Mortgage nightmare as investors price in three interest rate hikes September 2, 2026 Investors have priced in three interest rate hikes over the next two years as a global bond market rout sent UK gilt yields soaring. Two-year gilt yields, which gauges short term interest rate expectations, have jumped over 4.5 per cent, pushing up borrowing costs and putting the UK’s economic stability under threat. The Bank of [...]
How the Treasury got ‘fed up’ with the Bank of England’s payments plan September 2, 2026 The government moved to more closely monitor the Bank of England’s overhaul of the UK’s payments system after growing frustrated with the sluggish pace of the plans, industry figures have said. The Treasury revealed last week it would begin tracking the central bank’s progress on payments and digital currencies by introducing a new secondary objective [...]
Shop price inflation hits two-year high as rising energy costs hit consumers September 1, 2026 Shop price inflation has hit a two-year high and is set to climb through the autumn as a surge in energy and commodity costs filters through to consumers, a top business group has found. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents major supermarkets and high street shops across the UK, warned that shop price inflation [...]
Andrew Bailey warns markets are not ready for the rise (or fall) of AI August 31, 2026 The governor of the Bank of England and chair of the Financial Stability Board, Andrew Bailey, has warned that countries are unprepared for the consequences of advanced AI and that the wider economy remains vulnerable to a dramatic market correction triggered by a potential slump in AI and tech stocks. Ahead of a G20 meeting [...]
Government pushes Bank of England to innovate on payments and digital currencies August 27, 2026 The Bank of England will be tracked on its progress on UK payments regulation after it was handed a new objective by ministers. The central bank will be given a new secondary objective to support innovation in payment systems and new forms of digital currencies alongside its main goals of financial stability. The Treasury is [...]
Fed chair Kevin Warsh faces Jackson Hole D-Day August 27, 2026 Kevin Warsh has opted for a less-is-more approach when communicating his feelings on interest rates and inflation. Ahead of his first set piece speech as Federal Reserve chair, investors want to hear more, writes Ali Lyon. When Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh steps up to the wood-panelled stage at this week’s Jackson Hole symposium, investors [...]
Economists urge Bank of England to halt bond sales as borrowing costs climb August 26, 2026 The Bank of England should abort its costly approach to unwinding quantitative easing, which is stoking the government’s elevated borrowing costs and costing the taxpayer billions of pounds, a group of analysts and bond investors have said. The government’s long-term borrowing costs have risen to levels not seen this century, amid unease at the country’s [...]
Soaring energy bills set to fuel inflation spike August 16, 2026 Rising energy prices are poised to send UK inflation rearing back up, as economists warn that the summer boost to the economy could be fleeting. The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is tipped to rise to 2.9 per cent in July, climbing from June’s 15-month low of 2.6 per cent, when the Office [...]
El Nino heatwaves to ‘fuel inflation next year’ August 7, 2026 The ‘Super El Nino’ triggering record temperatures across Europe could add a full percentage point to inflation next year, hampering central bank efforts to slow down price rises, a top investment bank has warned. According to an analysis by Jefferies, harsh weather unleashed by the meteorological phenomenon will pose “an inflationary threat” next year and [...]
Starling plans to ‘come out swinging’ in diversification bid August 6, 2026 Bernadette Smith has a spring in her step as she sits down in Starling’s headquarters to discuss her new role. The fintech’s new banking boss is buzzing with energy that she wants to pass onto customers and investors. “I want everyone to be talking about us,” she says, envisaging how she will measure success in [...]