Federal Reserve pauses interest rate rise campaign as US inflation subsides June 14, 2023 The US Federal Reserve today held off on firing interest rates higher for the first time in over a year, electing to wait and see what impact prior increases have had on the world’s largest economy before straining households and businesses further. Chair Jerome Powell and the rest of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) [...]
UK economy swings back to growth but spectre of recession looms amid interest rate fears June 14, 2023 Britain’s economy swung back to growth in spring, but the recent turmoil in the mortgage market and the prospect of the Bank of England hiking interest rates aggressively has put the risk of a recession back on the table. Official figures out today from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed gross domestic product – [...]
FTSE 100 close: Rio Tinto and Glencore hoist London index as UK economy resumes growth June 14, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 jumped today, led higher by industrial giants offsetting losses among retail and consumer-focused firms and housebuilders. The capital’s premier index added 0.1 per cent to close at 7,602.75 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, was largely unchanged at 19,175.50 [...]
Pound hits highest level against US dollar in over a year as traders bet Bank of England will outmuscle Fed June 14, 2023 Pound sterling today climbed to its highest level against the US dollar in over a year, driven upwards by investors betting that the Bank of England will surpass the Federal Reserve in its interest rate rise cycle to bring down inflation. Britain’s currency jumped around 0.7 per cent today to nearly $1.27, taking it to [...]
Britcoin: Digital pound will not be introduced without a Parliamentary vote June 14, 2023 Lawmakers agreed that the digital pound, or ‘Britcoin’, should not be introduced without proper parliamentary scrutiny. Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Forsyth said the notion that the Treasury and the Bank of England could introduce the digital pound “without having proper parliamentary scrutiny… is utterly ridiculous.” The Bank of England and Treasury are [...]
US inflation slips to lowest level in two years and to more than half of UK rate June 13, 2023 Inflation in the US has fallen to its lowest level in two years, setting Britain even further out as suffering the toughest price pressures in the developed world, official figures out today show. Prices rose four per cent over the year to May, down from a rate of 4.9 per cent in the previous month, [...]
Bank of England to hoist interest rates to 5.75 per cent as experts warn UK inflation is out of control June 13, 2023 The Bank of England will have to hike interest rates to their highest level since July 2007, the eve of the financial crisis, in a sign that markets think the UK has the worst inflation problem in the rich world. Traders ratcheted up bets on how high Bank Governor Andrew Bailey and the rest of [...]
Wages jump at fastest pace outside of Covid-19 but inflation erodes finances for 18th straight month June 13, 2023 Workers in Britain have pocketed the largest pay increases on record outside of the Covid-19 pandemic, but inflation is still sharply eroding their finances, official figures out today reveals. Numbers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the average worker in the UK received a 7.2 per cent wage increase in the three months [...]
Bank of England ratesetter: Mortgage pain will affect our decision on interest rates June 13, 2023 The Bank of England’s decision on the interest rate will be shaped by the severity of the coming mortgage shock on households, according to one Threadneedle Street ratesetter. Catherine Mann, who sits on the Bank’s monetary policy committee, said that households had been “very resilient” in the face of inflation so far but said there are [...]
The Notebook: Ian Whittaker is sceptical about AI – plus his take on the Telegraph takeover June 13, 2023 The Notebook is a column where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s Ian Whittaker, media analyst and founder of Liberty Sky Advisors Is AI’s biggest benefit its use as a buzzword? BT announced last month it is cutting up to 55,000 jobs as it restructures and stream lines its business. What particularly caught the [...]