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Business analysis and news

<p>The unexpected drop in CPI rate will mean a fourth interest rate cut of the year before Christmas</p>
Business

UK inflation unexpectedly drops to 3.2% after food prices fall

The rate of consumer prices index inflation fell to 3.2 per cent in November, from 3.6 per cent in October

<p>Britain’s unemployment rate hit a high of over four-and-a-half years and wage growth has slipped back</p>
Business

Unemployment rate rises to 5.1% to hit 10-year high outside of Covid

<p>According to consumer spending data from Barclays, 94.6 per cent of eligible in-store card transactions were contactless in 2024</p>
Business

£100 contactless card payment limit to be scrapped

People in Birmingham’s New Street do some last-minute Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve (Jacob King/PA)
Business

More shoppers hit high streets and retail parks for late Christmas purchases

WH Smith will shed light on the state of its finances on Friday (Alamy/PA)
Business

WH Smith to claw back £1.5m from ex-bosses after accounting scandal

Trading was lacklustre ahead of the Christmas break (PA)
Business

FTSE fails to sparkle in tame pre-holiday trade

<p>Christmas shopping on Bond Street, London</p>
Business

Why more people are now buying Christmas presents in Boxing Day sales

Stock markets latest

Money

Why you should drip feed money into your stocks and shares ISA

Money

What is the Santa Rally and how do investors make money from it?

<p>Trump has been calling for interest rate cuts as the US economy shudders</p>
Voices

Is it time to brace for a US recession?

LiveBusiness

Interest rates live: Bank of England holds rates in boost to savers

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Latest business news

BP has announced the sale of a majority stake in its lubricants business Castrol to Stonepeak (Peter Byrne/PA)
Business

BP to sell majority stake in Castrol to Stonepeak for £4bn

There was some optimism over the economy just head of Christmas following positive US figures (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Business

FTSE 100 moves ahead amid surprise US growth jump

<p>Bet365 chief executive Denise Coates (Alex Severn/Bet365/PA)</p>
Business

Bet365 boss rakes in huge £280m pay packet despite weaker profits

STV staff will strike on January 7 in a row over changes to news programmes in the north of Scotland (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Business

STV journalists to strike in January in row over changes to news programmes

Almost 240,000 harmful fake Labubus have been seized at the border (Home Office/PA)
Business

Fake Labubus make up 90% of 260,000 knock-off toys seized at border

Bet365 boss Denise Coates received a bumper pay deal this year (Alex Severn/Bet365/PA)
Business

Bet365 boss Denise Coates rakes in £280m pay packet despite weaker profits

Ryanair has been fined 256 million euros (£223.5 million) by Italy’s competition watchdog for allegedly using an ‘abusive strategy’ to hinder third party travel agencies (PA)
Business

Ryanair fined £224m in Italy over ‘abusive strategy’ with travel agencies

Retailer Pets At Home has ended its three-month search for a new boss with the appointment of former Waitrose managing director James Bailey to the top post. (PetsAtHome/PA)
Business

Pets At Home names former Waitrose boss James Bailey as chief executive

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Baby products retailer Mothercare has said it is looking to rebuild its presence in the UK and worldwide despite posting further losses after seeing half-year sales tumble.
Business

Mothercare looking to ‘rebuild scale’ in UK and worldwide

The value of gold rose on Monday (Alamy/PA)
Business

Gold glows but blue chips struggle in quiet trading

<p>TGI Fridays runs 49 restaurants across the UK</p>
Business

TGI Fridays jobs at risk as UK operator files for administration

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Retailers could be overcharging motorists at the pump (PA)
Business

Fuel retailers ramping up profit margins amid ‘weak’ competition – CMA

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<p>Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.</p>
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Retailers could be overcharging motorists at the pump (PA)
Business

Fuel retailers ramping up profit margins amid ‘weak’ competition – CMA

The UK economy grew by an unrevised 0.1% between July and September but expansion was weaker than first thought in the second quarter, according to official figures (JLR/PA)
Business

UK economic slowdown in third quarter confirmed – ONS

Business

UK economic slowdown in third quarter confirmed – ONS

The UK economy grew by an unrevised 0.1% between July and September but expansion was weaker than first thought in the second quarter, according to official figures (JLR/PA)
Shares in the FTSE 250-listed company tumbled by up to 9% in Monday morning trading (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Business

Mecca Bingo owner Rank hit by £6.2m payment fraud in Spanish arm

Money

Capital Gains Tax: a £30bn investor nightmare? All you need to know

Money

Why the ‘Boxing Day bounce’ could be the ideal time to find a new home

<p>Keir Starmer spoke with Donald Trump over the phone on Thursday night, Downing Street said</p>
Voices

Starmer is trying hard to big up the economy – but 2025 has been a dud

<p>Keir Starmer spoke with Donald Trump over the phone on Thursday night, Downing Street said</p>
Voices

Starmer is trying hard to big up the economy – but 2025 has been a dud

The FTSE 100 index closed up 59.65 points, 0.6%, at 9,897.42 (PA)
Business

FTSE 100 in the green after lower-than-expected US inflation figures

<p>Taking off: Tourism to Dubai is soaring, with travellers lured by the world's highest building, the Burj Khalifa</p>
News & Advice

More passengers now disembark at Dubai rather than connect

<p>The ONS said the effect of Black Friday appeared to be slightly weaker this year than usual</p>
Business

Retail sales dip unexpectedly in November as Black Friday fizzles

<p>Cricket-based chain Sixes has entered administration</p>
Business

Cricket bar chain backed by England stars falls into administration

<p>The deal will create a major player in the baking sector, to compete against Warburton’s and supermarket own-label products.</p>
Business

Hovis takeover bid investigated by competition watchdog

Money

What interest rates and inflation will mean for your money in 2026

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been offered ‘very little Christmas cheer’ (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Business

‘Little Christmas cheer’ for Reeves as borrowing figures higher than forecast

<p>The racehorse - ‘Thank You Ma’am’ (Rupert Adams/PA)</p>
Business

Racehorse named after Queen Elizabeth II recruited to save village pub

<p>Morrisons must pay backdated tax on its rotisserie chickens from a four-year period</p>
Business

Supermarket handed £17m tax bill over rotisserie chicken bags

Borrowing fell last month to its lowest November level for four years (Alamy/PA)
Business

Government borrowing higher than expected after winter fuel payments U-turn

WH Smith will shed light on the state of its finances on Friday (Alamy/PA)
Business

WH Smith bids to recover overpaid bonuses to bosses as accounting issues probed

Business

WH Smith bids to recover overpaid bonuses to bosses as accounting issues probed

WH Smith will shed light on the state of its finances on Friday (Alamy/PA)
GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index improved by two points for December (Jacob King/PA)
Business

Consumer confidence improves but remains subdued ahead of Christmas

<p>Falling inflation rates, poor economic figures and rising unemployment have brought the base rate down</p>
Money

What the latest interest rates mean for mortgages, savings and bills

<p>Andrew Bailey made the announcement in London on Thursday. File</p>
Business

Interest rates reduced to near three-year low but further cuts a ‘closer call’

Members voted to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.75%(Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Business

FTSE 100 and sterling rise after Bank of England rate cut

Members voted to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.75%(Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Business

FTSE 100 and sterling rise after Bank of England rate cut

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The Bank of England has cut interest rates from 4% to 3.75% (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

Bank of England cuts interest rates to near three-year low

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<p>Currys said its financial performance was improving despite a "muted" consumer environment and "unhelpful" cost pressures </p>
Business

Electronics retailer boosted by major game launches and AI tech

<p>BP's incoming chief executive Meg O'Neill</p>
Business

BP hires first female boss after surprise departure of chief executive

Time Out Group makes most of its money from its food markets (Alamy/PA)
Business

Time Out targets new worldwide food markets as media sales tumble

<p>Uncertain outlook: the Bank of England governor has repeated the mantra of ‘gradual and careful’ frequently this year</p>
Money

Will interest rates go down today? Key factors and 2026 predictions

The Bank of England are tipped to cut interest rates (PA)
Business

Bank of England poised for Christmas interest rate cut after inflation slows

The FTSE 100 index closed up 89.53 points, 0.9%, at 9,774.32 (PA)
Business

Stocks rise as inflation dips and oil price rebounds

The Mossmorran site is due to close in February (Jane Barlow/PA)
Business

Push made to sell Mossmorran site but no ‘viable offer’ received, say bosses

<p>We are told the government is looking at how changes to the licence fee ‘will impact different household budgets’</p>
Voices

The BBC’s latest comedy? Giving away TV licences for free

Voices

The BBC’s latest comedy? Giving away TV licences for free

<p>We are told the government is looking at how changes to the licence fee ‘will impact different household budgets’</p>
Interest rates are set to be cut before Christmas after inflation fell to an eight-month low in November (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Business

Bank of England poised for Christmas interest rate cut after inflation slows

The rate of CPI inflation fell to 3.2% in November (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

Why has inflation fallen and what does it mean for me?

Peter Kyle visited workers on Wednesday (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

Minister ‘convinced’ of path to sustainability at Grangemouth plant

Warner Bros Discovery has been the centre of a drawn out takeover battle (Alamy/PA)
Business

Warner Bros Discovery urges shareholders to reject Paramount takeover bid

Warner Bros Discovery has been the centre of a drawn out takeover battle (Alamy/PA)
Business

Warner Bros Discovery urges shareholders to reject Paramount takeover bid

File sharing service Im.ge has been fined £20,000 by Ofcom (Alamy/PA)
Business

File-sharing service fined £20,000 amid Online Safety Act crackdown

<p>There’s been a huge battle to secure cash ISA customers this year and that’s not likely to change given the Budget </p>
Money

Best savings accounts before interest rates are cut pre-Christmas

Douglas Alexander said chemical production ‘has a big future’ at Grangemouth (PA)
Business

Alexander highlights ‘stark contrast’ in talks on Grangemouth and Mossmorran

<p>Inflation shot back up to 3.5 per cent in April</p>
Money

How rising inflation impacts your mortgage and savings

Diageo is selling its majority stake in an east African beer business to Japanese drinks giant Asahi (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Business

Diageo to sell majority stake in East African beer business for £1.7bn

Paramount has launched a hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery in an attempt to derail the firm’s agreed 72 billion dollar (£54 billion) deal with Netflix (Alamy/PA)
Business

Trump’s son-in-law withdraws backing for Paramount’s hostile bid for Warner Bros

<p>Flutter’s boss said should taxes increase in the upcoming Budget, the firm’s ‘market leading position will help to mitigate the impact’ (PA)</p>
Business

Gambling firm fined £2m after failing to protect vulnerable users

Workers at the Ineos Grangemouth petrochemicals complex (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Business

Grangemouth chemicals plant to stay open after Government provides £120m funding

Users reported using their phones more frequently to stay in touch with friends and family, scroll on social media and use AI tools (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

2025 ‘another record-breaking year’ for mobile data usage

The FTSE 100 index closed down 66.52 points, 0.7%, at 9,684.79 (PA)
Business

FTSE 100 dips as BP and Shell fall amid oil slide

Inflation is set to have eased further last month, economists think (Aaron Chown/PA)
Business

Inflation to cool further in November as food prices dip, economists think

Business

Inflation to cool further in November as food prices dip, economists think

Inflation is set to have eased further last month, economists think (Aaron Chown/PA)
Business

Why getting a mortgage is about to become easier

Thames Water has decided not to go ahead with almost £2.5 million in controversial payments to senior bosses (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Business

Thames Water halts plans to hand £2.5m retention bonuses to bosses

The Financial Conduct Authority’s consultation on its proposed motor finance redress scheme closed earlier in December (FCA/PA)
Business

FCA prepared to tweak car loan compensation scheme after pushback, boss says

Rishi Sunak is continuing to give evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry (UK Covid-19 Inquiry/PA)
Business

Sunak: I would do the same again on Covid business loans despite fraud risk

Rishi Sunak is continuing to give evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry (UK Covid-19 Inquiry/PA)
Business

Sunak: I would do the same again on Covid business loans despite fraud risk

Figures show the UK Civil Service workforce is close to a 20-year high (Mark Phillips/Alamy)
Business

Civil Service workforce jumps 3,000 to highest level for nearly 20 years

Recruiters have seen the steepest rise in candidates available for hire for nearly five years amid rising redundancies and fewer job opportunities, according to a report.
Business

Recruiter SThree reveals drop in fees amid weak UK jobs market

<p>Hollywood Bowl said a family of four can bowl at peak times for under £26</p>
Business

Bowling chain strikes it lucky with families and dynamic pricing

The latest S&P Global survey brought ‘welcome news on faster economic growth at the end of the year’, one economist said (James Manning/PA)
Business

Businesses ‘buoyed’ by spike in new work post-Budget, but job-cutting persists

Economists said uncertainty ahead of the November 26 Budget had weighed on the jobs market
Business

Young people bearing the brunt as jobless rate hits 5.1% ahead of Budget

Wessex Water is owned by Malaysian firm YTL (Alamy/PA)
Business

Wessex Water to pay £11m towards wastewater upgrades after Ofwat investigation

The FTSE 100 index closed up 102.28 points, 1.1%, at 9,751.31 (PA)
Business

FTSE 100 makes headway ahead of likely Bank of England rate cut

Not all jobs could be saved during the Covid-19 pandemic, Rishi Sunak said
Business

Not all jobs could be saved in Covid but ‘mass unemployment’ prevented – Sunak

Wessex Water is owned by Malaysian firm YTL (Alamy/PA)
Business

Wessex Water to pay £11m towards wastewater upgrades after Ofwat investigation

The FTSE 100 index closed up 102.28 points, 1.1%, at 9,751.31 (PA)
Business

FTSE 100 makes headway ahead of likely Bank of England rate cut

Not all jobs could be saved during the Covid-19 pandemic, Rishi Sunak said
Business

Not all jobs could be saved in Covid but ‘mass unemployment’ prevented – Sunak

<p>Roomba vacuums by iRobot are displayed at Best Buy store on January 19, 2024 in San Rafael, California</p>
Tech

Rivals clean up as Roomba maker files for bankruptcy

HSBC’s plans to take its Hong-Kong-listed business Hang Seng private have taken a step forward (Mike Egerton/PA)
Business

HSBC’s plans to take Hong Kong’s Hang Seng private backed by board committee

(Alamy/PA)
Business

Hikma chief executive replaced by former boss after share price weakens

The company engineers and manufactures electronics to support sectors from healthcare to aerospace (Alamy/PA)
Business

TT Electronics shareholder ditches rival bid plans

Britons leaned into the artificial intelligence (AI) boom in 2025, figures show (Monzo/PA)
Business

Britons embrace AI and splurge on Skims in 2025, bank data shows

Visitors enjoy the rides and sights at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London (Ben Stevens/PA)
Business

Christmas attractions face sharp rise in property taxes after Budget

WH Smith will shed light on the state of its finances on Friday (Alamy/PA)
Business

WH Smith to unveil delayed results as progress hit by accounting errors

The Bank of England is readying to cut interest rates to the lowest level in nearly three years (Yui Mok/PA)
Business

Bank of England expected to cut interest rates to nearly three-year low

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