As it happened: FTSE 100 slump as oil soars; Trump says Iran will be ‘hit hard’ tonight Markets Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Global markets are strapping in for a return to risk-aversion after the US and Iran traded strikes overnight following the breakdown of a peace deal in the Middle East. The US kicked off its “series of powerful strikes” late Monday night. The nation’s Central Command said the attacks [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rises to defy tech gloom; oil creeps up on fresh Iran tensions Markets Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Donald Trump warned the US will “finish the job” in Iran leaving investors unnerved as he renewed military threats following the funeral of Tehran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – traded above $72 per barrel on the news, but [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 scrapes into green after Segro’s surge; Oil at pre-war levels after Trump snaps at industry Markets Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. European markets were a mixed bag on Wednesday after a bruising sell-off had investors across the globe dumping their equity exposure. In Europe, the FTSE 100 closed down just shy of 0.1 per cent on Tuesday, undershooting the bigger losses seen on Germany’s Dax at one per cent, [...]
Wise triggers staff backlash after cutting paid paternity leave June 23, 2026 Money transfer firm Wise is facing uproar from staff after cutting paid paternity leave, Morning Wire can reveal, even after its own billionaire boss took a three-month sabbatical to spend time with his newborn. The UK fintech reduced its paid leave for fathers and secondary caregivers earlier this month from 18 weeks to eight, in [...]
Global tech stocks plunge as SpaceX comes back down to earth June 23, 2026 Global tech stocks have been rocked by a widespread sell-off today after investors dumped shares in SpaceX and triggered a rout across markets. Asian markets sank overnight, with South Korea’s Kospi falling 8.3 per cent leading to the stock exchange forcing a trading-halt as investors dashed to sell-off their chip exposure. Much of this stemmed [...]
HSBC targets $100m in savings with Google Cloud AI tie-up June 17, 2026 Europe’s biggest lender HSBC has sealed a a tech tie-up with Google where it aims to use AI to scout priority projects that could bank the firm $100m in “efficiency gains”. The FTSE 100 giant is planning to roll out Google Cloud across its operations in a deal that the bank says will allow 200 [...]
Specialist tech recruiter sees hiring slump across UK and Europe June 16, 2026 A specialist recruiter in science, technology and maths has posted a slump across its UK operations as the hiring market continues to cool. Workforce consultant SThree recorded a 19 per cent drop in net fees across the UK, which refer to costs paid by an employer to fill a vacancy. Total takings in the UK [...]
As it happened: Starmer dealt defence blow as investors react June 11, 2026 This was the Morning Wire liveblog on Thursday 11 June. John Healey resigned as defence secretary over a lack of funding for the armed forces, heaping pressure on Sir Keir Starmer. Industry officials reacted with regret and paid tribute to Healey. The FTSE 100 also climbed on Thursday to defy fresh tensions between Iran and [...]
HSBC is the only UK name on $13 trillion list of top global brands May 14, 2026 The rise of AI has shaken up an influential ranking of global big-name firms, as the competition to become one of the world’s elite brands becomes fiercer than ever, according to an influential index tracking the corporate elite. The Kantar Brandz Top 100 – which ranks the value of brands – unveiled on Thursday, is [...]
UK fintech chiefs switch growth plans as capital conditions wane April 20, 2026 Over seven in ten UK fintech chiefs are switching growth plans due to the country’s ailing capital conditions. Some 71 per cent of the sector’s top bosses said they have had to adjust growth strategies as a result of tightening capital conditions, according to a fresh report from fintech advisory firm Chatsworth and market researcher [...]