UK economy headed for record recession if rates rise sharply, BoE warns November 3, 2022 The UK economy is on course to suffer the longest recession since records began if interest rates rise sharply, triggered by a toxic mix of higher mortgage costs, prices and energy bills, the Bank of England said today. Gross domestic product (GDP) will shrink for 24 consecutive months, beginning in the early stages of next [...]
All market eyes on the Fed today as interest rates are set to rise by another 75bps November 2, 2022 While European markets started the month on a positive note, and look set to continue that vibe this morning, US markets lost their early momentum, finishing the session lower, after the latest job openings numbers, and ISM manufacturing report, showed that the US economy remained in decent shape, despite concerns over an economic slowdown. “We [...]
Bank of England successfully kicks off QT with over subscribed £750m bond sale November 1, 2022 The Bank of England today successfully sold hundreds of millions pounds of government debt in the first stage of winding down stimulus that has propped up the economy in the aftermath of the financial crisis and during the pandemic. Some £750m bonds ran off the Bank’s balance sheet today, with the auction heavily over subscribed [...]
Hunt and Sunak face £89bn fiscal hole without tax rises or spending cuts November 1, 2022 Without spending cuts or tax rises, prime minister Rishi Sunak and chancellor Jeremy Hunt will burn a £89bn hole in the public finances in a few years time, a new report out today reveals. A combination of former prime minister Liz Truss’s tax cuts in the shambolic 23 September mini-budget still lingering and a flatlining [...]
All eyes on the EU as ECB faces ‘nightmare scenario’ of record inflation and need to hike rates again October 31, 2022 Last week was the fourth successive week of gains for equity markets in Europe as well as the US, despite some high-profile earnings misses. It’s been particularly notable that while there were some notable earnings misses, especially in the tech sector, by and large the more traditional areas of the market have performed better. “While [...]
Soaring interest rates could spark five per cent London house price fall October 31, 2022 Soaring interest rates and a tough cost of living crisis could send London house prices on a downward spiral, new research published today warns. Home prices in the capital are on course to shed five per cent next year, driven by sellers dropping prices to attract buyers hit by an affordability crunch, according to property [...]
Week ahead: Bank of England to rock markets with 75bps rate hike October 30, 2022 Markets are preparing for a steep rate hike by the Bank of England on Thursday, but not as bad as first feared after former prime minister Liz Truss’s tax cutting mini-budget last month. London’s premier FTSE 100 index posted a decent performance last week, adding 1.12 per cent to close at 7,047.67 points, while the [...]
Weekend read: Volatile month in UK gilt market turns the Old Lady into a hawk October 29, 2022 As October is coming to a close, it’s been a rollercoaster month for the UK’s financial market. Following the bungled mini-budget on 23 September that sent equities spiralling, the pound plummeted to an all-time low against the dollar and bond yields soaring higher. In the first few days following Kwasi Kwarteng’s announcement of the mini-budget, [...]
Government eyes bank surcharge U-turn despite Lloyds profits tumbling October 27, 2022 Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, Lloyds Bank, has set aside hundreds of millions of pounds in preparation for a surge in loan defaults caused by the rising cost of living and higher interest rates squeezing household budgets. The lender today said it had banked £668m over the three months to September to absorb souring loans, primarily [...]
FTSE 100 weighed down by banks and pound strengthens on Sunak’s second day in No 10 October 26, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 was dragged down today by investors ditching shares in the UK’s largest banks despite a strong set of results, but managed to squeeze gains thanks to a late rally. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.61 per cent to over the 7,000 mark points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is [...]