FTSE 100 Live (Evening Standard) The FTSE 100 shrugged off geopolitical concerns in early trading today, but its gains have faded in the afternoon. Defensive stocks have been near the top of the leaderboard, underlining the tentative mood of the session. Meanwhile, mid-cap takeover activity has continued at pace, as video games business Keywords Studios
The average asking price of a UK property fell by 0.4% in July amid signs that some buyers are waiting for the Bank of England (BoE) to cut interest rates. Across Britain, the typical new seller asking price fell by 0.4%, or £1,617, month-on-month in July to £373,493, down from £375,110 in June, Rightmove said.
Rachel Reeves, a former child chess champion and Bank of England economist, is on Friday expected to become Britain’s first female finance minister. With Labour predicted to win by a landslide, Reeves will step up to the role of chancellor of the exchequer, having been the party’s finance spokesperson in opposition. Her party has put
Hundreds of thousands of homeowners have taken out mortgages in the last three years that they will still be paying off into retirement, estimates suggest. A surge in mortgage terms beyond state pension age has been seen, particularly in new home loans made to the under-30s. Figures from the Bank of England show how the