Oasis: UK economy set for ‘supersonic’ boost with reunion tour including Wembley gigs August 27, 2024 Statisticians can look forward to endless queries about Oasis' impact on the economy after the mercurial Mancunians announced a long-awaited reunion tour.
Bunzl: FTSE 100 giant upgrades profit guidance amid record year for acquisitions August 27, 2024 Specialist distribution group Bunzl has upgraded its profit guidance once more and reported a strong first half as its resilient business model continued to hold up. The FTSE 100 company reported a decline in revenue of 0.4 per cent at constant exchange rates to reach £5.7b, with “underlying revenue trends improving in the second quarter [and] [...]
Labour’s miserable mood music comes with its own risks August 27, 2024 The last time a Labour government replaced an unpopular Tory administration it did so to the sound of Things Can Only Get Better, by D:Ream. Now, 27 years later, Keir Starmer is changing the tune with a warning that “things are going to get worse.” This stark contrast will be set out in a speech [...]
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.