ECB ramps up bond-buying programme by €500bn December 10, 2020 The European Central Bank (ECB) has ramped up its bond-buying programme by €500bn (£456bn) in an effort to limit the economic damage from rising coronavirus cases and new restrictions across the continent. ECB governor Christine Lagarde said the central bank expects the Eurozone economy to have contracted in the final quarter of the year. She [...]
Economic recovery slowed in October as UK GDP hit 0.4 per cent December 10, 2020 The UK’s economic recovery ground to a halt in October as lockdown restrictions tightened and the hospitality industry took a hit. GDP rose 0.4 per cent in October according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) statistics, down from a 1.1 per cent growth in September. It is the sixth consecutive monthly increase in [...]
Pay no attention to the left-wing brigade, a Covid wealth tax would be a disaster December 10, 2020 It is incredible how, in the 12 years since the financial crisis, the position of so many organisations has changed. In 2008/9, think tanks like the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) argued that the British day-to-day deficit required prudent reforms to public spending, while those on the left claimed that there wasn’t a problem and [...]
Reed chair’s fear of ‘tsunami of job losses’ turns to a bullish call rejecting a UK double-dip recession December 9, 2020 The founder and chairman of recruitment company and jobs giant Reed, James Reed has done a screeching U-turn on his outlook for the UK economy and jobs market.
Hurrah for a vaccine — but was lockdown actually worth it? December 9, 2020 The development of the vaccines has changed many things. It has even influenced the opinion of the Prince of Lockdown himself, health secretary Matt Hancock. Life, he pronounced at the weekend, would be back to normal by the spring and the “blasted regulations” abolished. But one thing has remained constant: the government’s continued refusal to [...]
Stricter regulation is actually a blessing December 8, 2020 | City Talk ‘Stay safe’ has become more than just a mantra these past six months. Governments have used the phrase to explain why restrictions to everyday life are needed. We read it on posters in the street and on shop doors. We even sign off our emails to friends and colleagues with it. Yet there is more [...]
UK hiring outlook weakest in Europe as Covid hits London jobs market December 8, 2020 UK companies are the most pessimistic in Europe about hiring in the first quarter of next year, according to a major survey, with London’s jobs outlook hitting its lowest level on record as the hospitality industry is battered by coronavirus. However, the overall jobs outlook for the UK for the first three months of next [...]
World Economic Forum to be held in Singapore in May December 7, 2020 From Davos ski fields to Singapore: World Economic Forum now heads to Southeast Asian city-state
The solution to the Covid economic crisis is more markets, not more government December 7, 2020 The Covid-19 crisis has caused an unprecedented contraction of the global economy. While it is remarkable how quickly and decisively governments and central banks reacted to the pandemic to bolster their economies, prevent the collapse of financial markets and seek to preserve jobs, our attention must now turn to how to deliver a sustainable economic [...]
Climate change analysis: what tools do investors need? December 7, 2020 | City Talk ‘Climate Change Analysis in the Investment Process’ is a significant report that explores the role of the financial industry in addressing the impact of climate change. Published by CFA Institute in September 2020, the report includes case studies of firms that are integrating climate-related analysis into their investment models. The report also provides six recommendations [...]