Diageo subsidiary pockets £1.3bn from sale of Indian cricket team March 25, 2026 A subsidiary of Diageo has pocketed £1.3bn from the sale of its Indian cricket team as the drinks giant divests assets to focus on its core business. The FTSE 100 firm acquired Indian team Royal Challengers just over a decade ago as part of its acquisition of a majority stake in United Spirits, an Indian [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks soar as Trump claims ‘victory’ in Iran; Economists clash on inflation March 25, 2026 Welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Fresh figures this morning revealed inflation rose three per cent in the year to February 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to January 2026. Grant Fitzner said: “The largest upwards driver was the price of clothing, which rose this month but fell a year ago. “This was offset [...]
RAC could jump-start London’s IPO engine with bumper £5bn float March 24, 2026 London’s IPO market could soon come motoring back, led by a bumper £5bn float from RAC as the roadside assistance firm defies market uncertainty to press ahead with its listing plans. The West Midlands-based business, founded in 1897, has reportedly held preliminary meetings with prospective investors and fund managers, in the clearest sign yet that [...]
‘Crossroads’: Oil prices hold firm as markets sour on Trump’s peace talks March 24, 2026 The price of oil held firm on Tuesday morning as markets faced a “crossroads” following the latest bait-and-switch from President Trump amid the crisis in the Middle East. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, broke $100 again in early trading in Asia after a four per cent gain. Prices have dipped a touch but [...]
Kingfisher: B&Q owner sales dragged down by weakness in overseas brands March 24, 2026 B&Q owner Kingfisher saw the success of its UK brands dragged down by struggles overseas, as sales in France and Poland took a dip. The FTSE 100 firm suffered falling sales in its French Castorama (-2.2 per cent) and Brico Depot (-2.3 per cent) brands and in Poland (-1.1 per cent), while sales grew by [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip; Reeves give energy update as oil prices jump March 24, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City PM liveblog. Oil is back on the rise this morning following a series of mixed messages on Monday that brought forward a day of whiplash for global markets. The trading session started with nosedives into the red as markets digested President Trump’s 48 hour ultimatum on Iran, [...]
Pagefield owner PPHC ramps up political consultancy with WPI acquisition March 23, 2026 AIM-listed consultancy firm PPHC has ramped up its politics offering after acquiring government relations business WPI Strategy. Founded in 2014, WPI turns over around £2.5m per year and counts the likes of London City Airport, Microsoft, Pension Insurance Corporation, and Vodafone Three among its clients. The company, which counts a number of former Labour advisers [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gilt yields soar, Bank of England rate hike fears grow, Wetherspoon shares tumble March 20, 2026 Good morning from the City PM liveblog team. Stocks made gains on Friday morning after a statement from Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu that he could see “this war ending a lot faster than people think” reassured markets that conflict in the Middle East could soon recede. The remarks follow further missile strikes by the US [...]
London IPO market may yet recover in 2026, Peel Hunt says March 19, 2026 The London IPO market could still see a revival before the end of the year, according to City broker Peel Hunt, as a number of blue chip firms wait patiently for geopolitical tensions to die down before firing the starting gun on their own floats. Brian Hanratty, head of equity capital markets at Peel Hunt, [...]
Natwest and Lloyds shares sink as Iran tensions drag FTSE 100 into red March 19, 2026 The FTSE 100 was treading slightly above the 10,000 mark on Thursday as fears grew that the index could slip underneath the milestone. London’s blue-chip index fell 2.7 per cent by the afternoon to lows of 10,002.30p. It came as shares in a number of the City’s banking giants led the FTSE 100’s downturn this [...]
