FTSE 100 today: London markets set to open higher on the heels of strong US tech earnings April 26, 2024 Asian stocks rallied alongside a strong tech sector fuelled by impressive US earnings. Bank of Japan maintained its short-term interest rate target at 0-0.1 per cent. Oil prices climbed, while Microsoft and Alphabet shares surged post-earnings beats. Investors await US inflation data and focus on ExxonMobil and NatWest earnings.
Brits’ optimism shrinks on soaring inflation and looming tax hikes January 21, 2022 An inflation spike, the re-emergence of Covid-19 restrictions and looming tax hikes have combined to dampen Brits’ confidence in the year ahead, reveals a closely watched survey released today. The erosion of household budgets by inflation climbing to a near three decade high has led to concerns about a deterioration in personal finances to sweep [...]
Shop prices drop as retailers compete for consumers’ pounds July 28, 2021 Prices for products in shops dipped over the last year driven by strong competition between retailers to attract consumers, according to new figures released today. The British Retail Consortium and NielsenIQ’s latest shop price index shows prices in shops fell 1.2 per cent annually in July. Read more: UK inflation hits 2.5 per cent in [...]
UK jobs market recovery accelerates on better than expected consumer spending August 2, 2021 The UK jobs market recovery is accelerating as a stronger than expected rebound in consumer spending is encouraging firms to take on staff, according to new figures released today. Research published by Lloyds Bank shows the proportion of UK businesses expecting to ramp up hiring rose to 18 per cent, a sixth consecutive monthly increase [...]
Why we should be cautious about rising business confidence April 30, 2024 A number of surveys have said that business confidence in the UK is on the up and the economy is set to rebound. But dig a little deeper, the news might not quite be as rosy as it sounds, Chris Dorrell writes
UK lockdown: Consumer confidence remains ‘severely depressed’ May 8, 2020 Consumer confidence in the UK’s lockdown economy remained “severely depressed” at the end of April, although research indicated there could be some pent up consumer demand when restrictions lift. GfK’s consumer confidence index was at minus 33 at the end of April, a one-point increase on the previous score. However, consumer confidence has plummeted 20 [...]
Euro 2020 pushes retail sales above pre-Covid levels July 23, 2021 Retail sales surged above pre-pandemic levels last month as consumers rushed back to high streets to buy products that were unavailable amid Covid lockdowns and splurged on pints during matches at Euro 2020, new figures released today reveal. The volume and value of retail sales in June were up 9.5 per cent and 10.6 per [...]
UK retail industry kicks reliance on alcohol and tobacco sales July 27, 2021 Britain’s retail industry has kicked the habit of relying on alcohol and tobacco sales to generate income, according to a new study published today. The Office for National Statistics estimates that the volume of alcohol and tobacco sales has plummeted 76 per cent over the last three decades. Read more: Euro 2020 pushes retail sales [...]
Vaccine hopes fail to inject consumer confidence during lockdown January 21, 2021 The nation’s largest ever vaccination programme failed to buoy UK consumer confidence during the latest national lockdown, a new survey has shown, as widespread gloom about current Covid restrictions prevailed into the New Year. The closely-watched consumer confidence index from researcher GfK fell two points to minus 28 in January after a slight uptick over [...]
Consumer confidence shows ‘renewed optimism’ against falling core inflation August 25, 2023 Consumer confidence is showing “renewed optimism” against a backdrop of falling core inflation, figures suggest. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index improved five points in August, with all measures reversing the drop seen in July, although it remains firmly in negative territory at minus 25. Confidence in the general economic situation for the next 12 months [...]