocks in green amid cloudy US-Iran peace talks Markets Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Speculation around a peace deal between the US and Iran is continuing to leave markets struggling for direction as hopes of an official agreement face roadblocks. A current draft of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US has ambiguities that have to be clarified, an adviser [...]
As it happened: Stocks mixed as Trump warns takes ‘two to tango’ on Iran peace June 4, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Donald Trump has hinted a peace deal in the Middle East could come as soon as “over the weekend” in the latest back-and-forth of negotiations between the US and Iran. The President yesterday doubled down once more on his claim that Iran is set to [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise on Iran peace hopes; Asda and Ocado deal May 29, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. After investors kicked into sell-off mode on Thursday amidst spiking tensions as the US and Iran exchanged strikes, attention is quickly turning back to hopes of a peace deal this morning. US and Iranian negotiators are reported to have reached an agreement on a 60-day [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks down on election day; oil back below $100 as Iran deal hangs in balance May 7, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. It’s local election day in the UK and Keir Starmer’s premiership is hanging in the balance as his Labour Party prepares to take a drubbing in council boroughs across the country. Gilt yields rose at their fastest rate earlier this week as the market prepares [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks drop amid US-Iran war mixed messaging; House prices up May 1, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Markets are scrambling for some messaging this morning as tensions around the Iran war drag on. Donald Trump faced a deadline for today whether to formally end the war in Iran or make the case to the US Congress for extending it. But an official [...]
‘There’s a lot of risk out there’ – Bank of England warns of market ‘adjustment’ April 24, 2026 A top Bank of England official has warned that global markets could fall even further with current share prices not reflecting the economic risks at play. Sarah Breeden, the Bank’s deputy governor for financial stability, said: “There’s a lot of risk out there and yet asset prices are at all-time highs. “We expect there will [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jitter as inflation surges; Trump extends ceasefire April 22, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Inflation has surged this morning follow the outbreak of war in Iran. Fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown the consumer price index rose by 3.3 per cent in the 12 months to March 2026. That’s up from three per cent [...]
‘No more Mr Nice Guy’: Oil prices spike as Trump renews Iran power plant threats April 20, 2026 The price of oil has been driven higher by the latest round of escalations in the Middle East renewing fears of a drastic global energy shock. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – jumped over six per cent on Monday morning to over $96. It follows a weekend of tensions where shipping [...]
