UK economy still Europe’s ‘bright spot’ after latest PMI surveys August 23, 2024 The latest 'flash' purchasing managers' index (PMIs), released yesterday by S&P, showed that the UK maintained its advantage over rivals on the continent in August.
Consumer confidence unchanged in August despite worsening outlook August 23, 2024 Consumer confidence remained unchanged in August, a closely watched survey suggested, despite a deterioration in households’ expectations for the broader economy. GfK’s overall consumer confidence index remained at -13 with an improving picture on the personal finance side helping to offset worsening confidence in the economy as a whole. This meant overall consumer confidence remained [...]
Hays results ‘lay bare’ UK recruitment crisis August 22, 2024 Recent results from the UK’s leading recruitment firms have been, quite frankly, dismal: profit has collapsed across the board as firms struggle to stay afloat amid a sharp downturn in the market. The sector boomed in 2020 after the tech sector led to a surge in hiring, and increases in wage offers helped attract new [...]
‘Sticky’ hurdle rates contributing to resilient UK business investment August 22, 2024 Research from the Bank shows that firms' use of 'hurdle rates' might be slowing the impact of higher interest rates.
Growth set to continue as confidence in the economy builds August 22, 2024 A closely watched survey suggests that the UK will continue growing at a robust pace in the second half of the year as confidence in the economy continues to build. S&P’s ‘flash’ purchasing managers’s index (PMI) accelerated to 53.4 in August, up from 52.8 last month and ahead of the 52.9 expected by economists. PMIs, [...]
Social rent increases may not ‘move dial’ on housebuilding, Rachel Reeves warned August 21, 2024 Rachel Reeves’ plans to increase social rent may not “move the dial in a material way” on council housebuilding, a corporate finance firm is warning. The Chancellor will reportedly up social rent by bringing in a decade-long formula to raise housing costs in England boosted by the CPI inflation measure – currently 2.2 per cent [...]
Government borrowing exceeds estimates as public sector spending jumps August 21, 2024 Monthly borrowing figures will be closely watched over the coming months for clues about how much Labour will raise taxes in October's Budget.
Green energy plans could reduce costs for UK steelmakers, industry says August 20, 2024 Plans for the UK to become a green energy superpower could help reduce costs for British steelmaking, a supplier has said. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited a wind farm near Carmarthen, west Wales, today as part of a trip to promote his ambition for renewable power through setting up GB Energy. The public company [...]
JP Morgan nudges up UK growth forecasts after latest GDP figures August 20, 2024 JP Morgan bumped up their growth forecasts for the UK economy in the third quarter of this year following last week’s GDP figures. The investment bank now expects the economy to grow 0.4 per cent between July and September, up from a previous estimate of 0.3 per cent. This equates to an annualised growth rate [...]
Topps Tiles acquires CTD brand and assets out of administration for £9m August 19, 2024 FTSE-listed Topps Tiles has acquired CTD Tiles out of administration for £9m as it looks to enter the housebuilding segment. The purchase included CTD Tiles’ brands, 30 stores, selected stock and customer data, Topps said. CTD, which supplied tiles to the retail, trade and commercial markets, entered administration on 19 August after a wider downturn [...]