PM’s ex-economic adviser urges govt to go ‘further’ on coronavirus loans April 24, 2020 A former chief economic adviser to Boris Johnson has urged the government to underwrite 100 per cent of coronavirus business loans. Speaking exclusively to City A.M. editor Christian May on the City View podcast, Dr Gerard Lyons called on the government to do more to funnel loans to small businesses hit by coronavirus. Lyons said [...]
‘Catastrophic’: German business sentiment crashes to new low amid coronavirus April 24, 2020 Business optimism in Germany is at “catastrophic” levels according to a closely watched gauge that has dropped to its lowest point on record as coronavirus ravages Europe’s biggest economy. The Ifo Institute think tank’s business climate index slumped to 74.3 points in April from 85.9 points in March. Never before has the index fallen so [...]
Consumer confidence teeters on brink of record low during coronavirus lockdown April 24, 2020 Consumer confidence plummeted at the beginning of April but held steady for the rest of the month as the UK adjusted to life under lockdown. The latest research showed that consumer confidence stayed at minus 34 points throughout the month, just five points above the record low reported in July 2008. The measure for the [...]
US jobless claims hit 26m since coronavirus lockdown began April 23, 2020 The number of Americans making jobless claims surged again last week, meaning roughly 26m people made unemployment claims in a five-week period that has seen coronavirus wipe out all of the jobs created since the financial crisis. New jobless claims hit 4.4m last week, the US Labor Department said today. This was a slight fall [...]
Bank of England policymaker: UK economy in worst slump ‘in centuries’ April 23, 2020 The UK economy is experiencing the fastest and deepest contraction in “the past century or possibly several centuries” during the coronavirus lockdown, a Bank of England rate-setter has said. However, Bank monetary policy committee (MPC) member Gertjan Vlieghe, also said that “in principle” the economy “should return approximately to the pre-virus trajectory” if it is [...]
UK to raise £225bn from bond sales to fund coronavirus measures April 23, 2020 The UK government is planning a huge increase in bond sales to fund its economic response to the coronavirus, selling roughly four times as much debt over the next three months than originally planned in the March Budget. The Treasury said it will try to raise £180bn from investors in the bond markets over the [...]
UK economy suffers unprecedented slump amid coronavirus lockdown April 23, 2020 The UK economy suffered an unprecedented blow in April as the coronavirus lockdown choked off demand, according to a closely watched gauge which slumped to its lowest level since records began. The IHS Markit/Cips composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) crashed to a reading of 12.9 in April. This was the worst score since the survey [...]
UK borrowing higher than expected before coronavirus lockdown April 23, 2020 The UK went over its borrowing target for the most recent financial year, it revealed today, but coronavirus spending is set to dwarf its budget deficit. Borrowing between April 2019 and March 2020 rose to £48.7bn, compared to forecasts of £47.4bn, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). But a swathe of public spending [...]
Eurozone output and employment suffer record falls in April April 23, 2020 The Eurozone economy suffered the biggest falls in employment and activity on record in April as governments across the continent all but shut down their countries in response to the spread of coronavirus. The IHS Markit composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – a closely watched gauge of activity – collapsed to 13.5, the lowest score [...]
Eurozone consumer confidence hits lows last seen in financial crisis April 22, 2020 European consumer confidence tumbled this month towards the record lows seen during the financial crisis in 2009 as the continent braces itself for a deep recession caused by coronavirus lockdowns. The European Commission (EC) today said its gauge of consumer confidence for the Eurozone fell to minus 22.7 points, down from minus 11.6 in March. [...]