FTSE 100 sinks to five-week low while tech shares drive Wall Street higher FTSE 100 sinks to five-week low while tech shares drive Wall Street higher London’s FTSE 100 dropped sharply this afternoon, giving up yesterday’s gains amid fears of a rise in inflation and weak performance from heavyweight stocks. London’s premier index was down by 0.7 per cent in afternoon trading, dropping to 6,953.60 points – its worst price for almost a month. The FTSE 250 of midcap companies was [...]
Cyber firm Darktrace confirms plans for London float in early May Cyber firm Darktrace confirms plans for London float in early May UK cybersecurity company Darktrace today confirmed it will float on the London Stock Exchange in the coming weeks as it looks to build on a successful pandemic year. The firm’s offer price will be determined following a book-building process, with the listing expected to take place early next month. The company is understood to be [...]
Northern Ireland: UK asks for more time to respond to EU legal action Northern Ireland: UK asks for more time to respond to EU legal action The UK has asked for more time to respond to EU legal action over its unilateral decision to postpone checks on goods going to Northern Ireland. The EU launched legal action against Britain last month for unilaterally changing trading arrangements for Northern Ireland. Brussels said the move breached the Brexit divorce deal agreed last year [...]
Boris Johnson ‘very hopeful’ government can bail out Liberty Steel April 1, 2021 Boris Johnson has said today that he is “very hopeful” the government will be able to bail out ailing Liberty Steel, saying it “would be crazy” for the government not to buy British steel post-Brexit. The Prime Minister said on a trip to Middlesbrough today that business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng had been in “daily contact” [...]
Ofcom gives BT green light to charge more for full-fibre broadband March 18, 2021 Ofcom has given BT the green light to continue charging higher prices for its full-fibre broadband services in a bid to encourage investment in the network across the UK. The media watchdog today said BT’s Openreach will be free from price caps on its wholesale offering for at least a decade. The long-awaited announcement forms [...]
City Moves 17 February: Who is switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? February 17, 2021 Snakes and Ladders provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. This week we see movements across the financial sector, with the City of London Group, BNP Paribas and Gateley Capitus all welcoming fresh additions. BNP Paribas AM gets new deputy CEO BNP Paribas Asset Management appointed a [...]
FTSE 100 closes flat while Wall Street rally loses steam February 9, 2021 The FTSE 100 closed flat on Tuesday afternoon while Wall Street retreated on the back off a record session yesterday. London’s blue-chip index closed 0.12 per cent higher as sterling rose to a near three-month high, largely because the dollar floundered as investors eyed a large stimulus package on the horizon. The FTSE 250 closed [...]
UK urges EU to extend grace period to 2023 in bid to soften Brexit impact February 3, 2021 Britain has asked the EU for a grace period extension until 2023 on checks made on trade moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has written to the European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic to ask for urgent political solutions on a number of issues at the [...]
City analysts discuss what a Biden administration may hold for financial markets January 20, 2021 In the final hours of Donald Trump’s presidency, investors are turning the spotlight on Joe Biden. As Biden is about to enter the White House, several City-based analysts discuss what the new administration may have in store for different markets and parts of the economy. US Dollar US Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen reaffirmed her [...]
Landlords suffer slump in retail and hospitality rent collection in December January 12, 2021 Commercial landlords struggled to collect rent owed by retail and hospitality tenants in December, as the sectors continued to be hit by the impact of lockdown restrictions on trading. Landsec – the UK’s largest commercial property development and investment firm – collected just 65 per cent of the £112m due in December, compared to a [...]