The US is down, but it is far from out September 30, 2009 THERE is nothing better for the soul than a visit to New York. London is the greatest City on earth; but the Big Apple comes a close second. America has suffered even more badly than Britain from the crisis: a greater number of homes have been repossessed, millions have lost their jobs and vast wealth [...]
Play the Bank’s QE decision with a punt on gilts October 25, 2009 THIS year we have witnessed the Bank of England take the unprecedented step of buying billions of pounds worth of assets – mostly government bonds – in order to loosen monetary policy further than can be achieved through interest rate cuts alone. It goes without saying that this policy of quantitative easing (QE) has had [...]
UK output bottomed out in May August 5, 2009 BRITAIN’S economy is finally starting to stabilise, a top think-tank said yesterday. The National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said that it was hopeful that May would prove to be the trough of economic activity. The news comes ahead of the Bank of England’s crucial decision today on whether or not to extend [...]
UK output bottomed out in May August 5, 2009 BRITAIN’S economy is finally starting to stabilise, a top think-tank said yesterday. The National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said that it was hopeful that May would prove to be the trough of economic activity. The news comes ahead of the Bank of England’s crucial decision today on whether or not to extend [...]
Deflation fears rule out early rate hikes August 12, 2009 INFLATION is forecast to remain well below the Bank of England’s two per cent target until at least 2011 if interest rates were to rise in line with market expectations, the Bank of England said yesterday in its quarterly Inflation Report. But should interest rates remain at 0.5 per cent and quantitative easing (QE) at [...]
THE TIPSTER UPTICK PUTS MPC DECISION IN FOCUS September 6, 2009 FOLLOWING last week’s gloomy forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), spread betters will be watching the Bank of England’s policy decision on Thursday closely. While rates are expected to remain on hold at 0.5 per cent and quantitative easing at £175bn, investors will listen carefully to see what they’ll say about [...]
City divided on how to use quantitative easing money August 2, 2009 The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) faces a tough decision this week when it meets to discuss its next steps on quantitative easing (QE). The Bank last week exhausted the £125bn of Treasury money it said it would pump into the banking system, and must now decide at its monthly meeting whether to [...]
Inflation rate holds steady but will drop August 18, 2009 INFLATION unexpectedly held steady in July, as rises in the prices of games, toys and hobbies offset falls in the cost of food and drinks. But economists warned that deflation still looms. The Office for National Statistics said that the consumer price index (CPI) – the government’s preferred measure – was unchanged from June, keeping [...]
ROLET BRINGS IN THE BANKING BIG HITTERS TO EYE UP M&A TARGETS September 30, 2009 MUCHOS excitement on the markets yesterday after Xavier Rolet continued in his quest to stamp his mark on the London Stock Exchange by axing its long-standing M&A advisers. Rolet has made no secret of his ambitious plans for the exchange, which he hopes to turn into a £10bn business via a number of strategic acquisitions [...]
Glistening gold gives ETF investors protection against future inflation September 9, 2009 EARLIER this week, gold powered through the psychologically important $1,000 an ounce level, rising as high as $1,007.45. December 2009 US gold futures rose to $1,009.4 per ounce. The rise in interest in gold has also caused ripples in the world of exchange-traded commodities (ETCs), where gold ETCs have seen the biggest inflows this year [...]