Bottoms up: English and Welsh sparkling wine sales jumped six per cent last year with 4m bottles sold April 23, 2019 UK sales of English and Welsh sparkling wine rose six per cent last year with 4m bottles sold. UK consumers bought more British sparkling wine than they did sparkling wines from Australia, the US and Germany combined in 2018. Italy was the top exporter of sparkling wine to the UK last year with 117m bottles [...]
Nearly three-fifths of firms think the UK tax regime is unfair to businesses like theirs April 23, 2019 Nearly three-fifths of businesses think they are unfairly penalised by the tax system, a new survey published today shows. The survey of over 1,000 businesses by the British Chamber of Commerce uncovered widespread concerned at the way HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) applies tax rules to different types of firms. More than two-thirds (67 per [...]
‘Wake-up call’: Germany downgrades 2019 economic growth forecast to just 0.5 per cent April 17, 2019 The German government today once again slashed growth predictions for its economy, saying it now foresees a GDP increase of just 0.5 per cent in 2019, compared to the 2.1 per cent it predicted a year ago. Read more: Eurozone manufacturing sector contracts with Germany shrinking fastest Economy minister Peter Altmaier said new car emissions [...]
UK inflation rate holds steady at 1.9 per cent sending Britons’ real wages higher April 17, 2019 The UK’s headline annual inflation rate remained unchanged in March, staying at 1.9 per cent, meaning Britons’ real wages are increasing as pay growth outstrips price rises. Read more: London house price plunge drags down UK-wide growth rate Meanwhile the inflation rate including housing costs and council tax stayed at 1.8 per cent, where it [...]
Extraordinary? It’s business as usual in Trump’s White House April 17, 2019 Donald Trump is probably the most extraordinary individual to ever be President of the United States. But his presidency is actually rather ordinary. This is not to argue that Trump is an ordinary President – far from it. In almost everything he says and does, how he projects himself in speeches, tweets and meetings with [...]
Corbyn is as much a threat to the City as a no-deal Brexit April 16, 2019 The Prime Minister is currently on a walking holiday in Wales, while parliament is on Easter recess. This would be a moment for calm, except that Theresa May’s infamous walking holiday in April 2017 ending in her calling an unexpected General Election. Avid Westminster watchers are nervously wondering whether another snap poll is imminent. While [...]
Best 25 stocks in the last tax year April 15, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. The FTSE 100 outperformed mid-caps last tax year, but the top FTSE 350 performers might surprise you. Take a look at the financial year ended on the 5th April, with the 25 top performing stocks in the FTSE 350 all producing gains of 40 per cent or more over the [...]
AA: A sustainable recovery of its own? April 12, 2019 | City Talk After a decent start to 2019, our head of markets kicks the tyres after these uninspiring results. There is certainly a great deal going on under the bonnet at AA (LSE:AA.), although by its own admission there remains much to be done. One measure of progress is the number of contract wins the company has [...]
UK stats body to receive £9m to develop ‘super fast’ economic indicators April 12, 2019 The UK’s statistics body will receive a funding boost of £9m to help develop new “super fast” economic indicators to help it more accurately measure Britain’s increasingly complex economy. Read more: UK statistics body to start using new, quicker indicators The money will also allow the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to implement a new [...]
Could Jacob Rees-Mogg soon be off to 11 Downing Street? April 12, 2019 The Conservative party has a shortage of the political equivalent of rock stars. These are the politicians that the public would not merely recognise (already a rather an elite cohort), but actually might cross the road to ask for an autograph – or, more usually these days, a selfie. Boris Johnson has this star quality, of course. [...]