DEBATE: Should we be worried about yesterday’s services sector PMI data? October 4, 2019 Should we be worried about yesterday’s services sector PMI data? Simon Wilson, director at Icon Solutions, says YES. The UK services sector represents around 80 per cent of our overall economic output, so a contraction in this area should set alarm bells ringing for economists and business owners. The City serves as the engine of [...]
Rising UK recession risk frightens businesses October 4, 2019 The spectre of recession is looming over the British economy with the country’s huge services sector having contracted in September, according to closely-watched survey data from yesterday. Read more: UK recession alarm bells ring as UK service sector contracts The sector – which makes up about 80 per cent of the UK economy – saw [...]
IFS warns government against fuel duty cut October 4, 2019 The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned the government against cutting fuel tax by 2p per litre in the upcoming budget, which it is reportedly considering, saying it would cost the government £1bn a year in lost revenue. Read more: Fuel duty cut on the cards as threat of general election looms The IFS, [...]
US non-manufacturing sectors undershoot expectations October 3, 2019 The US’s non-manufacturing sector severely undershot expectations last month, survey data showed today, continuing the trend of bad economic news from the world’s biggest economy. Read more: Global stock markets bleed red on US-EU trade war fears The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – a gauge of the health of [...]
European policymakers eye up fiscal policy in response to slowdown October 3, 2019 Two senior European policymakers have said fiscal policy – spending and taxing – should be a tool to boost the region’s struggling economy and deal with a potential shock. Read more: Eurozone recession risk ‘very risk’ as slowdown infects service sector European Central Bank (ECB) vice president Luis de Guindo said a “dedicated centralised fiscal [...]
UK recession alarm bells ring as services sector contracts October 3, 2019 The risk of a UK recession has shot up after the huge services sector contracted in September, causing the biggest cut in employment in over nine years, according to closely-watched survey data. Read more: Global stock markets bleed red on US-EU trade war fears The sector – which makes up about 80 per cent of [...]
Eurozone recession risk ‘very real’ as slowdown infects services sector October 3, 2019 Germany slipped into recession territory last month as the Eurozone teetered on the brink of stagnation, data revealed today. The bloc’s biggest economy showed the weakest growth in business activity for three years, according to IHS Markit’s Germany Composite PMI. Read more: Recession alarm bells ring as UK services sector contracts “A technical recession now [...]
Skills shortage to cost small UK businesses £145,000 next year October 3, 2019 Small and medium-sized British businesses face a shortage of skilled employees that will cost them on average £145,000 next year, according to new research. Read more: Brexit prep has cut productivity of UK businesses, says Bank of England The so-called skills gap has widened as a result of “a shrinking talent pool due to Brexit” [...]
FTSE 100 slumps over 2.5 per cent as global economy darkens October 2, 2019 Britain’s FTSE 100 has tumbled 2.6 per cent today as weak economic data and political crisis fuel investor scepticism about the UK economy. Read more: UK construction activity suffers ‘devastating’ drop as Brexit kills demand US stock markets followed their British counterpart sharply downwards shortly after they opened, following more negative data for the world’s [...]
Rising Risk (Part I): Accounting shenanigans and alternative investments October 2, 2019 | City Talk In this first instalment of a two-part piece, Sebastien Canderle says PE fund managers are getting creative with their accounting – and EBITDA seems particularly malleable. Seasoned auditors know that the risk of fraud increases when a client experiences brisk organic growth or M&A activity. During the 1990s, the most spirited dealmakers included telecoms operators [...]