Inflation overshoot spooks investors as FTSE 100 house builders tumble August 17, 2022 London markets were shaken today by concerns that inflation is firming in the UK as housebuilders suffered heavy losses on the prospect of more rate hikes. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.27 per cent lower to 7,515.75 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of [...]
Bank of England’s recession warning hits UK consumer confidence August 17, 2022 Fears of a protracted recession as long as the one caused by the financial crisis is weighing on Brits’ optimism, a new survey released today showed. Consumer confidence dipped four points at the beginning of August, according to Bank of America. “Confidence remains weak, consistent with recession, and all components worsened,” the Wall Street giant [...]
Over half of money managers bet on global recession this year August 16, 2022 Over half of investors are fretting over the global economy tumbling into recession this year, new figures released today show. Some 58 per cent of money managers think global output will shift into reverse, up from a minority of 47 per cent, according to Bank of America’s latest global fund managers’ survey. The latest reading [...]
Inflation deals record blow to UK workers’ living standards August 16, 2022 Surging inflation has dealt a record blow to households’ wages in a sign the UK economy is tumbling into a sharp slowdown, official figures published today showed. Brits’ pay accounting for consumer price index inflation dropped 4.1 per cent over the last three months, the biggest drop since records began in 2001, according to the [...]
Identifying politicians’ role in inflation surge is better than tweaking BoE mandate August 15, 2022 Understanding how much of the blame politicians should carry for inflation surging far above the Bank of England’s two per cent target would be “a better strategy” than tweaking its mandate, a top City economist said today. In a note, Paul Donovan, chief economist at investment bank UBS, said the UK’s inflation shock has been [...]
Bank of England ramps up staff bonus pool by £1.3m despite inflation surge August 15, 2022 The Bank of England handed out an average bonus of just over £5,400 to staff despite inflation expected to rise to more than six times the monetary authority’s target. The monetary authority upped its bonus pool by around £1.3m over the last year to £23.3m, according to figures obtained by The Observer through a freedom [...]
Firms scramble to hire workers despite recession jitters August 15, 2022 Businesses are still scrambling to hire staff despite experts forecasting the UK will drop into a drawn-out recession at the end of this year, a new survey published today reveals. Over seven in 10 firms intend to boost staff levels over the next three months, while just over one in 10 employers expect to cut [...]
Week ahead: City shapes up for possible double-digit inflation August 14, 2022 The City is bracing for a week brimming with big economic announcements that will shed more light on the health of the UK economy. London’s premier FTSE 100 index notched a decent performance last week, gaining nearly one per cent to close at a shade over 7,500 points. The mid-cap domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which [...]
What the new interest rates mean for the City: ‘The UK fares worse than the EU and US’ August 13, 2022 The Bank of England’s decision to further raise interest rates from 1.25 per cent to 1.75 per cent and its two-year predictions means bad news for investors and UK residents alike. And the pain is far from over. A top City analyst expects this to further rise to 2.25 per cent in September. Other than [...]
UK jobs market still holding up despite recession warnings August 12, 2022 The UK jobs market is defying gloomy recession forecasts, but economists have warned joblessness could rise as the country limps into the worst of the cost of living crisis, a new survey published today reveals. Vacancies surged to 1.85m last month, the highest this year, in a sign employers are still trying to grab new [...]