Russia-Ukraine war sends global food prices to record high April 9, 2022 Global food prices have soared to their highest level ever driven by the Russia-Ukraine war choking supplies of basic foodstuffs, revealed an official index released yesterday. World food costs jumped 13 per cent last month, sending the United Nations’s food price index to 159.3 points, a record high. Ukraine is a linchpin in the global [...]
Gen Z notches worst stock market losses April 9, 2022 The global stock market turmoil triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dealt a heavy blow to Gen Z’s portfolio, a new survey released yesterday revealed. Gen Z, people aged 18-25, absorbed the sharpest reduction in returns on their equity investments during the first three months of this year, research by Interactive Investor found. The [...]
Garden products manufacturer Marshalls to buy roof tile maker Marley in deal worth £535m April 6, 2022 FTSE 250 paving stone manufacturer Marshalls is set to acquire roof tile manufacturer Marley Group in a deal worth £535m. The garden materials maker struck a conditional deal to acquire Marley, in line with its plans to “become the UK’s leading manufacturer of products for the built environment.” The West Yorkshire headquartered firm said Marley [...]
Retailer sell off drags down London indexes April 6, 2022 A retailer sell off caused by concerns over a pull back in spending amid a tight cost of living squeeze led London’s top indexes lower today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.34 per cent to 7,587.70 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
UK inflation to scale to twin peaks in April and October April 6, 2022 Inflation in the UK will have twin peaks this year in a sign that households will absorb a double hit to their living standards. At the start of the year, the cost of living was originally forecast to peak in April, driven by the energy watchdog hiking the cap on energy bills 54 per cent. [...]
Bank of England to launch 1980s style rate hike cycle as it scrambles to douse down rampant inflation April 6, 2022 The Bank of England will hike interest rates at the quickest pace since 1988 this year as it scrambles to douse down rampant inflation. 0Threadneedle Street will lift borrowing costs four more times this year, taking the calendar year total number of hikes to six, according to forecasts by investment banking giant JP Morgan. The [...]
UK building firms’ confidence plummets on Russia-Ukraine war April 6, 2022 Existing supply chain disruption intensified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has eroded confidence in the UK construction sector to its lowest level in around a year and a half, reveals a closely watched survey released today. Swelling raw material costs, elongating delays in sourcing components and higher staffing bills all compounded to spike optimism among [...]
New tax year ushers in more woe for businesses and households April 6, 2022 Today marks the start of what will be yearly increases in tax bills for households across the UK as a raft of hikes, threshold freezes and fiscal tweaks come into effect. The new tax year has been ushered in by the much-lamented 1.25 percentage point national hike, which is forecast to deal a more than [...]
Energy giants fuel London indexes ahead of government white paper April 5, 2022 London’s top indexes were boosted by investors pouring into energy stocks yesterday ahead of the UK government publishing its much-awaited energy strategy. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index rose 0.72 per cent to 7,613.72 points, while the domesticall-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, edged 0.13 [...]
The Russia–Ukraine war and other geopolitical risks April 5, 2022 | City Talk The war in Ukraine is dominating the headlines. For now. But the conflict’s indirect reverberations will ripple far beyond the borders of its combatants and their allies. Indeed, they could give rise to new and varied geopolitical risks throughout the world. The war’s potential effect on the global grain supply and food inflation is especially [...]