BoE deputy governor voted for ‘front-loaded’ tightening to quash wage pressures February 22, 2022 Strengthening wage pressures risking further upside inflation surprises led a deputy governor at the Bank of England to vote for a “front-loaded tightening in monetary policy”. Sir Dave Ramsden, a member of the Bank’s rate setting committee who voted for a 50 basis point rate hike at Threadneedle Street’s last meeting, said yesterday further hikes [...]
City investors spooked by Russian forces moving into Ukraine February 22, 2022 Russian forces moving into eastern Ukraine sent City investors looking for direction yesterday as London’s top indexes posted a mixed day. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index added 0.13 per cent to reach 7,494.21 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 0.49 per [...]
Factory prices set to accelerate at fastest rate since mid-1970s as inflationary pressures bulge February 22, 2022 Factory prices are set to soar at their fastest pace since the mid 1970s as inflationary pressures in the UK economy dial up, according to a closely watched survey published today. A net balance of 77 per cent of British manufacturers intend to hike prices over the next three months, according to a survey by [...]
Government interest bill hits highest ever level for a January February 22, 2022 The government’s interest bill swelled to its level ever for a January since records began in the late 1990s as inflation burns a hole in the UK’s public finances. The amount the government spent on servicing its debt hit £6.1bn last month, up £4.5bn over the last year, according to the Office for National Statistics [...]
London indexes slump amid Russia-Ukraine escalation February 21, 2022 London’s top indexes plunged yesterday as investors were spooked by an apparent escalation in Russia-Ukraine tensions. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index lost 0.39 per cent to dip to 7,484.33 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dropped 1.24 per cent to 21,097.19 points. [...]
Scrapping of Plan B curbs turbocharges UK services economy February 21, 2022 The British economy appears to be weathering the cost of living storm as the drag on businesses and households from pandemic curbs peters out. The scrapping of Plan B restrictions prompted Brits to pour back to high streets, pubs, bars and restaurants, lifting output in the services economy to an eight month high of 60.8 [...]
Government should have allowed airlines to collapse, according to new report February 21, 2022 The government should have allowed airlines to collapse during the Covid-19 crisis to improve the long-term performance of the travel sector, according to a new report published today. The wave of taxpayer money drilled into airlines to ensure they survived the sharp drop off in passenger volumes has made the sector more imbalanced, the Institute [...]
Homebuyers flood back to London amid return to office February 21, 2022 Movers are flocking back to London as the spectre of the Covid-19 crisis over the capital’s housing market fades away, reveals fresh figures published today. The scrapping of restrictions on daily life to curb infections and the return to the office is driving homebuyers to put London back at the top of their desired locations. [...]
Exclusive: One in every four shops in Cheapside are empty February 21, 2022 Oone in every four shops in Cheapside are empty, reveals research shared exclusively with City A.M. The shop vacancy rate in the shopping precinct between Bank and St. Paul’s stations has shot up from just 3.4 per cent in 2019, before the pandemic, to nearly 25 per cent this year, according to Colliers. Retailers’ income [...]
Rampant inflation to swell government’s interest bill once again February 20, 2022 Soaring inflation will swell the government’s interest bill to eye-watering levels, official figures released this week are expected to show. The cost of servicing the UK’s stock of debt has already broken several records in recent months, including hitting its highest ever level for a December at £8.1bn. Fresh figures published by the Office for [...]