UK economy slowdown expected to be confirmed this week with official GDP growth figures April 25, 2016 The UK economy is expected to have recorded a marked slowdown in the first quarter of this year when official figures for GDP growth are released on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The economy grew by 0.6 per cent in the final quarter of last year, though economists are suggesting that could have [...]
The Bank of Japan could unleash a triple dose of monetary stimulus – negative interest rates, quantitative easing and paying banks to borrow more April 25, 2016 The Bank of Japan (BoJ) looks geared to ramp up its reputation for out-of-the-box thinking when it meets later this week, unveiling an extra bout of monetary easing which could lead to it paying banks to borrow money. Japan's fight with deflation has been notorious. In 10 of the last 20 years prices have actually [...]
Manufacturing industry still stagnant, but does the latest CBI survey point to a recovery on the horizon? April 25, 2016 The manufacturing industry had a mixed start to the year, though the latest CBI industrial trends survey, out today, showed tentative signs of a pick-up over the next few months and provided some grounds for optimism. Manufacturers reported output was stable over the first three months of 2016, while orders dipped slightly but employment picked up. [...]
Stable oil prices and a stock market surge mean the global economy is a little less likely to fall into recession April 25, 2016 The world is no longer teetering on the brink of a full-blown recession thanks to a rally in global stock markets and surging commodity prices, according to a new report out today. Researchers at Oxford Economics said that there are slightly fewer alarm bells ringing over the health of the economy today than there were [...]
Week ahead: Brexit expected to knock GDP and earnings April 25, 2016 Concerns over Britain leaving the European Union are expected to have weighed on gross domestic product (GDP) over the first quarter of 2016. Economists are expecting to see growth cooled to 0.4 per cent in the last three months, when the latest numbers are released on Wednesday. In the fourth quarter of last year the [...]
Chinese consumers are changing their habits rapidly as luxury has suffered a slow death and online takes off April 24, 2016 Beijing is awash with restaurants, but locals Cherry and Andy Ho haven’t bothered going out to eat for months. The proliferation of Groupon-style coupons and deals means it’s easier to have food delivered. It’s half the cost, with no delivery charge – great for consumers, but not so good for some traditional businesses. Indeed, this was among [...]
Creative industries hiring from abroad as record employment creates skills shortage April 23, 2016 Britain's record employment rate has led to skills shortages in manufacturing, construction and financial services, but now it is taking its toll on the creative industries. Firms in animation, game design and visual effects – most of which are based in London – are turning to foreign graduates to plug skills gaps in the sector, [...]
Accountants warn that UK households are suffering from “massive over-indebtedness” April 22, 2016 Britain’s accountants have sounded the alarm bells over what they see as dangerously high levels of debt across Britain. In a new report, launched today, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), said a “growing amount of evidence indicated [there was] a massive over-indebtedness by vulnerable groups in UK society”. Unsurprisingly, students, the self-employed and [...]
Grexit: Europe tells Greece there will be no discussion about writing off any of its bailout debt April 22, 2016 The European Commission has told Greece it is not considering writing off any of the €86bn (£67.5bn) handed over during the Greek bailout crisis, as it aims to have a new package of reforms wrapped up within the next week. Finance chiefs from Eurozone countries gathered in Amsterdam this morning to discuss the latest progress on the Greek bailout, [...]
London Marathon 2016 mapped: The rise of property prices along the route from the Blackheath starting line to the Mall finish April 22, 2016 It's not just a slog for runners around the London Marathon route this weekend. Anyone angling to jump on the London property ladder or looking to climb it faces a steep ascent with plenty of pain, arguably tougher than a 26 mile run around the capital – emotionally and psychologically at least. Runner's eyes won't [...]