British businesses prepare to hike prices en masse January 6, 2022 British businesses are bracing for a cost assault by preparing to hike prices, reveals fresh research released today. Almost three in five firms expect to lift prices in the next three months, the highest proportion ever recorded, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Intention to lift prices is seeping into most corners of [...]
City firms shake up UK jobs market but stalling change cuts off routes to higher pay January 6, 2022 City firms are changing the landscape of the UK jobs market, reveals a fresh study released today. Over the course of the last decade, the professional services sector underwent the biggest structural shake up of any other in the UK economy, according to the economic think tank the Resolution Foundation (the Foundation). In the last [...]
Baroness Lane Fox on digitalisation, accessibility and equality January 6, 2022 | City Talk This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. Digitalisation is supercharging business practice, but it must not happen at the expense of accessibility and equality, Baroness Lane Fox tells Laurence Eastham Baroness Martha Lane Fox is one of the UK’s leading voices in technology and digital transformation. It’s a reputation that has been well earned, not [...]
London markets open flat as travel sector rally loses steam January 5, 2022 London markets posted a mixed performance yesterday as a rally among travel and airline stocks lost some steam. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 0.16 per cent higher at 7,516.87 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned to the health of the UK economy, lost 0.53 per cent to finish [...]
CPI inflation to scale to highest rate in recent history this spring and smash Bank of England’s expectations January 5, 2022 Inflation will hit a record high and smash the Bank of England’s expectations this year, according to bets laid by City analysts. The UK’s mainstream measure of inflation will accelerate to a peak of 6.8 per cent this April, propelled higher by swelling energy bills, investment banking giant Goldman Sachs warned yesterday. However, the cost [...]
Tough Omicron curbs whack European economy as growth dips to nine-month low January 5, 2022 Reimpositions of tough measures to curb the spread of coronavirus across Europe whacked the bloc’s economy last month, reveals a closely watched survey released today. The Eurozone economy grew at the slowest monthly pace in nine months in December, according to IHS Markit’s composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI). December’s reading fell to 53.3 from 55.4 [...]
Wave of cost of living concern sweeps across Britain January 5, 2022 A wave of concern over the soaring cost of living is sweeping across Britain, reveals fresh figures released today. Over half of households are worried the cost of living crisis will hit their living standards this year, according to research carried out by high street bank TSB. Nearly one in three Brits are concerned their [...]
London markets soar on first session of 2022 January 4, 2022 London markets soared today during the first trading session of the new year as investors take an optimistic view on Omicron. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index shot up 1.63 per cent to close at 7,505.15 points during the first hour of trading, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned to the [...]
Exclusive: The challenges and hurdles City finance chiefs will face in 2023 January 4, 2022 Firms across practically every industry in the UK are facing a bleak economic winter ahead, but where is that playing out and what hurdles do the incoming storm clouds bring in 2023? City firms will be turning to one senior figure to understand these issue and look to keep the ship afloat – the Chief [...]
From price inflation and Brexit rows to Evergrande and Biden v Putin: Here are the market risks to watch this year January 4, 2022 The world is a pretty turbulent and unpredictable place at the moment, with Covid variants not making life easier. From tensions between Russia and the US over Ukraine’s NATO membership to Brexit conflicts and China’s Evergrande property scandal, 2022 is set to become everything but dull. So what developments and issues could disrupt or disturb [...]