‘Reason for cautious optimism’: UK consumer confidence rebound on cards Retail Consumer confidence is set for a pick-up this year as the economy starts to improve and the UK adjusts to higher costs, according to a new survey. While the end of last year was gloomy for both businesses and consumers, analysts at Deloitte have said there is “reason for cautious optimism” going into the summer. [...]
FTSE 100 hits all-time high as investors bet on interest rate cuts Investing The FTSE 100 has hit a new all-time high this morning, surpassing the previous peaks it reached in spring last year, as investors ramp up their bets on an interest rate cut by the Bank of England next month. The value of London’s 100 largest listed companies has grown 3.2 per cent in the last [...]
Barclays analysts: Lloyds and Natwest shares are ‘too good to ignore’ Banking "A repricing higher in UK rates expectations sees us lift our NII estimates," Aman Rakkar and Grace Dargan wrote in a note published today.
IAG, Rolls-Royce and Natwest: The FTSE 100’s winners of 2024 December 31, 2024 The FTSE 100 returned 5.8 per cent in 2024, but under the surface, a clear gap has emerged between the blue-chip index’s winners and losers. Quite a few stocks have fallen out of London’s main index, with companies like Burberry and Ocado being replaced by giants like Games Workshop and Alliance Witan. While around half [...]
Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-covid levels’ December 27, 2024 The slump in the number of people heading to the shops during Boxing Day sales signals a return to declining pre-pandemic levels, an analyst has said. Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.6 per cent from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 8pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s [...]
Barclays loses legal challenge to overturn FOS motor finance ruling December 17, 2024 Barclays lost a legal challenge against the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) over a ruling that it unfairly paid commission to a car finance broker
More tickets sold for women’s football than rugby league in 2024 December 12, 2024 Booming interest in women’s football has seen it overtake rugby league for tickets sold in the UK this year, according to new data from agency Two Circles. More than 2.1m fans attended women’s football matches, a 38 per cent increase year-on-year, the 2024 Attendance Review from the sports and entertainment marketing business reveals. That number [...]
Ashtead launches buyback amid FTSE 100 departure December 11, 2024 FTSE 100 giant Ashtead has launched a $1.5bn (£1.2bn) share buyback after announcing yesterday it would be switching its primary listing to the US. In a stock exchange notice today, the construction equipment firm said it had entered into an agreement with Barclays to buy back up to 65m shares over the next 18 months. [...]
Barclays, Natwest and Revolut: Top bankers chew the fat at City summit December 3, 2024 Executives, investors and even royalty turned out for the first day of Financial Times’ annual Global Banking Summit in London on Tuesday.
Barclays boss insists Budget has been a ‘success’ despite gloomy forecasts December 3, 2024 The chief executive of Barclays has said Rachel Reeves’s tax-raising Budget has been a “success” so far, arguing it will likely boost economic growth in the longer term despite a raft of gloomy forecasts. Speaking at the Financial Times’ Global Banking Summit on Tuesday, CS “Venkat” Venkatakrishnan said markets for government debt suggested the Autumn [...]