German data stokes fears that country is sliding into recession October 7, 2014 FEAR over a possible recession is building in Germany after data released yesterday showed the nation’s industrial production plunged four per cent in August. This was far below expectations and was largely caused by a decline in manufacturing, which fell 4.8 per cent month-on-month. Germany looked to be in recovery at the start of the [...]
Robert Walters: The recruitment boss who thinks your pay is set to jump in 2015 October 7, 2014 City jobs mogul Robert Walters tells Chris Papadopoullos why the future is bright Wages are a hotter-than-usual topic these days – at least as far as economists are concerned. The rate at which our pay goes up (or fails to) is said to hold the key as to whether the Bank of England finally [...]
September car sales rocket on confidence rise October 6, 2014 CAR SALES had their best September since 2004 as rising consumer confidence encouraged spending on big ticket items. There were 425,861 new cars registered last month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which is 5.6 per cent higher than last September. This follows a climb of 9.4 per cent year on [...]
Eurozone losing battle against new recession October 6, 2014 A WAVE of disappointing data released yesterday showed the Eurozone was struggling to stave off another recession, with the European Central Bank’s lacklustre statement on Thursday failing to lift confidence. Market inflation expectations (based on swaps prices) fell to 1.83 per cent, their lowest since 2010. ECB president Mario Draghi disappointed investors last week when he failed [...]
London house prices could fall next year after booming 2014 October 6, 2014 The boom in London house prices will not only end next year, but could even fall, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Their own forecast puts the decline at 2.6 per cent for 2015, which would be the first annual fall since 2009. House prices in the capital are expected to [...]
French PM Manuel Valls tells London: I’m pro-business October 6, 2014 France’s socialist prime minister Manuel Valls yesterday announced he was pro-business in a London speech and revealed several structural reforms he hoped would revive his country’s worsening economy. Number one on the list was scrapping the 75 per cent top rate of tax, which Valls said would expire at the end of this year. So [...]
World Bank downgrades China growth forecasts on lack of reform October 6, 2014 THE WORLD Bank has downgraded its growth forecast for China as the country fails to make needed reforms. “In China, growth will ease slightly to 7.4 per cent this year and 7.2 per cent in 2015, as the government seeks to put the economy on a more sustainable path with policies addressing financial vulnerabilities and structural [...]
London best city in the world say foreign workers October 5, 2014 London successfully fended off competition from New York, Paris and Sydney to be crowned the number one city in the world to move to for work, according to an extensive survey of over 200,000 people from 189 countries. The results released this morning show that nearly one in six (16 per cent) of those surveyed [...]
UK house prices could fall due to stricter mortgage lending rules October 5, 2014 House prices could fall next year due to stricter rules on mortgage approvals and potential buyers being put off by rate hikes, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). A combination of rising interest rates and tougher mortgage eligibility could depress demand significantly – enough to cause house price growth to hit [...]
Strong growth may prompt an early rate hike October 5, 2014 MORE policymakers should consider voting for a rate hike at the Bank of England this Thursday, former interest rate setters told City A.M. July saw a break in unanimity at the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), with two out of the nine policy makers voting for a rise of 0.25 per cent from its current level [...]