German business costs accelerate at quickest pace on record September 20, 2022 German business costs have soared at the fastest rate ever in a sign that more financial woe is set to be heaped on consumers. Input prices, known as the producer price index, surged 45.8 per cent last month, according to Germany’s statistics agency. The record jump was driven by a near tripling in electricity prices. [...]
US dollar this year has become the only asset in town September 20, 2022 Investors have had an insatiable appetite for US dollars this year. According to the Wall Street Journal’s dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of some of the world’s top currencies, the dollar is its strongest for over a decade. One dollar will buy you the greatest amount of Japanese yen since the [...]
Federal Reserve and Bank of England set to tighten policy once again this week September 19, 2022 The US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England this week are set to hike interest rates steeply again in a bid to chase down scorching inflation, investors are betting. The two central banks are expected to look through recession fears and continue their fight against historic price rises. Despite inflation dropping to 8.3 per [...]
City braces for BoE rate hike and mini-budget September 19, 2022 The City is bracing for a bumper week of economic data and policy announcements in a trading week shortened by the UK bank holiday for The Queen’s funeral. London’s premier FTSE 100 index posted mixed performance last week, initially jumping higher before closing 1.56 per cent lower at 7,236.68 points. Its mid-cap domestically-focused counterpart, the [...]
UK jobs market on course to lose steam amid economic slump September 16, 2022 The UK jobs market is on course to finally lose some steam, driven by firms cutting staff in response to swelling costs and weaker consumer spending, a new survey published last night revealed. A historic inflation surge is likely to throw the UK into recession as soon as this quarter, forcing firms to cut costs. [...]
London’s FTSE 100 bumped higher by investors pouring into UK banks September 15, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 bounced higher today driven by inventors pouring into banks on expectations of more interest rate rises from the Bank of England. The capital’s premier index rose 0.07 per cent to 7,282.07 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, climbed 0.2 [...]
UK consumer confidence falls into negative territory for first time since 2020 September 15, 2022 Confidence among UK consumers has fallen into negative territory for the first time since June 2020, according to a survey. The Consumer Confidence Index from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) fell by 4.2 points in August from 103.0 to 98.8, the largest decline since the early stages of the pandemic. [...]
London’s FTSE 100 dips after weaker than expected UK inflation September 14, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 dripped lower today after fresh figures revealed UK inflation is cooling. The capital’s premier index tumbled 1.47 per cent to 7,277.30 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, slid 1.66 per cent to below the 19,000 point mark. Traders were [...]
China in three decade oil demand hit amid economic slowdown September 14, 2022 China oil consumption is set to shrink by the greatest amount in three decades, driven by Beijing’s adherence to strict Covid-19 restrictions to tame the virus, the world’s energy watchdog said today. Oil demand will drop around three per cent this year caused by economic activity taking a hit from Beijing’s zero-Covid tolerance policy, the [...]
Inflation drops for first time in nearly a year, but BoE still on rate hike path September 14, 2022 Inflation in the UK dropped for the first time in nearly a year, but will do little to stop the Bank of England from continuing to hike interest rates, City economists said today. Prices climbed 9.9 per cent over the year to August, down from a 40-year high rate of 10.1 in July, according to [...]