Barclays and Lloyds shares pop as FTSE 100 banks rally on ceasefire April 8, 2026 A whopping surge from Barclays and Lloyds led a rally across banking stocks on Wednesday morning as the City welcomed news of a ceasefire in the Middle East. Barclays soared eight per cent as trading in London kicked off, hitting highs of 438p, helping the firm claw back losses made since the start of the [...]
British Airways, Easyjet shares soar as Iran ceasefire brings relief for airlines April 8, 2026 Airline stocks have soared following President Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire with Iran, offering cautious relief to fears flights could be grounded in weeks. Shares in British Airways owner IAG soared by more than 10 per cent on Tuesday’s market open, as the FTSE 100 firm was followed by WizzAir and Easyjet who also made [...]
Exclusive: Olympia to host Premier Padel Tour London leg April 8, 2026 Olympia will today be confirmed as the host venue for the Premier Padel Tour, as it heads to London for the first time this year. Morning Wire revealed in December that the Kensington site was the front runner to host the tournament, which has the support of the Lawn Tennis Association. The event – known [...]
Close Brothers shares soar as bank ‘well positioned’ for £320m motor finance hit April 8, 2026 Close Brothers has insisted it is “well positioned” to absorb the financial hit from the City watchdog’s motor finance redress scheme but added to speculation another legal battle could be on the horizon. The FTSE 250 lender told markets on Wednesday morning that it estimates the cost of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) redress scheme [...]
House prices drop as Iran war shakes property market April 8, 2026 House prices fell in March as the uncertainty caused by the Iran war stifled the property market and spiked fears of interest rate rises. Average house prices fell 0.5 per cent last month, reversing the modest 0.3 per cent February increase, according to Halifax’s house price index. This is the latest signal that the Iran [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Blue-chip stocks boom on Trump and Iran ceasefire April 8, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Markets are in line for a major boom this morning after Donald Trump confirmed a two-week ceasefire with Iran shortly ahead of his latest bomb threat deadline. Trump announced the two-week postponement by stating the US and Iran were “very far along” with a “definitive” [...]
Gucci, BYD, Netflix: Who replaces gambling on Premier League shirts? April 8, 2026 The end of the Premier League season is in sight, and for some clubs it could spell a financial nightmare. Not because they’ll inevitably part with millions of pounds to bring in the world’s top talent, but because a key revenue stream could be left vacant come the start of next season. Premier League clubs [...]
Workers’ rights laws couldn’t come at a worse time for businesses April 8, 2026 The government’s Employment Rights agenda is becoming a reality, and the timing could scarcely be worse. As the first provisions of the Employment Rights Act come into force, Britain’s economic outlook is darkening rapidly. Growth is faltering under the weight of an energy shock, inflation is stirring again and businesses are staring down a period [...]
Barclays’ high street U-turn exposes a divide in British banking April 8, 2026 Bank have ditched the high street over the last decade but is a comeback on the horizon? Samuel Norman explores the changes in this week’s column. In Westminster, the news cycle is never short of drama over U-turns. Subtle tweaks or direct bait-and-switches on policy are batted away by government spokespeople as mere “pivots” as [...]
MFS software platform put up for sale after lender’s collapse April 7, 2026 A software platform developed for Market Finance Solutions has been put up for sale by administrators following the lender’s collapse, Morning Wire can reveal. The software, which has been designed to be used in conjunction with Salesforce, was built as an “automated lending platform” including sales, underwriting and ‘KYC’ identity checks for new customers. “The [...]