Bank of England in last-ditch Brexit warning as it holds interest rates June 16, 2016 Brexit is not only the most serious threat to the UK economy, but it is potentially the biggest risk to global financial stability, the Bank of England said today in another warning ahead of next week’s In/Out vote. Amid signs referendum nerves have shaken markets to their core, the Bank said volatility looks set only [...]
Mark Carney and Vote Leave trade blows over Bank of England’s referendum interventions June 16, 2016 Mark Carney has clashed with a top Brexit campaigner over the Bank of England's role in the referendum campaign in a tense exchange of letters, revealed this morning. Bernard Jenkin, a director at the official campaign group Vote Leave, wrote to the governor of the Bank of England earlier this week raising concerns he would make [...]
Gold hits highest level in nearly two years after US Federal Reserve’s dovish coos June 16, 2016 The US Federal Reserve's dovish coos helped gold smash through the $1,300 mark for the first time since early May today. Spot gold swelled 1.30 per cent to $1,308.1 per ounce this morning, having touched its highest level since August 2014 at $1,313.60 earlier. US gold added 1.80 per cent to $1,311.3, after hitting its highest rate [...]
EU referendum: Conservative chancellors and leaders attack Bank of England and George Osborne for dishonesty June 16, 2016 Four Conservative grandees, including two former chancellors and a pair of ex-leaders, have accused the Bank of England of "peddling phoney forecasts and scare stories", as they lashed out at George Osborne's plans for an emergency Brexit budget. Writing in The Telegraph this morning, the group – chancellors Norman Lamont and Nigel Lawson, and former leaders Iain Duncan-Smith and [...]
City A.M. Shadow MPC votes 9-0 to hold rates before EU vote June 16, 2016 The Bank of England has no option but to keep interest rates on hold until after the EU referendum, leading city economists and experts have said. The Bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) meets today, just one week before the 23 June vote, with all eyes on governor Mark Carney who warned last month that a [...]
Fed rates kept on hold by Brexit bugbears and May’s disappointing jobs report June 15, 2016 The US Federal Reserve has voted to keep its interest rates on hold at its monthly meeting, inline with market expectations. There had previously been expectations that the Fed would hike rates for the second time in a decade this month though recently sentiment has soured. The US central bank has held the target range for [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open June 15, 2016 Fed day is here chair Janet Yellen is unlikely to do anything that would surprise the markets. We'll have the decision at 7pm London time and then wait to hear from the lady herself at 7:30pm. Here's what you need to know before the market open at 14:30 London time. US futures are pointing up [...]
What to look out for from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision this evening June 15, 2016 For a few brief hours this evening, markets will turn their attention away from next week's EU referedum. Eyes will drift across the pond, to the most powerful central banker in the world, Janet Yellen. Tonight the US Federal Reserve's rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will update the market on its latest economic thinking and [...]
Record employment eases pre-referendum pressure on household finances June 15, 2016 Households' confidence in their own financial situation rebounded this month in the latest sign that uncertainty around the EU referendum does not appear to be weighing on the economy too heavily. The Markit household finances index, which measures how optimistic or pessimistic UK households feel jumped up from a 22-month low of 42.3 in May [...]
How the ONS single-handedly knocked £100,000 off the average UK house price in April June 15, 2016 Eagle-eyed house price watchers may have spotted something fishy about the official house price figures for April. Yep: in the figures, published yesterday, the average UK house price was almost £100,000 lower than last month – dropping from £292,000 in March to just £209,000 in April. Are those jitters over the EU referendum really having that bad an [...]