Cambridge grads launch trading exchange to take on established industry March 5, 2026 As more retail investors look to allocate capital in private assets a new exchange has entered the fray, looking to provide a substitute to traditional financial markets. Global trading exchange start-up QFEX, founded by two Cambridge maths graduates, launched on Wednesday, aiming to bring high leverage, 24/7 trading of assets to investors. The exchange, valued [...]
Spring Statement Live: UK growth cut for 2026 but Reeves touts future forecasts March 3, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement today, as the Office for Budget Responsibility published its updated forecasts for the years ahead. The Chancellor was handed quite a hefty blow with the UK’s growth estimate for 2026 slashed to 1.1 per cent from 1.4 per cent the year prior. [...]
Why serviced offices are still mispriced and why that’s starting to change February 27, 2026 As offices shift toward hospitality and operational value, a familiar tension is emerging in capital markets:how do you value a building when the income looks more like a business than a lease? For many investors, serviced and flexible offices still sit in an uncomfortable grey area. They don’t fit neatly into traditional valuation models, and [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Pound hits two month low after byelection, Flutter shares tumble February 27, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. We were treated to a whole host of corporate updates yesterday and investors in some of the City’s biggest blue-chips were handed plans for bumper returns. Aerospace giant Rolls-Royce revealed ambitions to dish out up to £9bn to shareholders through from 2026 to 2028. The [...]
Hong Kong exchange reports record profits as listings rocket February 26, 2026 Hong Kong’s stock exchange operator has posted a second consecutive year of record profits, after the city became one of the top listing destinations globally, following a slump. Net profit rose 36 per cent to HK$17.8bn (£1.7bn) in 2025, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing confirmed. Core business revenues, which include fees from trading and clearing [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks take a dip amid tariff turmoil; Oil price soars February 24, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The good old safety net of London’s blue-chip index strikes again. The week kicked off with more tariff drama after Saturday’s announcement from President Donald Trump of a sweeping 15 per cent levy across the US’ trading partners. As cool heads prevailed in government – [...]
Ask the expert: How should I invest if I’m worried about an AI bubble? February 24, 2026 Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back on hand to answer your burning questions. This week Marianna helps a reader who is fearful of a potential tech-fuelled stock market crash. Q:I’ve built up reasonable savings in my ISA, workplace pension and SIPP. Most of my investments are in global index funds, so I’m heavily [...]
Trump’s tariff decisions send shockwaves through the markets February 23, 2026 Global assets and markets have once more found themselves reeling from the aftershocks of Trump’s tariffs decision, after his weekend announcement sent investors scrambling. The US president announced a 15 per cent blanket tariff on Saturday in rebuttal to the Supreme Court striking down his signature economic policy. Bitcoin suffered a sharp selloff on Monday [...]
London Stock Exchange confirms first firm on Pisces framework February 20, 2026 A vehicle containing shares in a £1.3bn venture capital firm that backs tech spin-outs from Oxford University will be the first organisation to use the new Pisces private stock market, the London Stock Exchange has said. The UK’s flagship capital markets operator confirmed that shares in Oxford Science Enterprises, an early-stage VC fund best known [...]
Exclusive: Octopus to swerve new private stock exchange February 19, 2026 Octopus Energy will not join the delayed Pisces private stock market when it launches, its boss Greg Jackson has said, in a sign the utilities giant is distancing itself from the project after attending an event for interested companies last summer. Jackson told Morning Wire that his multi-billion-pound firm had “no plans” to trade its [...]