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Ian Smith

@iankmsmith.ft.com
9.8K followers 2.3K following 2.8K posts

Senior Markets Correspondent at the Financial Times. Previously insurance, finance, stocks, pensions, you get the idea. This is my real account: I never promote crypto or any other investment Stories: www.ft.com/ian-smith Contact: ian.smith@ft.com

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Reposted by Ian Smith
FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 32m
LAGARDE: MÉLENCHON DEBT PLAN RISKY, FINANCIALLY VERY DANGEROUS
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 9h
“People forget how bids ... can disappear in times of crisis" France has been the worst-hit G7 bond market in the Iran sell-off, as the fiscal hit mixes with rising political risks. As an election looms, asset management giant Vanguard says the worst may not be over as.ft.com/r/14e2137e-a...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 29/09/2026
Labour conference live blog: A senior union leader warns UK PM that ending the triple lock would be “almost electoral insanity” www.ft.com/content/6481...
static.klipy.com
Virtual
ALT: Virtual
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 29/09/2026
“For the last three to six months, we’ve basically just been oil traders.” Bond yields, which determine the cost of borrowing across the global economy, have been reduced to a second-order effect of crude prices since the Iran war began. with @emilydherbert.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/f894...
ft.com
Oil price and US Treasury yields in tightest relationship since 1990
Bond investors watch Iran conflict and crude price for signs as to where government borrowing costs will go
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The head of Britain’s biggest public-sector union has attacked Andy Burnham for delaying any firm decisions on setting up a new social care system until after the next general election in 2029.  www.ft.com/content/4370...
ft.com
Trade union chief criticises Burnham’s delay to social care reforms
Andrea Egan says prime minister should move faster on setting up new system
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CNBC @cnbc.com · 28/09/2026
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hires Wall Street economist David Zervos
cnb.cx
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hires Wall Street economist David Zervos
Zervos is joining the Treasury Department as counselor to Bessent, adding a prominent markets voice to the administration's economic policy team.
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 28/09/2026
Watch the chancellor addressing the Labour conference on the FT live blog www.ft.com/content/7761...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 28/09/2026
another turn on the oil/yields ratchet www.ft.com/content/d751...
ft.com
Bond sell-off deepens as oil rises above $108
Brent crude jumps and 10-year Treasury yield surpasses 5.2% as hopes for US-Iran agreement fade
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Chancellor John Healey praises the RNLI, "risking their lives to save others on the sea" - part of "the quiet patriotism that makes Britain great"
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Jeremy Cliffe @jeremycliffe.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Mélenchon gaining momentum in French presidential polling while the centrist field remains fragmented and weak ⬇️
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 28/09/2026
a must-read Big Read today from colleagues on Big Tech's big debt binge. www.ft.com/content/00f9... By Euan Healy, @emilydherbert.bsky.social, Michelle Chan
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 28/09/2026
but how will Terry and Julie cross over the river?
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 26/09/2026
Whoop
a book entitled A Fabulous Debt
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 26/09/2026
Some of these Man City memes are just too much
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 26/09/2026
Today’s international front page The world’s biggest economy is melting its bond market as.ft.com/r/d29b422d-6...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 25/09/2026
Dusting off the old *s www.ft.com/content/2f82...
ft.com
Manchester City found guilty of breaching Premier League rules
Independent panel finds football club guilty of 114 out of 115 charges after a lengthy investigation into financial rule breaches
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 25/09/2026
blast from the past www.ft.com/content/e4f6...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 25/09/2026
Why has the US bond market gone haywire? Why is that as much our problem as theirs? Great to discuss the biggest thing in markets on the best podcast in markets with @robarmstrong.bsky.social + @katie0martin.ft.com 📈🎙️ www.ft.com/content/c3f2...
ft.com
Bond bombshell
Borrowing costs move abruptly higher
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Reposted by Ian Smith
Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 25/09/2026
THE POD me, @iankmsmith.ft.com and @robarmstrong.bsky.social on this week's BOND BOMBSHELL, featuring: -wheels coming off -our bonds, your problem -wetting your pants at the north pole -Rob being right for once open.spotify.com/episode/4p1R...
open.spotify.com
Bond bombshell
Unhedged · Episode
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
slightly worry one might float away
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
Treasuries feeling a bit grumbly again, story updated
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
feels like a good time to mess around with this www.ft.com/content/46ea...
ft.com
MPs to consider whether Bank of England’s remit is ‘fit for purpose’
Inquiry comes against backdrop of populist pressure on central banks in many countries
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
www.ft.com/content/d2d3...
ft.com
‘Bifs’ replace ‘Piigs’ as Europe’s bond market whipping boys
Britain, Italy and France have borne the brunt of a sovereign debt sell-off sparked by the Iran war
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
People are leaving Lond- www.ft.com/content/cce1...
ft.com
Jane Street to double London office space after breakneck growth
Firm is taking 465,000 sq ft at One Spitalfields in a so-called pre-let deal
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
Debate in UK: how rigidly do we need to keep to the fiscal adjustment that is already underway Debate in France: should we throw some debt on the 🔥 www.ft.com/content/1b41...
ft.com
French far left sparks backlash with debt ‘fire’ plan
Proposal to cancel bonds accumulated during years of ECB quantitative easing is enraging economists but tempting voters
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
"There appears to be a lot of pain on the street in fixed income" US borrowing costs climb yet higher after a day to forget for the Treasuries market 📈 www.ft.com/content/2d87...
ft.com
Global bond sell-off deepens as oil climbs back to $105
Rising yields strain public finances after brutal sell-off in US Treasuries market
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
there are human beings on them
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 24/09/2026
Today's UK front page is on the Q of the government's "headroom" against its borrowing limits. This has been eroded for reasons outside the chancellor's control, as the Iran war pushes up global yields. But he faces a question over whether or not to try and build it back close to Reeves' £23.6bn
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 23/09/2026
timing this for a global bond sell-off is just too much of a coincidence
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 23/09/2026
big rise in yields on US government bonds on signs of a hot economy adding to inflation pressures vying to retake the "highest borrowing costs in the G7" mantle 🏆 from dear old Blighty www.ft.com/content/5b11...
ft.com
US Treasury yields soar most since ‘liberation day’ tariffs shook markets
Traders crank up bets on Federal Reserve rate rises after new data fuel worries economy is overheating
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 23/09/2026
crazy thread
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 23/09/2026
le squeeze... OECD warns on rising debt-servicing costs www.ft.com/content/6c13...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 21/09/2026
Global markets' one trade is in the right direction today www.ft.com/content/18f9...
ft.com
Slide in oil prices drives rebound in battered government bonds
Brent crude falls to just above $100 amid speculation that Donald Trump could meet Iranian president this week, lifting French and Italian debt
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Reposted by Ian Smith
Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 21/09/2026
"The particular focus on the short term leaves us really vulnerable to high levels of rollover risk" Wall Street banks are expecting the US to borrow up to $1tn over the next year through short-term Treasury bills, as part of a growing dependence on quick-maturing debt www.ft.com/content/3fce...
ft.com
Wall Street expects US to issue about $1tn of short-term debt as borrowing costs climb
Growing reliance on Treasury bills comes as Scott Bessent seeks to curb rise in long-term rates
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 21/09/2026
"The particular focus on the short term leaves us really vulnerable to high levels of rollover risk" Wall Street banks are expecting the US to borrow up to $1tn over the next year through short-term Treasury bills, as part of a growing dependence on quick-maturing debt www.ft.com/content/3fce...
ft.com
Wall Street expects US to issue about $1tn of short-term debt as borrowing costs climb
Growing reliance on Treasury bills comes as Scott Bessent seeks to curb rise in long-term rates
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Reposted by Ian Smith
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
CNN statement: @cnn.com
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 18/09/2026
Technical term: 💹❔
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 18/09/2026
Today's UK edition leads on what was a big day for the Bank of England as it overhauled its balance sheet, curbed long-dated gilts sales in the process, and gave its starkest warning yet on inflation. Read our story here for the ins and outs www.ft.com/content/44bc...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 18/09/2026
It is the funny ending that we all deserved to two big weeks for central bank policy Bank of Japan increases rates and yen... tumbles www.ft.com/content/97a0...
ft.com
Yen sinks after Bank of Japan raises rates to highest since 1995
Hawkish comments by BoJ governor fail to arrest renewed slide in currency after borrowing costs lifted to 1.25%
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Reposted by Ian Smith
Philip Stafford @staffordphilip.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Rules allow issuers to block their shares from being tokenised, by objection. Will be interesting to see how many blocks get sent out straight out of the gate. www.ft.com/content/b528...
ft.com
US regulator opens markets to tokenised stock trading
Blockchain-based representations of traditional equities can be traded around-the-clock and more easily used as collateral
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 17/09/2026
The BoE rides to rescue the long end by curbing gilts sales Between this and what the DMO has already done, "what you are really being told here is that there is no real prospect for significant long-dated sales for a good 18 months," @moyeen.bsky.social told me www.ft.com/content/44bc...
static.klipy.com
Knights on Horseback Charge
ALT: Knights on Horseback Charge
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 17/09/2026
The outside chance of a surprise BoE hike today diminished a bit yesterday on the CPI numbers, read this preview from earlier in the week on the broader picture www.ft.com/content/050b...
ft.com
Oil price surge revives prospect of Bank of England rate rise this year
Investors expect BoE to hold borrowing costs this week but signal a possible increase later in the year
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 17/09/2026
in case you missed it, Fed rate rise and presser greeted with stronger dollar and flatter curve Story: Donald Trump fails to bend the Federal Reserve to his will www.ft.com/content/fb8e... As it happened blog: www.ft.com/content/61b5...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 17/09/2026
it's a brand I guess www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/u...
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 16/09/2026
Gilts enjoying a nice little yes-inflation-is-painfully-high-but-maybe-it-is-not-yet-a-total-disaster rally today 📈 prices 📉 yields www.ft.com/content/57c0...
ft.com
UK inflation rose to 3.1% in August
Figure worsens squeeze on households ahead of BoE meeting
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Reposted by Ian Smith
Kate Duguid @kateduguid.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
excellent scoop from two excellent Georges www.ft.com/content/2750...
ft.com
OpenAI weighs funding round at $1.2tn valuation before IPO
Sam Altman’s start-up could capitalise on demand for its technology after new model launches
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 16/09/2026
Great stuff from @journosooz.bsky.social with some great photos. I also always try and match my car with my summer wear www.ft.com/content/a4d9...
ft.com
A top London lawyer wants to create ‘the California of Europe’ in the Algarve
Neel Sachdev helped take a wrecking ball to London’s legal market, to then rebuild it. Now his side hustle as a property developer is turning his attention to Portugal
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Reposted by Ian Smith
FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
US MBA 30-YR MORTGAGE RATE ACTUAL 6.97% (FORECAST -, PREVIOUS 6.85%) $MACRO
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 16/09/2026
Great reporting by Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran www.ft.com/content/ffe4...
ft.com
Iran’s hidden leader stirs unease at home
Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence from public view has been a source of bafflement and suspicion
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Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 16/09/2026
UK inflation figs interesting. Grim at headline level but traders say slightly-weaker-than-expected services number and others show that there is "still no evidence that inflationary pressures are spreading beyond energy [prices]". An escape hatch for BoE? www.ft.com/content/57c0...
ft.com
UK inflation rose to 3.1% in August
Figure worsens squeeze on households ahead of BoE meeting
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