Modern Monetary Theory: A shared delusion that will destroy the economy October 27, 2020 As Rishi Sunak announced another multi-billion-pound support package last week, most numerate people would have been boggling at the numbers. How are we ever going to pay all that money back? Surely it means years of austerity, high taxes, or debt for our children and grandchildren to repay? But there is a growing and increasingly [...]
Wall Street leads global stocks slump as Covid-19 infections rise October 26, 2020 Wall Street suffered its worst daily decline in weeks today as global stock markets posted losses amid a rise in new Covid-19 infections. There was a sea of red across the major US indices as markets closed this evening, with the S&P 500 posting its sharpest daily fall in four weeks. The downbeat sentiment across [...]
BoE’s Haldane: Working from home hurting work relationships October 26, 2020 Working from home is damaging people’s “social capital” and making them work longer hours, but more freedom and the end of the commute have increased the happiness of many employees, the Bank of England’s chief economist has suggested.
Oil prices fall on fears of production boost amid surge in Covid-19 cases October 26, 2020 Global oil prices dropped sharply this morning amid fears of a ramp in production even as governments implement more stringent restrictions to cope with a surge in coronavirus cases. Worldwide standard Brent crude shed 2.4 per cent to fall to $40.76, while American benchmark West Texas Intermediate dropped 2.6 per cent to stand at $38.78. [...]
UK consumer confidence drops following new coronavirus restrictions October 26, 2020 The British public became less optimistic about the economy in October as new restrictions were put in place, with consumer confidence falling for the first time in six months. Pessimism about household finances and home values dragged down the overall confidence index produced by polling firm Yougov and economics consultancy the Centre for Economics and [...]
Congratulations Brussels for capturing EU states’ financial sovereignty October 26, 2020 The European Union achieved spectacular market success this month when it launched its new “Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency” bond programme (SURE). The €100bn programme will be used by the EU to support member nations addressing pandemic job security and social welfare weakness over the next year. The first €17bn bond issue [...]
Exclusive: Just 16 per cent of firms trust government on Brexit, according to poll October 24, 2020 Only 16 per cent of UK businesses trust the government to manage Brexit effectively, according to polling shared exclusively with City A.M. Just over 40 per cent of firms said the coronavirus pandemic had derailed their Brexit planning, the polling commissioned by logistics firm One World Express showed. The UK and EU gave themselves less [...]
FTSE 100 jumps amid strong earnings but US stocks mixed October 23, 2020 The FTSE 100 jumped on the final day of a tough week for markets, as investors found some optimism in company earnings, but US stocks were more mixed. The UK’s main stock index was boosted by upbeat results from lender Barclays (BARC). New stimulus measures from chancellor Rishi Sunak yesterday also helped stocks. Read more: [...]
‘Reality check’ time: Mel Stride thinks Boris Johnson will break triple tax lock promise October 23, 2020 The UK needs a “reality check” when it comes to public spending levels and Rishi Sunak is almost certain to break the Tories’ triple tax lock election pledge, according to the chief of Westminster’s Treasury committee. Conservative Central Devon MP, and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Mel Stride told City A.M. in an interview [...]
Coronavirus: UK economic recovery stumbles as business growth slips October 23, 2020 The UK economy’s recovery stumbled in October, according to a new survey, with services sector growth slowing considerably amid rising coronavirus cases and new government measures. The IHS Markit/Cips preliminary purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a gauge of the private sector’s health, fell sharply to 52.9 in October from September’s reading of 56.5. A score above [...]