16 h. ago Relief for struggling Brits with Bank of England poised to cut interest rates TODAY in bid to kick

The Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to reduce interest rates from 4.5 per cent in its latest decision just after noon.

Politics

17 h. ago Buyers wait for more interest rate cuts as London house prices rise just 1.3%

Latest figures from Halifax come ahead of the Bank of England’s decision on rate cuts today

Economics

29 h. ago Federal Reserve warns of inflation and jobs risks amid Trump’s erratic trade strategy

Central bank says ‘uncertainty has increased’ as it opts to maintain benchmark interest rate for third time in a rowThe Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold and called out growing dangers in the US economy amid Donald Trump’s erratic rollout of an aggressive trade strategy.Jerome Powell, the US central bank’s chair, cautioned that the president’s tariffs are likely to lift prices, weaken growth and increase unemployment if maintained. Continue reading...

Events

31 h. ago FTSE 100 ends record run of gains as UK and US rates decisions loom

The index had been on a winning streak for more than two weeks.

Politics

39 h. ago UK and eurozone construction declines slow; European markets fall ahead of Fed rate decision – business live

People’s Bank of China cuts interest rates due to global uncertainty and ‘trade tensions’Matthew Pointon, senior commercial real estate economist at Capital Economics, said:The commercial balance was at its lowest since the height of the Covid lockdowns in May 2020. Early signs of a recovery in construction activity in late 2024 have therefore been snuffed out. Elevated interest rates will be partly responsible, but uncertainty caused by the US tariff announcements may also be weighing on activity.Admittedly, UK property is relatively well insulated from the impact, and some sectors may even benefit. Construction costs may also ease if materials that had been destined for the US are rerouted to the UK. But the rise in overall economic uncertainty may cause some developers to delay plans until the outlook becomes clearer. Indeed, the new orders balance saw a small fall to 44.0, from 44.2 in March. Continue reading...

Society

52 h. ago UK's FTSE 100 flat as investors assess Trump's latest tariffs ahead of Fed

UK's FTSE 100 flat as investors assess Trump's latest tariffs ahead of Fed  Reuters

Economics

60 h. ago Bank of England set to make next interest rates decision on Thursday

The base rate is what the Bank of England uses to charge other banks and lenders money - this then influences how much you're charged as a customer to borrow money

Politics

64 h. ago Barclays makes major change to savings account in huge blow to customers

It comes ahead of the Bank of England announcing its next interest rate decision on Thursday, where it is widely expected that the base rate will be cut from 4.5% to 4.25%

Economics

6 d. ago Wall Street and European markets finish week on a high after US jobs report

FTSE 100 records its longest winning streak as Washington releases better-than-expected hiring figuresMarkets on both sides of the Atlantic rose on Friday after hiring in the US slowed less than expected in April, offering a glimmer of hope that the world’s largest economy was in a better-than-feared position to withstand the fallout from Donald Trump’s tariffs.On Wall Street the S&P 500 was up 1.5% and the Dow Jones rose 1.3% by early afternoon on Friday, while European markets closed sharply higher after official figures showed the US workforce grew by 177,000 last month. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago FTSE 100 seals longest ever winning streak amid recovery from April tariff shock

London’s blue-chip index has risen for 15 consecutive days, the longest stretch in the green it has ever seen.

Events

6 d. ago Stock markets gain as China ‘evaluates’ offer of US trade talks – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as FTSE 100 gains on hopes of US-China trade thaw; Shell profits drop 28% to $5.5bnCommodities companies are among the best performers on stock markets this morning.They would be among the best placed to benefit from the US backing down in its trade war with China. The FTSE 100 has a lot of Europe’s big mining listings, and they are leading the way on Friday. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago Shell profits fall as big oil faces slump in prices; UK cuts NatWest stake below 2% – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as FTSE 100 oil company profits drop 28% to $5.5bnStock markets have gained across Europe, as investors welcomed signs of a possible thaw in the trade war between the US and China.Germany’s Dax gained 1.2% in the early trades, while France’s Cac 40 was up 1.4% – after both were closed over the May Day bank holiday. The Stoxx 600 index, which tracks big companies across Europe, rose by 0.9%. The FTSE 100 was up 0.9%.“The US has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” the statement said, adding that Beijing was “evaluating this”.“Attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and extortion would not work,” it said.This optimism has continued overnight after China’s Ministry of Commerce said that it’s evaluating trade talks with the US. The ministry said this comes as “the US has recently sent messages to C...

Economics

7 d. ago Trump tariffs cause fastest slump in British factory export orders in five years – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as UK manufacturers report falling export orders and China signals openness to US trade talks Fhaheen Khan, senior economist at Make UK, a lobby group for British manufacturing, said:UK manufacturers are caught in the eye of a perfect storm, with rising costs and international trade uncertainty undermining growth prospects. While actual changes in trade have been limited, the unpredictability, particularly around US tariff policy, is doing significant damage and paralysing decision makers. Many firms are delaying major investment decisions until greater clarity emerges, while being forced in the meantime to cut costs through redundancies while pushing through price increases.This has left manufacturing experiencing its most severe slowdown in years, with the UK at a competitive disadvantage compared to our European peers who are weathering current challenges relatively better. As a result, it is now vital that gover...

Politics

7 d. ago China hints at openness to trade talks with US; Tesla denies board search for Musk successor – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as Chinese state-controlled social media says US has approached China for trade talksLloyds Banking Group has reported a 7% drop in pre-tax profit to £1.5bn in its first quarter, and is bracing for the ripple effect from Trump’s tariffs on its balance sheet.The high street bank said that it has set aside £309m to account for possible bad debts, compared with previous guidance of £274m, as it added a £35m net charge to prepare for the possible impact on the economic outlook from President Trump’s tariffs.The US has proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to hold discussions on the tariff issue.Yuyuan Tantian is not among China’s most authoritative state media outlets. The Global Times, which is owned by the newspaper of the governing Communist Party, People’s Daily, has often been first to report China’s next steps in trade disagreements over the past few years.Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson fo...

Politics

7 d. ago Tesla denies board search for Elon Musk’s successor; Trump tariffs to slash growth, says Bank of Japan – business live

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as US electric carmaker says report board is looking for next Tesla boss is ‘absolutely false’National Grid, the FTSE 100 company that owns the UK’s electricity network, has appointed Shell oil executive Zoë Yujnovich as chief executive after the retirement of John Pettigrew.Yujnovich was until recently working at FTSE 100 oil company Shell, where she was director of integrated gas and upstream (oil production) and a member of the executive committee. She previously led the Iron Ore company of Canada, part of Rio Tinto.I firmly believe in the vital function energy companies play in driving change and creating value. On both sides of the Atlantic National Grid has an essential role to play in making energy secure, affordable and reliable for our customers and communities. I’m excited about leading National Grid as it delivers on the growth opportunities ahead. Continue reading...

Economics

8 d. ago Wall Street falls while FTSE 100 regains losses after US economy shrinks

The American economy contracted by 0.3% in the first three months of the year amid Donald Trump’s threats of sweeping trade tariffs.

Economics

8 d. ago Drugs giant GSK ‘well positioned’ to absorb potential US tariffs

It came as the FTSE 100 giant revealed a rise in sales as weakness in its vaccine division was offset by growth in speciality medicines.

Events

9 d. ago UK stocks buoyed as ‘optimism’ enters markets amid raft of company earnings

The FTSE 100 rose 46.12 points, or 0.55%, to close at 8,463.46.

Politics

9 d. ago BP profits halve as oil major struggles to turn around business

FTSE 100 group plans to sell at least $3bn-$4bn of assets this year as it seeks to reduce debts

Economics

1 week ago FTSE 100 matches longest run of consecutive gains in eight years

The blue-chip index nudged up on Monday to mark its 11th straight day in the green.

Politics