Petrol retailers vindicated after Reeves ‘profiteering’ claims May 1, 2026 Petrol retailers have been vindicated of “price gouging”, pouring cold water on the government’s accusations of profiteering from the war in Iran. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that higher fuel prices in the UK were caused by the rising cost of oil, rather than by retailers expanding their margins to profit from the [...]
UK manufacturing at four-year high but costs rise at pandemic pace May 1, 2026 The UK manufacturing sector broke to a four-year record in April but the constraints triggered by the Iran war threatened to upend growth prospects. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global put the industry’s reading at 53.7 – its best since May 2022. This marked its sixth consecutive month above the neutral 50.0 [...]
Hiring freezes loom as business confidence remains near record low May 1, 2026 British business leaders are bracing for hiring freezes as headcount expectations dropped into negative territory again, according to new data from the Institute of Directors. The IoD’s economic confidence Index edged up to -64 in April from -76 in March, remaining close to historic lows. But headcount expectations slipped to minus three from zero in [...]
Bank of England signals interest rate hikes ahead despite April hold April 30, 2026 The Bank of England has all but confirmed that interest rates will be hiked in the coming months as oil prices have shot up, despite opting to hold them in a meeting on Thursday. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee warned interest rates could climb back to 5.25 per cent from the current level of 3.75 [...]
‘Disappointing day’: Edinburgh Worldwide admits defeat to Saba Capital April 30, 2026 Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust had conceded defeat to Saba Capital, bringing its 17-month long battle with the US hedge fund to an end. In its annual general meeting (AGM) update released on Thursday morning, the investment trust admitted that it expects that there will be “insufficient votes” in favour of the resolutions relating to the [...]
Lloyds shares upgraded to ‘Buy’ after interest rates tailwind April 30, 2026 Analysts at UBS slapped a ‘Buy’ rating on shares in Lloyds Banking Group as the financial services giant looks to receive a bump to its bottom line from the elevated interest rate path. Jason Napier, analyst at UBS, said: “Given the tailwinds from rate hedges… we see strong future momentum in profits as a relatively [...]
Lazard to purchase Campbell Lutyens in bumper $575m deal April 30, 2026 Lazard has reached an agreement to buy private capital advisory group Campbell Lutyens in a $575m (£426.3m) deal in a bid to become a global powerhouse in one of the most important areas of Wall Street dealmaking. The 178-year-old investment bank’s existing private capital advisory team and London-based Campbell Lutyens will merge to create a [...]
Oil price rockets to wartime high as Trump eyes fresh military action in Iran April 30, 2026 Brent oil surged to a new high during early-morning Thursday trading after reports that US president Donald Trump is set to receive a briefing on new military operations in Iran, raising fears over an end to the fragile ceasefire between the two nations. The global benchmark surged as much as 7.1 per cent this morning, [...]
Standard Chartered registers $190m charge on Iran war April 30, 2026 Standard Chartered’s impairment charges jumped in the first quarter as the bank set aside a hefty sum to cover volatility in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 giant booked $296m in credit impairment charges, with $190m of this coming from “precautionary management overlays” related to the war in Iran. The Asian-focused bank’s activity in the [...]
The Capitalist: US tipping and doggy bags infest London restaurants April 30, 2026 The scourge of US tipping culture, a Pitbull lookalike competition and the world's longest tiramisu; catch up on the latest London shenanigans.