UK manufacturing PMI falls in August as strong pound and uncertainty in China take their toll September 1, 2015 Manufacturing activity in the UK dipped unexpectedly last month, figures published today showed – suggesting uncertainty about China may have spread. Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the sector fell to 51.1 in August, down from 51.9 in July – and considerably below the 52 expected. Any figure above 50 denotes a contraction in the [...]
China’s economic woes continue as factory activity contracts at fastest pace in three years September 1, 2015 Here we go again? Shares closed lower in China this morning, after manufacturing figures showed the sector in the world's second largest economy contracted last month at its fastest pace in three years. Read more: China warned: You don’t know what you’re doing The official purchasing manager's index (PMI) was 49.7 in August [...]
China stock market crackdown: Chinese government arrests nearly 200 over ‘illegal rumour-mongering’ August 31, 2015 City figures launched a broadside against China’s government last night, after authorities spent the weekend rounding up nearly 200 people deemed guilty of “illegal rumour-mongering”. Beijing appears to have lost faith in its ability to stem a decline in China’s shares through large-scale purchases. Instead, it has turned on traders, social media users and [...]
UK shoppers flee high street over August bank holiday weekend August 31, 2015 Heavy rain over the bank holiday weekend resulted in a washout for high streets across the country with people opting to visit shopping centres instead, new figures show. High street stores suffered a 4.1 per cent year-on-year decline in footfall on Sunday after the wet weather and strong winds dampened shoppers' mood, according to [...]
UK income tax haul from non-doms has risen 7 per cent and hit £6.6bn last year August 31, 2015 The amount of income tax paid by so-called “non-doms” based in the UK has risen by seven per cent, according to a new report out today from Pinsent Masons, the global law firm. According to the report, non-doms – individuals claiming certain tax benefits because their permanent home is outside of the UK – [...]
Card spending via contactless jumps to £2.5bn in the UK as the payment limit rises to £30 August 31, 2015 The spending limit on contactless cards has today increased from £20 to £30, as new figures show a surge in spending to £2.5bn in the first six months of the year. The use of contactless technology to pay in restaurants and shops has soared in popularity since it was first introduced in 2007, when [...]
German retail sales accelerate to beat forecasts with 3.3 per cent growth August 31, 2015 German retail sales beat expectations, gaining 3.3 per cent year-on-year despite eurozone confidence being shaken by the Greek debt crisis. Economists were forecasting a growth of just 1.7 per cent so Germany’s bullish sales figures come close to doubling expectations. Monthly figures showed retail sales jumping by 1.4 per cent from June to July, according [...]
Bank of England interest rate rise threat sends first-time buyer sales to a pre-recession high August 28, 2015 The threat of a rise in borrowing costs led first-time buyers to look through increased deposit costs and indulge in a "summer of white-hot activity" with completed transactions hitting a pre-recession high. Monthly first-time buyer sales rose 4.9 per cent to 29,700 in the month to July, according to an index by estate agents Your Move and [...]
Black Monday: £74bn knocked off FTSE 100 as markets respond to deteriorating China outlook August 28, 2015 The UK’s 100 biggest companies had £74bn wiped off their value today after a worsening outlook in China hit global stock markets. The FTSE 100 had lost 4.67 per cent by the time markets closed, nosediving below the 6,000 mark to 5,898.9. China led the global sell-off with the Shanghai composite index plunging 8.49 [...]
Brazil’s economy pummeled anew on tumbling commodities August 28, 2015 Brazil’s economy took another beating, as quarterly GDP figures showed the country’s economy shrinking at the fastest pace since 2009. Tumbling commodity prices and a corruption scandal are both weighing on the troubled South American powerhouse, as data released by government agency IBGE showed the country’s economy contracting by 1.9 per cent over the last [...]