Eurozone pulls itself out of deflation in June – just July 15, 2016 The Eurozone definitely managed to heave itself out of deflation in June, its official statistics authority confirmed today – but only just. Figures published this morning by Eurostat confirmed inflation hit 0.1 per cent in June, up from minus 0.1 per cent in May. The figure was pushed up by inflation in restaurants and cafes, rents and tobacco [...]
Weak housebuilding caused the UK’s construction output to shrink for the fifth month in a row in May – and it could get worse July 15, 2016 As if they needed it, here's more bad news for housebuilders: the UK's construction output fell 2.1 per cent between April and May – driven largely by a drop in the number of new homes being built. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this morning showed output fell 1.9 per cent year-on-year [...]
The emissions scandal is still taking its toll: Volkswagen’s European market share has fallen again July 15, 2016 VW is still being hit by the emissions trading scandal, it turns out, after new figures showed the company's European market share fell again in the first six months of this year. Figures by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed the company's market share dipped from 24.8 per cent in the first six months of [...]
Airline and travel shares fall after Nice attack July 15, 2016 Airlines and travel stocks were among the FTSE 100's biggest fallers this morning, after a suspected terror attack in Nice which killed 84 people. EasyJet was the index's worst-performing stock in early trading, falling 2.3 per cent to 1,144p, while International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, followed, falling 1.5 per cent to 419.3p. Travel stocks were also [...]
Shock, horror? How the City reacted to today’s MPC’s interest rate inaction July 14, 2016 Another month, another deferral of The Big Interest Rate Move. That makes 88 so far. How is the City reacting? Two words: "we're cautious". Read more: Over to you, Carney – our MPC has voted to cut rates 1. "BoE is playing wait and see" Michael Martins, economist at the Institute of Directors: “The Bank [...]
Pound surges as Bank of England monetary policy committee maintains interest rates – despite Brexit panic July 14, 2016 The pound jumped nearly two per cent against the dollar after the Bank of England failed to cut UK interest rates, despite widely-held speculation it would move to calm fears over the impact of Brexit. The pound was up 1.76 per cent against the dollar, at $1.3378, after it emerged the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC) [...]
“Defies all the laws of political gravity”: Wikileaks has revealed how a US briefing described Boris Johnson back in 2008 July 14, 2016 NULL
A street-sized art gallery, a library – and a building in Elephant & Castle. Are these the UK’s most beautiful new buildings? July 14, 2016 Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but that hasn't stopped the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba to its friends) from shortlisting what it perceives to be the UK's most beautiful new buildings. Yep: the shortlist of the annual Stirling Prize has been unveiled – and while two of the buildings are in [...]
Safe pair of hands: The pound has jumped more than a cent against the dollar since Theresa May’s appointment July 14, 2016 It's been a pretty diabolical couple of weeks for currency traders, but as new Prime Minister Theresa May curtseyed to the Queen yesterday, something happened on the markets: things started to look up – suggesting May's reputation as a "safe pair of hands" may be more than just speculation… The pound, which yesterday traded as low as $1.3106, [...]
“It has not been an easy journey”: David Cameron’s final speech in full July 13, 2016 David Cameron delivered his final speech on the steps of 10 Downing Street as he departed today. Here's the full text of his final words. Read more: Cameron pays tribute to the UK's "spirit of service" "When I first stood here in Downing Street on that evening in May 2010, I said we would confront [...]
