UK in line for fresh US tariff hit as Trump proposes ‘forced labour’ levy June 3, 2026 Donald Trump has proposed a fresh round of tariffs that would hit numerous nations including the UK as the President seeks to rebuild his sweeping wall of levies that were struck down by the Supreme Court. The US is exploring a tariff of at least ten per cent on imports from up to 60 trading [...]
Investec shares rise amid takeover speculation June 3, 2026 Investec shares jumped in early Wednesday trading after the South African financial giant became subject to takeover speculation. Shares rose as much as 4.6 per cent before settling at 1.4 per cent, trading at 669.5p, following reports from M&A blog site Betaville that the bank may have attracted takeover interest, with it citing “people following [...]
‘Difficult year’ for discount retailer B&M as profits fall almost a half June 3, 2026 A series of updates from London-listed retailers has light on the battle for sales between online and traditional outlets, with household spending under pressure, writes Michael Hunter. FTSE 250 retailer B&M has revealed a drop of almost a half in annual profit in what it called a “difficult year”. It was the most eye-catching piece [...]
As it happened: Stocks jitter on stalling US-Iran talks; OECD unemployment warning June 3, 2026 Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Markets are being pulled in countless directions from the conflicting information emerging around the conflict in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 managed to shrug off some of these jitters yesterday and secure a finish 0.3 per cent higher as the price of oil slipped. But this morning [...]
Surging military spending boosts London-listed defence sales June 2, 2026 Two London-listed manufacturing contractors are reaping the benefits of a surge in defence spending as the period of geopolitical turmoil boosts sales across the sector. FTSE AIM-listed firm Gooch & Housego’s saw its profits before tax surge by nearly 16 per cent in the first half of the financial year, up to £3.3bn, driven by [...]
As it happened: Stocks shrug off stalling Iran peace talks; OBR warns Reeves June 2, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Markets were rocked yesterday after reports emerged from Iranian state media that Tehran was pulling out of peace talks with the US. A proposal that included a 60-day cessation of violence and a play to re-open the Strait of Hormuz has hung in the balance [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 plunges as Iran pulls out of US peace talks; Mandelson files released June 1, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Oil has nudged a touch higher to $93 per barrel this morning as uncertainty continues to cloud any prospect of a peace deal in the Middle East. The latest peace proposal between the US and Iran was said last week to be awaiting on the [...]
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 [...]
As it happened: Stocks plummet on latest Iran war tensions; Neets crisis a ‘human tragedy’ May 28, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. The US and Iran are back to exchanging fire in a major blow to hopes of peace in the Middle East. Tehran struck an American airbase overnight in its retaliation for the US striking a military site that it said “posed a threat to US forces [...]
As it happened: US-Iran peace hopes sends oil lower; Brits handed energy price cap blow May 27, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Global markets were able to take the new developments in the Middle East in their stride on Tuesday amid hopes a peace deal was on the horizon. The FTSE 100 ended the day in the green and despite some choppy trading oil prices eased. This [...]
