Interest rates: Bank of England hawks to ‘look through’ Budget’s disinflation Economics Bank of England policymakers struck a hawkish tone on the future path of interest rates despite acknowledging that the upcoming Budget would lower inflation. Appearing before MPs on the Treasury Select Committee, Bank staff analysis agreed with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) that measures in Rachel Reeves’ November statement would strip 0.5 percentage points [...]
UK property tax burden is fourth heaviest in OECD Economics The UK’s property tax burden is the fourth heaviest in the OECD’s list of 38 countries and it is more than double the average across the list of advanced economies. In a report on government revenue levels across most of the world’s largest economies, the OECD said the UK’s taxes on property as a percentage [...]
Deloitte’s big Christmas quiz 2025 Big Four The 2025 Deloitte Christmas Economics Quiz by chief economist, Ian Stewart and team The Christmas quiz offers a test of your knowledge of the festive season, economics and politics, in 12 questions. The answers and a brief explanation of the factors at work are provided at the end. 1) Which British politician (past and present) [...]
Finance Leaders Anticipate Rising Volatility but Reveal Uneven Preparedness as 2026 Approaches, Alpha Group Research Finds December 9, 2025 Senior finance leaders are preparing for a year of heightened foreign exchange volatility and liquidity pressure in 2026, yet many acknowledge their organisations are not fully equipped to manage the challenges ahead, according to new research from Alpha Group, a Corpay, Inc. company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251209818518/en/ The [...]
UBS chief strategist: Market is not in a ‘bubble’, but US debt poses the real risk December 9, 2025 Despite narrow market leadership that mirrors the crashes of the 1970s and 1990s, the equity market is not currently in a ‘bubble,’ according to UBS Investment Bank Chief Strategist Bhanu Baweja. Speaking at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, Baweja addressed investor concerns that just nine companies in the Russell 3000 have driven 72 per cent of [...]
Vitabiotics: Profit cut ahead of of potential £1bn sale December 9, 2025 Profit at Vitabiotics, the pharmaceutical giant owned by former Dragons’ Den star Tej Lalvani, has been cut ahead of a potential £1bn sale. Reports emerged towards the start of 2025 that the London-headquartered business had revived plans to sell itself in a move which valued it at £1bn. At the start of December it was [...]
Ann Summers remains in the red as sales stall and jobs shed December 9, 2025 Ann Summers’ sales have stalled as it shed jobs and remained in the red during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The business has posted a turnover of £93.4m for the 12 months to 28 June, 2025, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The total comes after Ann Summers also reported [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Fed interest rates, retail sales, GDP December 9, 2025 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog covering the FTSE 100 and other big market moves. Investors are bracing for a crunch decision at the Federal Reserve this Wednesday, with markets pricing in a 25 basis point cut to bring interest rates down to 3.5-3.75 per cent. Forecasters will be taking a [...]
Planning your personal finances in 2026 and beyond December 9, 2025 Partner content, in association with JP Morgan Personal Investing. By Claire Exley, head of financial advice and guidance at J.P. Morgan Personal Investing In the run-up, the 2025 Budget was probably one of the most talked about in recent years. The telltale sign is when friends who don’t usually show much interest are suddenly asking [...]
Black Friday boost fails to materialise for Britain’s high streets December 9, 2025 UK retail sales failed to meet shops’ expectations this Black Friday as pre-budget jitters dampened spending. Retail sales increased by 1.4 per cent year on year in November, against a decline of 3.3 per cent in November 2024 and below the 12-month average growth of 2.5 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). [...]