Barclays profit surges as equity traders cash in on volatility July 28, 2026 Barclays profit surged ahead of expectations in the second quarter of the year as market turmoil fuelled a bumper performance in its equity trading division. The FTSE 100 giant revealed it would launch a new £1bn share buyback after pre-tax profit jumped 17 per cent from the prior year to £6.1bn across the first half [...]
Bank of England to hold interest rates as oil price surge threatens UK economy July 26, 2026 The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates in a split vote on Thursday yet a surge in oil prices could complicate the crucial decision. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.75 per cent. Analysts believe that two members, Huw Pill and Megan Greene, could [...]
HSBC sells Singapore insurance arm to Allianz in £1.6bn deal July 24, 2026 FTSE 100 HSBC has agreed to sell its health and life insurance business to German insurance giant Allianz for $2.1bn (£1.6bn) as it refocuses its strategy on Singapore’s wealth management. The banking giant agreed to sell its Singapore business to Allianz in a transaction that is expected to be completed in the first half of [...]
‘Door is open’ to interest rate hike as inflation fears return July 23, 2026 An interest rate hike by the Bank of England this year is back on the cards as fears of continued oil and gas trade disruption across the Strait of Hormuz could push inflation higher, according to City economists. A spike in oil prices to levels seen during the Iran war has dampened the mood across [...]
Dimon threatens to ditch JP Morgan tower in tax warning to Burnham July 21, 2026 The boss of JP Morgan has refused to commit to the future of the bank’s planned £10bn tower in Canary Wharf as he warned Andy Burnham’s new government against penalising the banking sector with a raft of new taxes. Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of the US financial behemoth, said he hoped that London would [...]
Bank of England governor opens door to ‘simplifying’ financial rulebook July 14, 2026 Andrew Bailey opened the door to simplifying the UK’s financial rulebook as he joined Rachel Reeves for the Chancellor’s third and final Mansion House speech on Tuesday evening. The Bank of England governor distanced himself from capping taxes on banks and financial institutions, but said existing rules should help “flush out supranormal profits” by “reducing [...]
JP Morgan bags record profit – but Dimon warns of risks shifting ‘below the surface’ July 14, 2026 JP Morgan secured the highest quarterly profit in US banking history in its second quarter but chief executive Jamie Dimon tempered the celebration with a warning that risks in the global economy were “shifting below the surface like tectonic plates”. The Wall Street giant recorded a 41 per cent jump in net income to $21.2bn [...]
UK borrowing costs soar as Iran ceasefire collapses July 14, 2026 The UK’s borrowing costs have sailed past five per cent for only the third time since the onset of the Iran war, in a headache for Andy Burnham just days before he enters Downing Street. The yield on the UK’s 10-year government bond – the benchmark for a country’s long-term ability to borrow – climbed [...]
Bank of England warns Burnham of UK economy’s ‘big issue’ July 14, 2026 The Bank of England has warned Andy Burnham that economic growth remains the “big issue” facing the UK economy as he prepares to take the keys to Number 10. Andrew Bailey, the central bank governor, told policymakers on Tuesday that the UK has had “low growth for the best part of 16 to 17 years”. [...]
Kemi Badenoch’s economic revolution could set the City free July 14, 2026 Abolishing bank ring-fencing, recalibrating capital requirements, and replacing the Financial Ombudsman Service are essential steps to remove stifling regulations and reignite growth, says Norbert Sobolak No political party in Britain has set out a positive agenda for the financial services sector since the 2008 crisis. The reticence is understandable; after 2008, defending finance won no [...]