Is June the time to buy Premium Bonds? June 3, 2025 Premium Bond prizes range from £25 to £1m, but the odds of winning can feel very small compared to the rate savings accounts offer right now. Over 24m people in the UK own Premium Bonds, a savings vehicle offered by Treasury-backed National Savings and Investments (NS&I). Winners for June are due to be announced over [...]
Mortgage lending plummets in April as estate agents cross fingers for rate cut June 2, 2025 Mortgage lending dropped in April after the market ‘reset’ following the end of the stamp duty holiday, according to new figures. Net borrowing of mortgage debt decreased sharply by £13.7bn to -£0.8bn in April, according to the Bank of England’s latest data. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases also fell for the third consecutive month, [...]
Exclusive: Hotels struggle with double whammy of staff costs and pressure on room rates June 2, 2025 Hotels struggled with falling profit in April after margins were squeezed by higher staff hosts and price pressure on rooms. UK hotel payroll costs increased from 31.6 per cent of revenue to 33.3 per cent in April year-on-year, and from 29.5 per cent to 31.4 per cent in London, according to RSM. A slight reduction [...]
Bank of England rate-setter calls for interest rate cut May 30, 2025 A top Bank of England rate-setter has dismissed the latest spike in inflation and doubled down on calls for further interest rate cuts. Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Alan Taylor said the fresh inflation surge was driven by “one-off factors” related to President Donald Trump’s trade war. Whilst he said recent trade progress, with the [...]
Currys: Shares dip despite interest rates helping sales at retailer May 21, 2025 Electrical retailer Currys has reported a jump in profit after sales jumped thanks in part to a boost from lower interest costs. In a trading update on Wednesday, the firm said it expects pre-tax profit to come in at £162m, up 37 per cent year-on-year. Previous guidance had indicated profit for the period ending May [...]
Interest rate cuts need to slow down to curb inflation, says Huw Pill May 20, 2025 Interest rate cuts are fuelling inflation and need to slow down, the Bank of England’s chief economist Huw Pill has warned ahead of the release of fresh data set to show a jump in price growth in April. The Bank‘s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a slim majority to cut interest rates to 4.25 [...]
FTSE 100 banks Lloyds and Natwest set to profit despite lower interest rates May 13, 2025 Amidst a backdrop of waning interest rates, FTSE 100 banking giants such as Lloyds and Natwest look set to continue to profit, according to analysts. Lenders’ takings from net interest income (NII) remained steady in the first quarter, even after the Bank of England chopped interest rates four times to 4.5 per cent. Since then, [...]
Interest rates may stay higher for longer says Bank of England May 12, 2025 Several members on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee have warned that sticky inflation could stall further interest rate cuts this year in marked contrast to current analyst expectations. Bank policymakers voted to lower interest rates to 4.25 per cent last week. Two MPC members voted for a 50 basis point cut, and another couple [...]
Mortgages rates set to fall after Bank of England interest rate cut May 9, 2025 Analysts have predicted that the Bank of England’s decision to reduce interest rates on Thursday will encourage major banks to cut mortgage rates. Lower rates will be a major affordability boost for the UK’s housing market, which continues to price out young buyers unable to rely on financial gifts or savings. “If homebuyers can borrow more, they [...]
Interest rate cut hopes fade after Bank of England decision May 8, 2025 City investors have lowered expectations of multiple interest rate cuts later in the year after the Bank of England decided to reduce rates to 4.25 per cent. Prior to the Bank’s decision on Thursday at 12.02 pm, markets priced in around three more cuts this year in predictions that would take interest rates to 3.5 [...]