Business investment dropped in the first quarter of the year due to Brexit and bear markets May 26, 2016 Business investment slipped in the first three months of the year, as market volatility, shattered confidence and the EU referendum were all blamed for firms failing to dip their hands into their pockets. Investment by corporates fell by 0.5 per cent between January and March, following a two per cent contraction at the end of [...]
The cost of hedging against a swing in the value of the pound just hit a seven-year high May 26, 2016 The price of hedging against volatility on the currency markets spiked today, as traders become increasing nervous with just four weeks to go until the EU referendum. The cost of insuring against swings on the value of the pound, as measured by one-month options for swapping sterling into US dollars hit a seven-year high today. [...]
IMF will not join Greek bailout until clear steps on debt relief have been agreed May 26, 2016 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that it "hopes" to officially join the Greek bailout programme by the end of the year, but insisted it could not make any guarantees. Earlier this week Greece agreed a €10.3bn (£7.8bn) deal to unlock funds from Eurozone to help it cover debt repayments due this summer. The programme [...]
G7 leaders must recognise that monetary policy alone won’t solve the world’s ills May 26, 2016 Hosting a successful family get-together is a stressful business. Just ask Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. With the leaders of the world’s major economies arriving in Ise-Shima for a G7 summit, Abe has promised “candid” and “fruitful” discussions to tackle the challenges to global growth. But against the backdrop of sluggish activity, doubts about the [...]
More than eight-in-ten local authorities will be in serious financial difficulty in the next three years, chief execs warn May 26, 2016 Local authorities are at risk of failing to deliver essential services in coming years, the government is being warned. PwC’s annual survey of local government leadership has shown that 81 per cent of local authority bosses believe that some will not deliver essential services within the next three years. Almost nine-in-ten – 86 per cent – of council [...]
Greek bailout deal: Details, reaction and next steps May 25, 2016 At 2am this morning, the final 'i's were being dotted and 't's being crossed on the latest stage of the multi-billion euro bailout of Greece. It may have felt like a slog for the finance ministers gathered in Brussels, but they have long memories, and the events of last summer – endless nights, referendums, broken promises [...]
Calculator: How much does the UK contribute to the EU budget? May 25, 2016 Statisticians have fired another shot in the war with Brexit campaigners over how much the UK contributes to the European Union – with an online calculator. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has this morning published a guide outlining what they feel are responsible estimates of how much the UK pays into the EU, one of the key battlegrounds [...]
This group of economists is scandalised by the IFS’ “£40bn fiscal black hole” Brexit report May 25, 2016 The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) is generally regarded as pretty impartial, so the fact it issued a strong warning on the potential impact of Brexit – warning it could leave the Treasury with a £40bn fiscal black hole – has surprised some. Not least the esteemed members of Economists for Brexit, which this morning slammed the report. [...]
Greek debt crisis: Eurozone strikes deal with Greece for €10.3bn bailout May 25, 2016 The Eurozone hammered out a €10.3bn (£7.9bn) bailout deal with Greece in the early hours of this morning. European finance ministers hailed the deal as a breakthrough, given that it carries with it a commitment from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to return to taking part in the bailout. The IMF coming back on board [...]
Hinkley Point crisis deepens as experts warn that there’s “zero possibility” of the project being finished by 2025 May 25, 2016 The government is facing fresh calls to reconsider its plan to build two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset, with experts warning that there’s “zero possibility” of the controversial project being finished by 2025. The concerns come after Vincent de Rivaz, the French utility giant’s UK boss, failed to assure parliament's energy and climate [...]