As it happened: UK stocks cool after Astrazeneca drags; Trump and Iran clash over peace talks August 3, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The London stock market is starting the new week relatively mixed after Donald Trump hinted a deal between US and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz is near, but was contradicted by communication from Tehran. The US President has said that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran [...]
City trading ‘higher than thought’, FCA believes August 2, 2026 Trading volumes in London are up to three times higher in value than thought after so-called “dark trading” is taken into account, the City regulator believes. Analysis by the Financial Conduct Authority believes that trading valuations are much higher as some traders opt to use non-official channels. This kind of business, referred to as “dark [...]
FCA crypto crackdown will ‘wipe out’ bad actors, says Coinbase boss August 1, 2026 The financial watchdog’s clampdown on digital assets will remove bad actors and attract more customers, The UK boss of one of the world’s largest crypto platforms has said. Keith Grose, UK chief executive of Coinbase, said the rules outlined by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) earlier this month will “wipe out” firms who do not [...]
Natwest hikes targets again after jump in profit July 31, 2026 Natwest has upgraded its income targets for a second quarter running as the bank posted better than expected profit and dished out a bumper dividend to investors. The blue-chip lender reported a 20 per cent jump in pre-tax profit in the first six months of 2026 to £4.3bn, up from £3.6bn the year prior and [...]
As it happened: Stocks reach new record as investors shrug off Iran war fears July 31, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. It’s Friday morning and the FTSE 100 has opened into the green, following two consecutive days of record gains for the blue-chip index. London’s blue-chip index was up as high as 0.7 per cent in early trading to 10,971.88p, “The FTSE 100 tested new record highs on Friday morning as [...]
Shell launches bumper buyback after earnings more than double on Middle East turmoil July 30, 2026 Shell has said it will continue its bumper share buyback programme after revealing the Iran war’s effect on oil prices and trading volumes helped it book near-record profit. The Anglo-Dutch giant’s net profit spiked to $9.8bn between April and July, more than double the same period last year and beating analyst estimates. Shares were up [...]
Rentokil shares slide almost 20 per cent as demand weakens in North America July 30, 2026 Pest control giant Rentokil’s share price slid 17 per cent on Thursday morning following a slow appetite from the North American residential market. The FTSE 100 firm’s shares tumbled on market open from 443.30p to 398.60p, despite reporting a 6.7 per cent rise in group revenue for the first six months of the year to [...]
LSEG boss hails ‘growing momentum’ of Pisces as profit soars July 30, 2026 The boss of London Stock Exchange operator LSEG has hailed the “growing momentum” of its new Pisces venue as it reported a jump in profit. Chief executive David Schwimmer said the new private markets venue, which recently saw some of its first major transactions, was “opening up significant new market opportunities.” Earlier this month, autonomous [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 hits new high after interest rates held July 30, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a 6-3 split. The City had pencilled in a hawkish hold from the Monetary Policy Committee after inflationary pressures were renewed on the latest round of strikes in the Middle East. Megan Greene, Catherine Mann and [...]
Grant Thornton set for $5bn CBIZ buyout in landmark accountancy deal July 29, 2026 Grant Thornton is set to buy New York-listed management consulting firm CBIZ in a proposed $5bn deal, one of the largest transactions of its kind in the accountancy sector, creating the fifth-largest professional services firm in the US. CBIZ, the only audit firm listed on the US stock market, is set to be acquired by [...]