UK economy stumbles behind Euro peers as risk of recession gathers pace January 24, 2023 The UK economy is falling further behind its international rivals and experts, according to a closely watched survey. The survey by economists has revealed Britain’s services industry, which generates about £2 in every £3 in the country, is shrinking at the fastest pace in two years. S&P Global and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and [...]
UK borrowing hits December record of £27.4bn piling pressure on Hunt ahead of March budget January 24, 2023 UK borrowing in December hit its highest total in 30 years driven upwards by the government’s debt interest bill soaring due to raging inflation, official figures out today show. The government took on £27.4bn of debt last month, the largest amount since records began in 1993, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The [...]
Why is the FTSE 100 nearing a record high with a recession looming? It ain’t the economy, stupid January 24, 2023 The FTSE 100 is becoming one massive hedge fund. That’s why it’s doing so well when all the doomsters have warned the UK is headed for a long, albeit shallow, recession over the next year. Of course, the stock market isn’t the economy. How many high street coffee shop owners do you know that worry [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index shakes off poor week as Ocado shines again January 23, 2023 London’s premier FTSE 100 index kicked off a fresh week in positive style today after registering its first five day loss of 2023 last week. The capital’s top index jumped 0.18 per cent to 7,784.68 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, rose [...]
Spotify’s revenue slow down will lead to 600 job losses, as tech giant becomes the latest to cull staff January 23, 2023 Spotify will be cutting its global workforce by nearly six per cent with around 600 people expected to lose their jobs. The music streaming platform has joined fellow tech giants including Amazon, Google, Meta and Twitter in laying off staff, with tens-of-thousands of workers being laid off in recent weeks. Last November Meta, the owner [...]
Recession to be more than twice as bad as first feared, forecasters warn January 23, 2023 The much touted coming recession in Britain will be twice as bad as first feared, new forecasts out today reveal. Soaring prices coupled with the Bank of England’s efforts to tame them are set to deal a heavier blow to GDP than projected just a few months ago. According to the EY Item Club, the [...]
Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt to shun tax cuts in March budget despite £11bn energy windfall January 23, 2023 Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak will hold fire on tax cuts at the 15 March budget despite being handed an around £11bn windfall from international energy prices falling to pre-Russia-Ukraine war levels, according to top economists’ predictions gathered by City A.M. Brits will have to wait until the run up to the next general election, [...]
Bankers switching firms trouser more than 20 per cent pay bump January 23, 2023 City bankers, brokers and insurers switching to a rival firm trousered a more than 20 per cent pay bump last year, new research out today shows. The Square Mile’s best and brightest are switching companies in a bid to capitalise on rapid wage inflation in the financial services sector. According to recruiter Morgan McKinley, the [...]
Week ahead: Recession signals to flare up in fresh PMI and government borrowing to hit £18bn January 22, 2023 Investors this week will be eyeing fresh surveys for more clues on whether the UK economy has slipped into recession. London’s premier FTSE 100 index’s strong start to 2023 came off the boil slightly last week, shedding nearly one per cent to close at 7,770.59 points, while its mid-cap domestically-focused peer the FTSE 250 dropped [...]
Davos round-up: Optimism, the dangers of forecasting and subsidy competition January 20, 2023 Optimism As Davos draws to a close, participants will likely leave feeling more optimistic than when they arrived. There was a mood of gentle optimism throughout, stoked by China’s reopening, rising hopes Europe can avoid a recession and continuing signs US inflation has passed its peak. IMF managing director Kristilina Georgieva cautiously joined the chorus [...]