Bank of England’s bond purchases could cost taxpayers £85bn April 30, 2024 Following the banking collapse of 2008, the Bank started hoovering up government bonds on the secondary market. The hope was this would lower borrowing costs and stimulate economic activity.
Lloyds, HSBC, Barclays and Natwest results show consumer strength amid higher rates April 30, 2024 Barclays, Natwest and Lloyds reported first quarter results last week while HSBC updated investors this morning.
German recovery helps eurozone escape shallow recession April 30, 2024 According to figures released this morning by Eurostat, the eurozone grew 0.3 per cent between January and March, ahead of the 0.1 per cent expansion expected by economists.
Impact of Bank of England interest rate hikes wanes as mortgage approvals rise April 30, 2024 Bank of England figures showed that net mortgage approvals climbed again to 61,300 in March, slightly above the 60,500 seen in February and roughly in line with economists' expectations.
Why we should be cautious about rising business confidence April 30, 2024 A number of surveys have said that business confidence in the UK is on the up and the economy is set to rebound. But dig a little deeper, the news might not quite be as rosy as it sounds, Chris Dorrell writes
Watch out FTSE 100: Bloomberg is coming after ‘entrenched’ players April 30, 2024 The indices were launched last month in the UK as well as France, Germany, Italy and a range of other countries around the world.
London business confidence falls fast but economy as a whole remains optimistic April 30, 2024 "Businesses are feeling increasingly confident about the economy, coinciding with falling inflation and hopes that interest rates will start to fall this year," Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist at Lloyds said.
FTSE 100 today: London markets set to extend record streak on strong global cues April 30, 2024 Asian stocks tracked Wall Street's gains, while Japan's yen held firm after suspected intervention spurred sharp gains. Oil prices dipped amidst Israel-Gaza ceasefire talks, and China's factory activity expanded for the second month. Investor attention was on the upcoming Fed policy decision and earnings reports from Amazon.com and Coca-Cola.
China’s April activity growth slows, raising doubts on economic recovery April 30, 2024 China experienced a slowdown in growth in both its manufacturing and services activities in April, indicating a sluggish start to the second quarter for the world's No. 2 economy.
UK firms want tax incentives to invest in employee health amid growing sickness crisis April 30, 2024 The report comes amid a growing debate about the impact of long-term sickness on the UK labour force.