Fiscal drag to push thousands of families into child benefit tax charge January 6, 2026 The Chancellor’s decision to freeze tax thresholds will leave thousands of families forced to pay High Income Child Benefit Charge, eroding the value of government support. According to official HMRC forecasts, uncovered in a freedom of information request by Quilter, fiscal drag will force 35,000 more families into paying the charge, jumping from 324,000 in [...]
London Stock Exchange poised for IPO rebound in 2026 January 6, 2026 After a long-winded exodus, London’s flagship stock exchange saw a flurry of IPO activity at the tail end of last year, with the exchange poised for further revival in 2026. In the final quarter, the UK market saw 11 IPOs which raised £1.9bn, bringing the total number of listings for the year to 23. This [...]
Cost burden on firms rise at fastest pace since May January 6, 2026 Cost burdens on firms rose at their fastest pace since May as bosses dealt with wage growth pressures and sky-high energy prices, new data has indicated. S&P Global’s latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a monthly survey tracking hundreds of companies’ performances, showed that cost increases became heavier at the end of last year. Researchers said [...]
Next shares rise after Christmas shopping frenzy January 6, 2026 Next shares jumped on Tuesday after the high street staple toasted another frenzied Christmas shopping period. The FTSE 100 group’s stock soared as much as 5 per cent to 14,265 pence, with shares now up by almost a fifth over the past six months after it hailed a 10.6 per cent jump in fourth-quarter full [...]
Business rates reform must even playing field between high street and online January 6, 2026 Bricks and mortar businesses are being unfairly punished by outdated business rates in need of reform, writes Ros Morgan
Finance chiefs fearful of war and geopolitical risks January 6, 2026 Finance chiefs have begun the year fretting over the spectre of war and rising global tensions as President Trump’s shock operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro put investor nerves on edge. A quarterly survey by Big Four accounting firm Deloitte showed that “geopolitical risks”, which can include everything from higher tariffs to conflict and [...]
Employers brace for more layoffs as headcount expectations drop January 6, 2026 Employers are preparing to lay off more staff as higher payroll costs from taxes and red tape are hitting headcount expectations, an industry survey has found. The Institute of Directors’ monthly business confidence survey showed that headcount expectations dropped in December after Rachel Reeves’ Budget unveiled a salary sacrifice cap and higher taxes on airports [...]
Non-doms made up two thirds of super-prime sellers in 2025 January 6, 2026 Wealthy foreigners fleeing the UK to escape the government’s crackdown on non-doms were behind two of every three super-prime property sales last year, leading prices at the top-end of London’s housing market to extend declines that now stretch over a decade. According to a fresh analysis of London property transactions above £15m, 65 per cent [...]
Venezuela proves farce of political forecasting January 6, 2026 If history teaches us anything, it's that political forecasters almost always get it wrong. Just look at Venezuela, writes Paul Ormerod.
2026 will be all about hard power January 6, 2026 The season of peace on earth and good will to all men did not last long, and while I’ll shed no tears at seeing a corrupt dictator snatched from his lair it’s fair to say that 2026 is off to an uneasy start. The market response to Donald Trump’s audacious swoop on Venezuela has been [...]