UK investors return to equities after 10 month selling stint May 7, 2026 UK investors ended an equity inflow drought in April, bringing an end to a 10-month-long selling spree. UK investors added £1.1bn in equity funds last month, according to the latest fund flow index from Calastone, marking the best month of inflows since April 2025. But flows were concentrated, with investors opting to commit capital to [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks down on election day; oil back below $100 as Iran deal hangs in balance May 7, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. It’s local election day in the UK and Keir Starmer’s premiership is hanging in the balance as his Labour Party prepares to take a drubbing in council boroughs across the country. Gilt yields rose at their fastest rate earlier this week as the market prepares [...]
City watchdog probes Mastercard, Visa, Paypal for alleged anti-competitive conduct May 6, 2026 The City watchdog has confirmed it is investigating a trio of payments giants over alleged anti-competitive conduct. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will probe Mastercard, Paypal and Visa under the Competition Act 1998 regarding its suspected conduct related to the “funding and usage” of Paypal’s digital wallet. Paypal’s digital wallet is an app-based system that [...]
Oil price pulls back and FTSE 100 rebounds after ‘TACO’ Trump post May 6, 2026 Oil prices took a step back from a gradual climb on Wednesday after President Trump announced he would pause his military escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting analysts to joke that the “TACO” president was back. The Brent crude oil price slipped below $100 per barrel amid hopes of a peace deal being [...]
Kospi breaks 7,000 mark as Samsung becomes trillion-dollar company May 6, 2026 South Korea’s bluechip index soared to record highs during Wednesday trading, after a rally in semiconductor stocks propelled it past the 7,000 mark. The index surged 6.4 per cent to 7,384.5 points after strong gains from heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Samsung Electronics rocketed 14.4 per cent to 266,000 KRW (£134.7), with its performance [...]
Diageo shares jump as World Cup hype helps drinks giant back to sales growth May 6, 2026 Shares in Diageo jumped on Wednesday morning as high hopes for a high-drama World Cup has helped lift the drinks firm’s sales back into positive territory. The Guinness and Johnnie Walker maker, which has been battling a slowdown in demand for spirits, said it had seen “some benefit” of “advance sales” ahead of the start [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks jump; oil dips below $100 as Trump says Iran deal close May 6, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Brent crude dipped below $100 at Wednesday lunchtime after Donald Trump has hailed “great progress” towards a “final agreement” with Iran, prompting a rally in the FTSE, Asian markets and Wall Street. In a sudden reversal late last night, President Trump said he will pause [...]
A bank tax hangs in the balance at the local election ballot May 6, 2026 As speculation of a leadership challenge – or sweeping reshuffle – surrounds the forthcoming local elections, in this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at what a change in Chancellor would mean for the banking sector. It is no secret that Thursday’s local elections carry a weight far heavier than the fate of a few neighbourhood [...]
‘Clear risk signal’: Gilt yields hit 28-year high as investors weigh Starmer’s future after local elections May 5, 2026 Gilt yields have risen to their highest rate since 1998 as investors weigh the odds of Keir Starmer being ousted following what is widely expected to be a major defeat for Labour at the local elections. The yield on 30-year government bonds rose 11 basis points on Tuesday to hit 5.76 per cent, topping the [...]
HSBC profit drops after Iran war and private credit charges bite May 5, 2026 HSBC missed its profit target in the first quarter of the year after the blue-chip lender booked a mammoth credit charge. The FTSE 100 giant – which boasts a huge £230bn market cap – recorded a pre-tax profit of $9.4bn (£6.5bn), missing the $9.6bn pencilled in by analysts. This figure is also down $100m on [...]