From price inflation and Brexit rows to Evergrande and Biden v Putin: Here are the market risks to watch this year January 4, 2022 The world is a pretty turbulent and unpredictable place at the moment, with Covid variants not making life easier. From tensions between Russia and the US over Ukraine’s NATO membership to Brexit conflicts and China’s Evergrande property scandal, 2022 is set to become everything but dull. So what developments and issues could disrupt or disturb [...]
Poverty looms for millions of UK families as energy bills climb by £1200, inflation rises and taxes jump 1.25 per cent in 2022 December 29, 2021 Soaring energy bills, inflation and rising taxes are likely to lead to a ‘cost of living catastrophe’ for millions of UK families, an economic think tank warned this morning. The Resolution Foundation (RF) said from next April families would typically face a £1,200-a-year hit to their incomes as the energy price cap is raised and [...]
Consumer confidence edges up despite inflation and supply chain woes November 19, 2021 Shoppers put aside concerns about soaring inflation and supply chain woes and spend in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas, leading consumer confidence to edge up, according to new data published this morning. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased three points to minus 14 in November following a three-month downturn. A seven-point jump in [...]
Used car prices rocket as UK inflation soars November 17, 2021 Used car prices have skyrocketed around the same time the UK’s inflation rates have reached record highs. Data from Auto Trader’s marketplace have revealed that last week the average prices for a used vehicle went up 26.9 per cent year-on-year, reaching almost £20,000. Fuelled by massive levels of consumer demand and supply chain issues, last [...]
UK business sentiment hits 12-month low amid supply chain and inflation woes November 15, 2021 British business sentiment dropped to its lowest level in a year in October, dragged down by fears of looming inflation and supply chain pressures that could undermine a sustained recovery from Covid disruption. Inflation expectations among UK business leaders surge to a record high last month, with 66 per cent expecting non-staff costs to increase [...]
‘Acute’ staff shortages and rising energy bills force most businesses to hike their prices November 12, 2021 Amid ‘acute’ staff shortages and the rising cost of fuel and energy, most businesses are increasing their prices. A survey of 1,000 firms showed that four out of five increased the price of their goods or services in the past year. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said its study indicated that nine out of [...]
Investors must buckle up as inflation-triggered volatility is set to shake markets, warns City insider November 10, 2021 Investors must avoid complacency and buckle up as inflation-triggered volatility is set to shake markets until the end of 2021, an asset management veteran warns today. The warning from Nigel Green, chief executive and founder of deVere Group, a large asset management and fintech firm, comes as Chinese stocks plummeted to almost their lowest level in [...]
‘Cheap money’ fuels crypto rush as Bitcoin bounces near record $66k high amid inflation fears November 8, 2021 Bitcoin jumped by more than 7 per cent over the last 24 hours, heading above $66,300. ’Bitcoin is bouncing higher again, close to all-time highs fuelled by expectations that the era of cheap money looks set to hang around for longer, while inflation is expected to keep ticking up,” Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets [...]
Forget the pandemic: Brexit’s impact on UK economy will be much worse, warns fiscal chief October 28, 2021 The consequences of the UK leaving the European Union will be much more serious than the economic impact of the pandemic, the boss of the UK’s fiscal watchdog warns this morning. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had assumed leaving the EU would “reduce our long run gross domestic product by around 4 per cent”, [...]
Used car prices skyrocket as UK inflation eases October 20, 2021 The UK average price of a used car has increased by 23.9 per cent this week as a result of September’s inflation rates easing to 3.1 per cent. Data from automotive advertising firm Auto Trader have also revealed that year-on-year prices quadrupled this week, especially if compared with the 5.7 growth recorded in the week [...]