Housebuilder shares rally on Iran war peace hopes and help-to-buy revival Property Shares in leading London’s listed housebuilders jumped on Monday as investors bet a potential Iran war peace deal and a mooted new help-to-buy scheme would provide a boon to Britain’s flagging property market. FTSE-100-listed Persimmon jumped more than four per cent to 1,152 while mid-cap Vistry gained six per cent to 310p on Monday. Analysts [...]
As it happened: Stocks reach new record as investors shrug off Iran war fears Markets Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. It’s Friday morning and the FTSE 100 has opened into the green, following two consecutive days of record gains for the blue-chip index. London’s blue-chip index was up as high as 0.7 per cent in early trading to 10,971.88p, “The FTSE 100 tested new record highs on Friday morning as [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 hits new high after interest rates held Markets Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a 6-3 split. The City had pencilled in a hawkish hold from the Monetary Policy Committee after inflationary pressures were renewed on the latest round of strikes in the Middle East. Megan Greene, Catherine Mann and [...]
Trump warns Iran: ‘We’re going to beat the f***ing s*** out of them’ July 29, 2026 Donald Trump has vowed to hit back at Iran after it launched “surprise” strikes against US forces in the Middle East last night. “We’re going to beat the f***ing s*** out of them. We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating,” the US President told Fox News on Wednesday. Oil prices have [...]
As it happened: Stocks reach all-time high; US fires back at ‘surprise’ Iran attacks July 29, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Wednesday and the UK’s blue-chip index surged in early trading to reach an all-time high, brushing off the latest outbreak of attacks in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 hit 10,945 on the market open, eclipsing the previous intraday record of 10,934, achieved in February on the [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise; oil falls after Trump pauses Iran strikes July 27, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Monday and the FTSE 100 has made a positive start to the week, gaining more than 70 points on the market open after oil prices began to fall from last week’s two-month highs. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, slipped to $90.58 in early trading [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump as oil drops below $100; Trump in tariff blitz July 24, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. Stocks jumped on Friday after oil eased back after reaching two-month highs on Thursday. The benchmark price of Brent crude oil slipped 4.1 per cent on Friday to $96.63 per barrel. Prices had surged to $100 following attacks by the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia based in Yemen, on [...]
As it happened: Stocks slip as oil hits $100 following Houthi attacks on tankers July 23, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. Stocks slipped on Thursday morning as oil surged back to $100 per barrel for the first time since May. Brent crude barrelled up after the Iran-backed Houthis claimed to have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea. The US last night launched its [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise but oil tops $95; inflation eases July 22, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Wednesday and new Chancellor John Healey secured an early boost after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that inflation slowed in June. Headline CPI inflation dipped from 2.8 per cent in May to 2.6 per cent in June. Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the [...]
Trump reinstates US blockade of Strait of Hormuz July 13, 2026 Donald Trump said the United States has restored its blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz and would demand a 20 per cent fee on all other cargo transiting the shipping lane. In a further breakdown of relations with Iran, the President said the US Navy would stop “Iran’s ships entering or leaving” [...]