Economists split on US June rate hike after retail sales disappoint March 12, 2015 US retail sales have dropped for a third consecutive month, new figures show. Retail sales declined by 0.6 per cent on the month in February, with economists split on the impact it will have on interest rates. “A 0.6 per cent deterioration in sales in February was possibly due to severe weather affecting many parts [...]
Cheaper oil takes trade deficit to lowest level for over 14 years March 12, 2015 The UK’s trade deficit has dropped to its lowest level since 2000, official figures show. The UK imported £600m more than it exported in January, according to data released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It compares to the £2.1bn trade deficit in December. Around half of this fall was due to a drop [...]
London leads national house price growth March 12, 2015 London and the south east are leading national house price growth despite slowing substantially, new figures show today. Average UK house prices were 6.8 per cent higher in February than they were in the same month last year, according to figures released by property services firm LSL today. If London and the south east are [...]
Euro devaluation and low interest rates to fuel property investment in 2015 March 12, 2015 Investment in Europe’s property market is expected to jump by as much as 10 per cent this year thanks to low interest rates and the expected ongoing euro devaluation. Research published yesterday by Savills showed investment volumes could top €210bn (£150m) by the end of 2015, up five to 10 per cent on the €199.3bn [...]
Bank of England governor Mark Carney says global deflation forces, strong sterling could delay rate hike March 12, 2015 Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said that low inflation outside of the UK, as well as a strong sterling, could cause the central bank to push back a rate hike. "It may be appropriate to take into account persistent external deflationary forces arising from the combination of continued foreign low inflation and the [...]
Chinese government restrictions failing to curb Bitcoin use March 12, 2015 China is going mad for Bitcoin, according to a new report by Goldman Sachs. Despite the government's measures to restrict use of the currency 80 per cent of Bitcoin volume is now driven by the Chinese Yuan. The next biggest driver of transactions is the US dollar, followed by the Euro. The bank isn’t alone [...]
Euro falls closer to parity with dollar March 11, 2015 The euro extended its seemingly unstoppable decline yesterday, with City analysts predicting that the currency will soon be on a par with the US dollar. A drop of more than one per cent pushed the euro to below $1.06 for the first time since 2003. The pound climbed to be worth over €1.42 in mid-day [...]
Self-employment is not bad, says Bank of England March 11, 2015 Self-employment has boomed in recent years because of changes in technology making it easier for people to set up on their own, a Bank of England analysis showed today. Its report came as the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said GDP growth is growing at a strong and steady pace. Self-employment accounts for [...]
Backing the USA: Dollar climbs as investors buy into recovery March 11, 2015 Amid much talk of a US rate hike, Chris Papadopoullos asks if it will happen as quickly as some think The Federal Reserve has a way with words. Last year, it prompted mass market confusion by saying it would wait for a “considerable time” before hiking interest rates. In December, it ditched the term and [...]
UK house prices accelerate as drop in London moderates March 11, 2015 The fall in London house prices is moderating, an influential study of property surveyors showed today. The proportion of surveyors reporting falling prices in the capital outweighed those reporting a rise by a margin of 28 per cent in February, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said. By contrast, the net balance seeing prices fall [...]