The Financial Times: What It Is, History, Content, and Global Influence

You can spot the Financial Times from across a crowded newsstand — that distinctive salmon-pink paper is unmistakable. But the FT is far more than its famous color. It's one of the most respected, trusted, and influential business publications on the planet.

The Financial Times (commonly called the FT) is a British daily newspaper that focuses on business, finance, economics, and international affairs. Founded in 1888 in London, it has spent over 135 years building a reputation for rigorous, independent journalism that business leaders and investors rely on to make decisions.

Today, the FT is owned by Nikkei Inc., Japan's largest financial media company, which acquired it in 2015 for approximately $1.3 billion. It has over 1 million paying digital subscribers and is read in more than 100 countries — a true global powerhouse in financial journalism.

The Early Years (1888-1950s)

The Financial Times was first published on January 9, 1888, by James Sheridan under the original name London Financial Guide. Just weeks later, it was renamed the Financial Times.

At the time, another business newspaper called the Financial News was already popular in London. The two papers competed fiercely for decades until they merged in 1945, creating the combined Financial Times we know today. It was around this time that the FT adopted its trademark salmon-pink paper — originally chosen simply because pink paper was cheaper than white, but it became an iconic brand identifier.

"The salmon-pink paper was an accident of economics. It became a symbol of excellence."

Global Expansion and Ownership Changes

The FT's growth accelerated in the second half of the 20th century:

• 1957: Publishing giant Pearson acquired the Financial Times, providing the capital for international expansion
• 1970s-1980s: The FT expanded its European and Asian coverage, becoming a truly global newspaper. A European edition was launched from Frankfurt
• 1997: The U.S. edition was redesigned and expanded, targeting Wall Street and American corporate readers
• 2000: FT.com was launched as a digital platform, making the newspaper available online to a global audience
• July 2015: Pearson sold the FT to Japan's Nikkei Inc. for approximately $1.3 billion — one of the biggest media transactions in history

The Nikkei acquisition was significant because it paired two of the world's leading financial newspapers (Nikkei in Asia, FT in Europe and the Americas), creating a combined readership powerhouse.

The Financial Times covers two broad categories of content:

Core Financial and Business News:

• Stock markets, bond markets, and commodities
• Corporate earnings, mergers and acquisitions, and IPOs
• Central bank policies, interest rate decisions, and monetary policy
• Global trade, economic indicators, and GDP data
• Personal finance, investing strategies, and wealth management

Broader Coverage:

• International politics and geopolitics (especially where they affect markets)
• Technology and innovation (AI, fintech, crypto)
• Climate change and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing
• Opinion pieces and editorial analysis from leading economists and thinkers

What sets the FT apart from competitors like The Wall Street Journal or Bloomberg is its genuinely global perspective. While the WSJ tends to focus on American markets and Bloomberg leans heavily on data and terminals, the FT provides a balanced view that covers Europe, Asia, the Americas, and emerging markets with equal depth.

For example, an FT reader in Singapore gets the same quality of coverage about the European Central Bank as a reader in London gets about Asian markets. That's a hard balance to strike, and the FT does it well.

If there's one section of the Financial Times that has achieved almost legendary status, it's the Lex column.

Launched in 1945, Lex is a daily column that provides short, sharp analysis of companies, markets, and financial trends. Each piece is typically just a few hundred words — but packed with insight that traders, fund managers, and CEOs actually use to inform their decisions.

"The Lex column is arguably the most read and most respected financial commentary in the world. CEOs check it before their morning coffee."

What makes Lex special is its independence and directness. It doesn't hesitate to call out overvalued stocks, question management decisions, or challenge market consensus. For investors, it's like having a brutally honest friend who happens to be a financial genius.

For example, if a major company announces an acquisition that the market is celebrating, Lex might be the voice pointing out why the deal could be overpriced — often days before the broader market catches on.

In a lighter vein, the Financial Times also publishes HTSI (How to Spend It) — a luxury lifestyle magazine that comes as a supplement with the weekend edition.

HTSI covers the finer things in life: high-end fashion, luxury travel, fine dining, art collecting, watches, property, and design. It targets the FT's affluent readership — people who not only want to make money but also know how to enjoy it.

Think of HTSI as the FT saying: "We've helped you understand markets all week. Now here's how to spend the weekend." The magazine features advertising from brands like Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Cartier, making it one of the most premium advertising environments in print media.

The Financial Times has had an outsized impact on the world of finance and beyond:

• FTSE Indices: The FT partnered with the London Stock Exchange to create the FTSE ("Footsie") index series. The FTSE 100, which tracks the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, is one of the most widely followed stock market indices in the world.
• Shaping Policy Debates: FT editorials and analysis pieces are read by finance ministers, central bankers, and heads of state. Its coverage of the 2008 financial crisis, the Eurozone debt crisis, and Brexit helped inform public understanding and policy responses.
• Setting Standards in Business Journalism: The FT's commitment to accuracy, fairness, and depth has set a benchmark for business journalism worldwide. Many financial journalists consider working at the FT the pinnacle of their careers.
• Digital Transformation: The FT was an early adopter of digital subscriptions. Its metered paywall model — where readers get a few free articles before being asked to subscribe — has been studied and copied by newspapers around the world.
• Award-Winning Journalism: FT journalists have won numerous awards, including British Press Awards and the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism.
• Global Events and Conferences: The FT organizes major conferences and summits — like the FT Global Banking Summit and FT Weekend Festival — bringing together influential leaders from business, politics, and culture.

"When the Financial Times breaks a story, markets move. When it takes an editorial position, policymakers listen. That's the kind of influence few publications in the world can claim."

The Financial Times is more than a newspaper — it's a global institution in business journalism. From its humble beginnings in 1888 London to its current status as one of the most trusted names in financial media, the FT has consistently delivered the kind of reporting that matters to the people who make the world's biggest financial decisions.

Its salmon-pink pages have become a symbol of credibility, its Lex column a daily ritual for investors, and its digital platform a model for how traditional media can thrive in the internet age.

Whether you're a Wall Street trader, a startup founder in Bangalore, or a policy wonk in Brussels, the Financial Times speaks your language. And in a world where reliable financial information is more valuable than ever, the FT remains the gold standard.

"In the world of financial journalism, the Financial Times doesn't follow the conversation — it starts it."