Rachel Reeves warned ‘dysfunctional’ fiscal rules are hammering economy February 19, 2026 Rachel Reeves has been dealt a scathing assessment of her economic policy by a top think tank, which likened her approach to a driver who was “watching the speedometer” while ignoring other conditions. The Chancellor is facing calls to scrap the self-imposed fiscal rules that prevent her from borrowing to pay for day-to-day spending and [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Centrica profit falls; Stocks dip after record rally February 19, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. It’s been quite the week for the “old and unexciting” FTSE 100. The blue-chip index closed 1.2 per cent higher on Tuesday led by a rally in the mining sector. Antofagasta led the pack up over 10 per cent, which came a day after its [...]
Rolls-Royce: FTSE 100 giants shares eye all-time high in tariff comeback February 3, 2026 Shares in aerospace giant Rolls-Royce were back on the march to an all-time high after a tariff salvo from the US sent the City giant’s stock tumbling. The FTSE 100 titan’s stock was up 1.6 per cent to 1,250.50p on Tuesday morning, making it one of the top risers on the blue-chip index. The Derbyshire-headquartered [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Shell and BP lead index near 10,000 amid oil tensions January 5, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire morning liveblog. The FTSE 100 kicked off the new year on the front foot marking an intraday high of 10,046.25p on Friday in the first trading session of 2026. Whilst it slipped back in later trading, strong performances across blue-chip heavyweights including Rolls-Royce and Fresnillo, led [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Budget hits hiring market as economy feels pinch December 15, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. On Friday, the Labour government’s mission for economic growth proved to be not just sluggish but in free fall. The latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) dealt another blow to Rachel Reeves as new data showed production output shrank 0.5 per [...]
Autumn Budget: Reeves launches stamp duty holiday for new listings November 26, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has launched a three-year stamp duty holiday for new debut companies on the London market in her latest attempt to attract listing candidates. The Treasury’s new plans, announced as part of today’s Autumn Budget, will drop the 0.5 per cent rate paid by investors when purchasing shares in newly listed companies for [...]
Tech tailwinds boost Polar Capital as AI bubble balloons November 17, 2025 Asset manager Polar Capital reported a surge in earnings after the firm’s “meaningful exposure” to tech stocks provided a hefty tailwind. The London-listed business recorded a 21 per cent jump in pre-tax profit to £27.9m, this was up from £23.1m just last year. Whilst outflows soared to £690m, including a significant £632m concentrated in the [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Diageo taps new top chief; private equity swoop November 10, 2025 Good morning from the Morning Wire liveblog team, It’s a new week in the City and markets will be hoping for a recovery rally after tech jitters sent stocks deeper into the red on Friday. There’s a mixed bag of factors weighing on global indexes, namely the ongoing government shutdown in the US and the [...]
Zilch eyes ‘hot’ fintech IPO market amid product launch October 9, 2025 The boss of consumer payments platform Zilch has pledged to bring something “never seen before” to public markets as the fintech IPO scene heats up. Philip Belamant told Morning Wire Klarna’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange – where the stock popped 15 per cent – was a “brilliant” indicator for fintech prospects. “I [...]
Shawbrook gearing up for £2bn IPO in boost to London market October 2, 2025 Specialist lender Shawbrook is preparing to announce intention of its London Stock Exchange debut – a move which could take place as soon as Thursday next week. Shawbrook’s private equity owner – Pollen Street Capital – is eying a £2bn valuation for the firm from the transaction. It comes amid a dire outlook for the [...]