Ministers are sacrificing growth for votes, say top business bosses March 23, 2026 Government ministers have undermined the UK’s long-term economic interests by becoming “trapped” into making poor short-term policy decisions to appease voters, Britain’s top business bosses have warned. The group of corporate leaders, which include Natwest chair Rick Haythornthwaite, Heathrow chair Philip Jansen and Barratt Redrow chair Caroline Silver, said successive governments have failed to prioritise [...]
FCA launches investigation into collapsed shadow bank MFS March 20, 2026 The UK’s financial watchdog has begun a probe into shadow bank Market Financial Solutions following its collapse last month. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it had opened an enforcement investigation into the business. The regulator did not disclose the subject or terms of the investigation. The FCA said MFS is an “Annex 1 business”, [...]
Analysis: Could £1bn IPL RCB cricket windfall begin Diageo’s comeback? March 20, 2026 It’s been a tough few months for Diageo – and a tough few years for Diageo shareholders. The London-listed drinks giant has seen its share price melt away amid a slump in demand for premium spirits, rising production costs and a flurry of tariffs from across the pond. The stock is already down by an [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Gilt yields soar, Bank of England rate hike fears grow, Wetherspoon shares tumble March 20, 2026 Good morning from the CityAM 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, [...]
Shepherd Neame braces for energy price shock as Iran war drives up costs March 18, 2026 Shepherd Neame has become the latest pub company to express concern over the spectre of rising energy costs after the war in Iran sent the price of oil soaring. The Kent-based brewer, pub and hotel group, which is listed on the Aquis stock exchange, said its energy was “heavily hedged” into the next financial year [...]
Nigel Farage Bitcoin firm turns to the public to raise cash – at double the price March 18, 2026 A Bitcoin business run by former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which counts Nigel Farage as one of its biggest investors has turned to the public to raise cash. Stack BTC, which is listed on London’s Aquis stock market, is seeking to raise as much as £250,000 from retail investors via the issue of fresh shares. But [...]
Shadow bank collapse floods London with hundreds of luxury properties March 17, 2026 London’s super prime property market is set to be flooded with hundreds of luxury homes following the collapse of one of Britain’s biggest shadow banks. Mansions in Kensington, Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Mayfair are being put on sale by administrators for Market Financial Solutions (MFS), all of which were controlled by individuals with links to the [...]
Trustpilot shares rocket as profit soars past forecasts March 17, 2026 Shares in Trustpilot rocketed on Tuesday morning as the FTSE 250 firm posted profit that surged past market forecasts. The customer feedback platform delivered a near-tripling of pre-tax profit to £14.1m for 2025, which it put down to investment into AI. “We have seen a dramatic rise in the visibility of Trustpilot in AI models, [...]
UK fintech Pockit borrows cash from Spanish railway architect March 17, 2026 Pockit has borrowed money from an award-winning Spanish railway architect in one of the most unusual debt raises completed by a British fintech. The Cardiff-based business, which offers prepaid accounts to customers without a credit score, has signed a debenture agreement with Anchorgate Management, a British Virgin Islands company controlled by architect Santiago Calatrava, company [...]
