WH Smith shares crater after outlook slashed on Iran war travel chaos June 10, 2026 WH Smith shares have cratered after the retailer slashed its profit forecast amid the prolonged slowdown in global travel and slump in consumer confidence caused by the Iran war. Shares in the FTSE 250 retailer slumped by 16 per cent on Wednesday’s market open to 415p, leaving the stock down more than 35 per cent [...]
Fuller’s slams ‘unprecedented government interference’ in pub sector June 10, 2026 The boss of Fuller’s has slammed Labour for “unprecedented government interference” into the pub sector, which he says is to blame for 5,800 pubs closing in a decade. Simon Emeny, executive chairman of Fuller, Smith and Turner, has launched a broadside against the government’s hikes to business rates, national insurance contributions and alcohol duty. “When [...]
Real estate firms going bust at record rate as property market slumps June 10, 2026 Real estate companies are going bust at the fastest rate seen in a decade, CityAM can reveal, in a further sign that the UK’s property market is taking a battering. As many as 762 real estate-related businesses have become insolvent in the UK since the start of the year, a CityAM analysis of [...]
Padel craze drives demand for industrial property June 10, 2026 Padel operators have leased out more than one million square feet of industrial space in the last 18 months, as the UK’s newest sports craze takes over the country’s warehouses. The volume of square feet snapped up for Britain’s fastest-growing racquet sport in the past year and a half is almost seven times that in [...]
Pret A Manger dumps US franchise agreement after just two years June 9, 2026 Pret A Manger has dumped the franchise agreement which it had launched to expand in the US after just two years, its latest accounts revealed. The coffee chain formed a joint venture, known as Empire JointStar, with its franchise operator Dallas Holdings in October 2023, in a bid to accelerate its expansion in the US. [...]
‘Reason to be optimistic’: Hospitality bosses say World Cup a lifeline for pubs June 9, 2026 Pub bosses are hoping for a much-needed boost from the World Cup this summer, as the hospitality industry warns of a crushing tax and cost burden. Leading pub chains Greene King and JD Wetherspoon have told CityAM they are hoping for a “useful boost” to counteract the “layering of costs” they have faced in [...]
Housebuilder Bellway warns mortgage rate hikes dampening housing demand June 9, 2026 Bellway has said that recent rises to mortgage rates as a result of the Iran war are dampening demand for housing, on top of rising building cost inflation due to the conflict. The FTSE 250 housebuilder said it has seen a “moderation” in customer demand in April and May, bringing an end to a “positive” [...]
Tate & Lyle becomes latest market stalwart to quit London June 9, 2026 Tate & Lyle on Monday became the latest City stalwart to head for the door. Felix Armstrong recounts the accelerating exodus from London’s stock market As the summer holidays beckon, stalwarts of the London Stock Exchange are packing their bags ahead of a potential departure to warmer climes. FTSE grandee Tate & Lyle became the [...]
Heatwave boost for retailers as Brits snapped up BBQs and fans June 9, 2026 The late-May heatwave offered a much-needed boost for retailers as the hot weather prompted red-hot spending on barbecues, fans and sandals. Retail sales in the UK jumped by 3.7 per cent year on year in May, soaring above the full-year average of two per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Many Brits opted [...]
Jeremy Hunt: Pension triple lock is an ‘anchor drag’ on economic growth June 8, 2026 Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt has warned that the triple lock on the state pension is acting as “an anchor drag on economic growth.” In an interview with CityAM, Hunt said that above-inflation rises to the state pension are being funded “by more debt” on future generations and called for every major party to pledge [...]
