With PMIs suggesting strong growth in the UK economy at the end of 2016, will it remain robust in 2017? January 6, 2017 Ruth Lea, economic adviser at Arbuthnot Banking Group, says Yes. The latest Markit survey results found that business activity picked up appreciably in December in all three sectors – manufacturing, construction and services, suggesting that growth remained buoyant in the final quarter. Moreover, I expect growth to remain fairly robust in 2017, at around 1.5 [...]
Buyer, beware: Bitcoin collecting could dig a hole in your pockets January 6, 2017 The rally in bitcoin over the past week, culminating in its rise to a three-year high yesterday, should provide vindication to policymakers in the UK over their approach to the cryptocurrency. For while other governments have adopted less-than-welcoming approaches to the technology, the UK was embracing it wholeheartedly. As bitcoin began to grab headlines in [...]
The UK boosted its productivity potential last year, but Brexit could push it back down again January 5, 2017 The UK's comparative potential for productivity grew last year, but a bad Brexit deal could see it slip back down the rankings, research released today has found. The country crept up from 14th to 13th place in KPMG's Variables for Sustained Growth (VSG) Index, which rates the productivity potential in different countries. The final VSG score [...]
Renminbi continues two-day rally as China’s government steps in to limit capital outflows January 5, 2017 China’s currency continued its sharp two-day rally on Thursday as investors react to the prospect of tighter government controls on capital outflows announced at the end of last year. China’s renminbi has sharply jumped off lows approaching Rmb7 to the dollar as traders and businesses rush to secure the currency outside of the country. Renminbi has [...]
Happy housebuilders push FTSE 100 to yet another high January 5, 2017 The FTSE 100 hit yet another record high today, after it was pushed up by housebuilders following encouraging results from Persimmon. It's the second time this week the index has set an intraday record, having jumped to 7,205 points on Tuesday. However, sluggish trading caused it to slip back, and it finished just below 7,200 points, [...]
Oil prices lift as Saudi Arabia looks to bolster Opec deal with customer talks and US crude inventories have unexpected fall January 5, 2017 The price of the black stuff lifted more than one per cent today as Saudi Arabia started talks to support an Opec-led production cut and a report showed the amount of oil the US keeps in reserve fell last week. Global benchmark Brent crude was up 1.5 per cent, or $0.83, to $57.29 a barrel [...]
The US services sector ended 2016 on a strong note, confirms the purchasing managers’ index January 5, 2017 The US services sector expanded in December at the same rate as November, continuing healthy growth in the month before Donald Trump becomes US President, according to an important indicator of economic activity. The non-manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stayed flat at 57.2, indicating a continued expansion in the sector for the 83rd month in [...]
Eurozone producer prices rise for the first time since June 2013, although ECB may be left in a quandary January 5, 2017 Producer prices in the Eurozone increased for the first time in over three years, as inflation finally starts to take hold. The annual rate of producer price inflation rose to 0.1 per cent in November, breaking a trend which had been in place since June 2013. Energy price rises of 0.7 per cent were the [...]
Three important investment lessons to take from 2016 January 5, 2017 Did anybody anywhere in the world put an accumulator bet on the UK voting to leave the European Union, Donald Trump winning the US presidential election and Leicester City winning the Premier League? The bookmakers believe not and you’d think they might have noticed – after all, these events were considered so unlikely that just [...]
The dominant UK services sector reaches 17-month high in December as domestic demand increases strongly January 5, 2017 Economic activity in the UK’s dominant services sector ended 2016 on strong form to reach a 17-month high, according to an important indicator. The services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose beyond expectations for the third month in a row to 56.2 compared to a 55.2 reading the month before, according to IHS Markit. This is [...]