Brazil’s economic woes won’t end with Rousseff April 18, 2016 Brazil's stock market, the Bovespa, remained relatively unchanged in early trading, despite expectations it would rally following Sunday's congressional vote to impeach beleaguered president Dilma Rousseff. The surprise reaction may have signalled a balancing out of two conflicting influences affecting the oil-dependent country. News of Rousseff's impeachment had been expected to buoy markets, but the [...]
Successive governments accused of being “wildly reckless” as report finds public sector pensions and unpaid student loans add up to create £1.85 trillion liabilities “timebomb” April 18, 2016 Successive governments have been accused of being "wildly reckless" as new research today warned state liabilities add up to a £1.85 trillion "timebomb". The UK national liability figure, compiling "debts waiting to happen", brings the nation's total debt to £3.45 trillion, according to the Adam Smith Institute. The report warned the liability, which includes £1.3 trillion in public [...]
Economic think tank EY Item Club warns over UK’s single engine consumer spending economy April 18, 2016 Consumer spending will continue to be the main driver of the economy this year, though if business investment fails to return in 2017 growth could falter, the EY Item Club think tank has warned. Consumer spending is expected to grow by 2.5 per cent in 2016, but slow to 2.1 per cent in 2017 as [...]
Top economist Howard Archer warns over labour market as economic pressures begin to bite April 17, 2016 The UK labour market is expected to have lost momentum due to heightened domestic and global economic uncertainties, according to IHS chief economist Howard Archer. The challenges, magnified by June’s referendum on UK membership of the European Union, include lacklustre UK economic activity early on in 2016, and the National Living Wage – a 50p [...]
Doha oil production freeze talks end with no agreement, investors watch for movement in the oil price April 17, 2016 Talks between oil cartel Opec and non-Opec countries in Doha to try and reach a deal on an oil production freeze have ended without agreement, potentially risking a renewed price rout. Ministers have confirmed to reporters in the Qatar capital that more time and consultation is needed before a production freeze can be enacted. Officials from Opec (the Organization of the [...]
Michael Saunders to replace Martin Weale on the Bank of England’s MPC April 15, 2016 Veteran Citibank economist Michael Saunders will replace Martin Weale on the Bank of England's rate-setting committee. Saunders will step into Weale's role as an "external member" on the nine-strong panel when he leaves the central bank on 9 August. Read more: Bankers, meet your new boss Saunders recently said he thinks that the inflation rate could start to creep up soon. [...]
UK trade could tumble by up to £92bn if we leave the EU, warns London business group April 15, 2016 You wouldn't know it, but the EU referendum campaigns officially kick off today – meaning we're about to be hit by even more claims about what will or will not happen in the event of Brexit. Today, business group London First waded into the debate, with data showing UK trade could fall by up to £95bn if we leave the EU. The research shows [...]
China economy’s growth slows to 6.7 per cent, but government says it represents “good start” to 2016 April 15, 2016 China's economy grew by 6.7 per cent year on year in the first quarter of 2016, the nation's government has said. It marks the slowest quarterly growth for the country's economy since 2009. But the figure is in line with expectations and China's own growth targets. Read more: China's economy grew by seven per cent in [...]
Spike in level of UK firms in balance sheet trouble ahead of Brexit vote April 15, 2016 The number of businesses suffering financial distress leapt 20 per cent in the last year, according to analysis by insolvency firm Begbies Traynor. More than 274,000 firms across the UK were either behind on their debt repayments in the first quarter, or had experienced a “marked deterioration” in their financial health since the start of [...]
UK managers admit they don’t really know how to increase profits April 14, 2016 Half of Britain’s top bosses do not know how to raise their profit margins, according to a survey of some of Europe’s largest businesses. Just 48 per cent of UK executive directors said they could think of one thing their company could do which would immediately improve their bottom line, while one-third said they believed their [...]