Germany registers first trade deficit since 1991 on surging energy prices July 5, 2022 Surging European energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left Germany with its first trade deficit in over three decades, official figures released today revealed. German imports outstripped exports for the first time since 1991, generating a €1bn (£862m) trade deficit in May, according to the country’s statistics agency. Exports dropped 0.5 per [...]
London markets kick off new week in mixed style as BP and Shell jump July 4, 2022 London markets kicked off a new trading week in mixed fashion today, with the FTSE 100 led higher by oil and gas giants. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index jumped 0.89 per cent to 7,232.65 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dipped [...]
4 Signs You’re Underpaid And What You Can Do About It July 4, 2022 We’re hearing a lot of buzz about it being a “job seekers market” and there is a big push within tech firms to hire specialist staff such as developers and engineers, many of whom are in short supply, which is driving up salaries. Despite recent news of staff cuts and hiring freezes in some areas [...]
Workers lose over £9k of yearly income rises during ‘lost decade’ July 4, 2022 Brits have lost over £9,000 of annual income rises during and just before the “lost decade” after the global financial crisis, reveals a fresh report published today. Typical household income growth has ground to a halt of just 0.7 per cent per year between 2005 and 2020, while incomes surged 2.3 per cent each year [...]
Week ahead: Traders eye rate setter speeches for signs of quicker tightening July 3, 2022 Investors this week will be looking for signs of the Bank of England launching a 50 basis point rate rise at its next meeting on 4 August. London’s premier FTSE 100 index posted a mild performance over last week, dropping 0.56 per cent to end at 7,168.65 points. The domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index however [...]
Mounting downturn jitters send London’s FTSE 100 lower June 30, 2022 Mounting concerns about a global economic downturn sent London’s top indexes tumbling today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index shed 1.96 per cent to close at 7,169.28 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 1.95 per cent to 18,666.78 points. A combination [...]
Johnson says sky-high inflation is ‘big chance’ to fix cost pressures and ‘do things differently’ as PM denies being complacent June 30, 2022 The Prime Minister said today there is a “big chance” to fix unnecessary cost pressures for people and businesses across the UK as Boris Johnson denied that his Government is being “complacent” about spiralling inflation. Speaking at a press conference at the close of the Nato summit in Madrid, Johnson said the “very, very tight [...]
Nearly 2m more Brits trapped by higher tax rates since 2019 Tory election win June 30, 2022 Boris Johnson has heaped higher tax rates on nearly 2m more Brits since he won the 2019 general election, reveal official figures published today. The number of people paying the higher rate of income tax has swelled to 6.14m, up around 1.88m since Johnson led the Conservatives to a huge majority two and a half [...]
UK more likely than US and Europe to tip into recession, Goldman Sachs warns June 30, 2022 The UK is more likely to tip into recession than the US and Europe due to the country suffering from a more “acute” cost of living crisis, a top Wall Street investment bank has warned. Rampant inflation in Britain, running at a four decade high of 9.1 per cent and the highest in the G7, [...]
Brits’ disposable incomes fell once more at the start of the year June 30, 2022 Brits’ disposable income tumbled further in the first quarter of the year, according to official statistics. According to the Office for National Statistics, Real Household Disposable Income (RHDI) dropped by 0.2 per cent in the quarter of January to March. While nominal household gross disposable income grew, it was offset by quarterly household inflation. This [...]