Persimmon: Profit jumps as construction activity rises August 13, 2025 Persimmon has reported a double-digit rise in operating profit on increased construction volumes, despite ongoing affordability pressures. The housebuilder told markets this morning that private completions rose seven per cent to 3,987 homes, while total completions rose four per cent to 4,605. It is on track for completions of 11,000-11,500 homes for the full year. [...]
Bank of England interest rate cut offers modest boost for UK SMEs August 11, 2025 The Bank of England’s recent decision to reduce its base interest rate from 4.25 per cent to four per cent marks the first time borrowing costs have fallen to this level since March 2023, offering a modest reprieve for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) after two years of elevated rates. According to new analysis [...]
Starting pay growth at slowest pace since 2021 August 11, 2025 Pay for new hires rose at the slowest pace in over four years, fresh data has indicated, in signs redundancies and higher taxes are depressing wage growth. The lack of demand among recruiters and the larger number of job seekers in the UK economy has led to starting salary inflation slowing down to its lowest [...]
Five top paying savings accounts – earn up to 7.5 per cent August 8, 2025 Savings accounts are staging a fiery comeback as UK providers battle to attract customers. With the cost-of-living still rumbling on and interest rates beginning to shift, there’s prime opportunities to put money to work. A number of top accounts have upped rates in recent months – some over seven per cent – helping in a [...]
House builder blames ‘broken planning system’ and interest rates for loss August 7, 2025 In independent house builder has blamed the “broken planning system” and high interest rates putting off first time buyers for it falling into the red. Cheshire-based Eccleston Homes has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.2m for the 12 months to 31 October, 2024, down from the £2m profit it achieved in the prior year. New [...]
Mortgage recovery hinges on a Bank of England interest rate cut August 6, 2025 Homeowners across the UK are catching a break as mortgage arrears fell for the first time since the cost-of-living crisis began – but a full recovery will hinge on the Bank of England’s decision on Thursday. Missed mortgage payments in the second quarter fell by 4.4 per cent across the UK, whilst direct debit rejections [...]
Cut interest rates to four per cent, City AM Shadow MPC says August 5, 2025 Top economists have voted 8-1 for interest rates to be slashed by 25 basis points in City AM’s new Shadow Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). Amid high inflation and falling job numbers, the Bank of England is set to face a difficult finely balanced decision on Thursday on whether to cut interest rates from the current [...]
Bank of England officials set to clash on interest rates July 30, 2025 Bank of England policymakers are set to spar on whether to hold or cut interest rates as City analysts are expecting a three-way split in the final vote. The Bank saw a 6-3 vote in favour of holding interest rates at 4.25 per cent in June while the meeting before in May saw four dissenting [...]
Bank of England urged to hold interest rates despite jobs drop July 17, 2025 A leading City forecaster has advised Bank of England policymakers to vote to hold interest rates at its next meeting in August to help battle rising inflation. Robert Wood, UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, warned the Bank of England not to read too much into the drop in jobs numbers, with initial estimates by the [...]
House prices ‘continue to surprise’ as average property value ticks up in May July 16, 2025 UK house prices rose again in May, bucking predictions of a slowdown in the market after stamp duty relief was axed earlier this year. The average price for a UK property reached £269,000 in May, up 3.9 per cent year on year and 1.1 per cent month on month. The bulk of this increase was [...]