FTSE 100 Live: Stocks slump as oil rises; Reeves tax hikes trigger borrowing boost April 23, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. An extended ceasefire may have been announced in the Middle East, but its left markets with major appetite for further peace before investor sentiment recovers. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – was trading back over the $100 mark on Thursday morning. [...]
Stashing cash is nuts – just ask Savvy the squirrel April 23, 2026 A new campaign fronted by Savvy the squirrel will spread a nationwide message encouraging people to invest in stocks and shares rather than just stashing cash, says James Ashton ROLL up, roll up: this is the week when efforts to get Britain investing again start in earnest. An industry-funded marketing campaign, expected to be fronted [...]
FCA crypto U-turn – everything retail investors need to know April 22, 2026 After banning crypto Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) for retail customers in January 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reversed its position in October 2025, meaning retail investors can once again purchase exchange-listed crypto instruments, such as ETNs. According to FCA research, conducted in conjunction with YouGov, 91 per cent of UK consumers are aware of cryptoassets. [...]
Shopping list: London Stock Exchange could welcome £20bn in retail floats within months April 22, 2026 The London Stock Exchange is gearing up to welcome as much as £20bn in retailer listings amid hopes that the British high street could be key to reviving the capital’s ailing public markets. Three of the UK’s biggest retail brands – Primark, Boots and Waterstones – each appear to be in the advanced stages of [...]
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 [...]
Admiral CEO attributes FTSE giant’s staff retention to share awards scheme April 22, 2026 FTSE 100 insurance giant CEO Milena Mondini tells senior reporter Maria Ward-Brennan that Admiral’s share awards plan has significantly contributed to staff retention. Admiral Group stands out as one of the UK’s most successful insurance companies, with an internal focus on staff retention and employee happiness. CEO Milena Mondini told City PM, “We wanted people [...]
Boots shapes up for potential London IPO April 21, 2026 The owners of Boots have hired advisors to get the high street chemist into shape ahead of a potential London floating which could come as soon as next year. Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm which owns Boots, have been in talks with advisers in recent weeks on the possibility of floating in the capital. [...]
City minister: Tax regime ‘sends a message’ to fintech IPO prospects April 21, 2026 The City minister has said the tax regime “matters” for how the UK can strengthen capital markets as part of its bid to lock down the next cohort of listing candidates. Lucy Rigby, economic secretary to the Treasury, said the government was looking to build on the “historical success of our capital market” as it [...]
S&U takes ‘Margaret Thatcher’ approach as profit swells April 21, 2026 Specialist lender S&U recorded a major bump to profit in the last year as the bank said it was following the teachings of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The London-listed bank – which was founded in 1938 and once known as Sports and Utilities – posted a pre-tax profit of £31.8m in the year ending 5 [...]
THG defies retail gloom with best quarter in five years April 21, 2026 THG shares rocketed on Tuesday as the firm shrugged off wider gloom in the retail market after delivering its best quarterly performance in five years. The Manchester-based beauty and nutrition e-commerce firm posted revenue growth of 7 per cent for the first quarter of 2026, adding that growth was only “modestly impacted” by disruption in [...]
