As it happened: IMF lifts UK GDP and stocks reverse losses as bonds warned of ‘correction’ May 18, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The bond market is taking a breathe after mountains of pressure on Friday. The UK’s borrowing costs hit their highest since 2008, charging to 5.17 per cent during one part of the day’s trading session. This was topped once more on Monday morning, but since then yields have [...]
Burnham return attempt ushers new borrowing cost record May 15, 2026 Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s attempt to return to parliament has alarmed traders as gilt yields reached another 28-year high, beating last week’s high. Burnham overcame the first hurdle on his path towards becoming Prime Minister after Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, announced he would resign on Thursday night to let the Manchester mayor try [...]
What does new City minister Rachel Blake have in store for the Square Mile? May 15, 2026 The Westminster drama has hit the City in more ways than one. After Wes Streeting’s resignation triggered a mini-reshuffle, Felix Armstrong and Samuel Norman take a look at what the new City minister might have in store. In just under two years, the City has its fourth minister. Tulip Siddiq resigned in January 2025 after [...]
As it happened: UK borrowing costs rattled by Burnham’s Parliament bid May 15, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Andy Burnham has made his move – and it has left markets on edge. On Thursday evening, after markets had closed, a Labour MP sensationally announced their intention to stand aside to allow Burnham to make his way back into Parliament. And this morning it’s left gilt yields [...]
As it happened: Markets on high alert as Streeting calls on Starmer to resign May 14, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The past few days of political drama have to come to a head today and UK assets are bracing for a showdown. All eyes were on the bond market after Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary and called for a leadership contest. Gilt yields see-sawed yesterday as Sir [...]
Klarna swings back to profit after delivering second $1bn quarter May 14, 2026 Klarna has sealed its first quarterly profit since its blockbuster IPO last year as the firm’s cost-cutting pays off. The Swedish fintech unicorn booked a $17m profit in the first quarter of the year, marking a swing from a $90m loss in the prior year. The return to the black was driven by a 44 [...]
Starmer drama: Traders bet against UK as short-selling on pound and banks surges May 14, 2026 Traders are betting against the UK as the political storm in Westminster continues to send jitters through asset markets. The pound has tumbled to a two-week low against the dollar, clinging onto the $1.35 mark on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, figures from IG revealed that short-positioning on the pound-dollar, a bet that the price will further [...]
UK businesses eyeing shift to ‘more predictable’ tax regimes May 14, 2026 UK businesses are considering relocating abroad for a more stable tax and regulatory landscape, according to new research from consulting and network Baker Tilly International. The group, in its annual mid-market survey conducted earlier this year, found that out of all nine markets and 1,500 business leaders surveyed, including in the US, China, and India, [...]
Uzbekistan national investment fund lists in London after $604m IPO May 13, 2026 Uzbekistan’s national investment fund has completed the country’s first ever public market debut, raising hundreds of millions of pounds at a valuation of £1.5bn, in London’s first major IPO of 2026. In an update on Wednesday, the National Investment Fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uznif) confirmed it had completed its dual listing on both [...]
JP Morgan chief threatens to pull £3bn investment if Labour becomes ‘hostile to banks’ May 13, 2026 The chief executive of JP Morgan has threatened to pull a major investment from the UK if Labour government policy turns “hostile to banks”. Jamie Dimon – the influential American banker – revealed plans for a £3bn square feet tower in Canary Wharf last year, which is projected to inject as much as £10bn over [...]