Six charts that show why high food prices aren’t going away August 2, 2022 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted a sharp jump in the price of some food commodities and the impact looks set to be long-lasting. Price moves for some agricultural commodities have been dramatic since Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February. The chart below shows how prices have jumped, with wheat gaining most. We believe [...]
Insolvencies surge to highest rates since financial crash as voluntary bankruptcies hit record levels August 2, 2022 The UK government’s Insolvency Service today said it recorded a higher number of insolvencies over the past three months than at any other point in more than a decade, after the numbers of companies declaring voluntary bankruptcies hit their highest levels since records began. The past three months saw a total of 5,629 English and [...]
Claims globalisation has ‘had its heyday’ are premature, Lloyd’s chief executive says August 2, 2022 Claims the dual shocks of Covid and the war in Ukraine have halted the “all conquering forces of globalisation” are “premature,” Lloyd’s of London chief executive John Neal told City A.M. In an op-ed in this newspaper, the insurance chief said that while we will “rightly see a degree of retreat and retrenchment” in [...]
London markets lose early gains despite UK banks’ best efforts August 1, 2022 A bumper crop of results from Britain’s largest lender and Asia-focused HSBC initially boosted London markets today, before an afternoon collapse. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.13 per cent to 7,413.42 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, added 0.22 per [...]
Brits scale down inflation expectations in sign BoE rate hikes are quashing price pressures August 1, 2022 British households are scaling down their expectations for future inflation in a sign that the Bank of England’s series of rate hikes are curbing price pressures, a fresh survey published today revealed. The UK public in July thought inflation will settle at 3.8 per cent in five years, down from four per cent in June, according [...]
This Is The Best Day To Be In The Office August 1, 2022 We never thought we’d get there in the middle of the WFH-depths of the pandemic, but here we are: many of us are now back in the office a couple of days a week. It’s an opportunity to connect with colleagues, spend exorbitant amounts of money on overpriced oat milk lattes from the hipster cafe [...]
Economic downturn pummels UK factories August 1, 2022 UK factories are succumbing to a concoction of downside risks that have shifted the sector into “reverse gear,” a closely watched survey published today revealed. Activity in the British manufacturing sector last month plunged to a 25-month low of 52.1, down from 52.8 in June and slightly below analysts’ expectations, according to S&P Global’s purchasing [...]
Exclusive: UK small businesses on high recession alert August 1, 2022 British sole traders and small businesses are battening down the hatches in preparation for a looming recession, exclusive research shared with City A.M. reveals. Over three quarters of small firms are fretting over the UK economy steering into reverse, according to fintech firm iwoca. Firms are scrambling to boost their cash reserves to help weather [...]
Brits struggle to cut back as inflation eats into budgets August 1, 2022 Brits are struggling to find any more areas of spending to cut back on to keep their finances above water, a new survey published today reveals. Over one in 10 households will have nothing else to slash from their budgets when the October energy price cap hike lands, according to a survey by Legal and [...]
Sky-high inflation slows UK private sector economy to ‘standstill’ August 1, 2022 Consumers reacting to scaling prices by cutting spending is expected to grind the UK economy to a halt, new surveys published today revealed. Private sector firms think they will squeeze out zero growth over the next three months, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the country’s largest business lobby group. Businesses are beginning [...]