Bank of England governor Bailey rebuffs crypto ‘stablecoins’ as form of safe money November 23, 2021 The governor of the Bank of England has slapped down claims that volatile crypto “stablecoins” could develop into a form of safe money. Speaking today in response to a grilling by members of the House of Lords, Andrew Bailey swatted away insistence from the crypto community that stablecoins are a better alternative to central bank [...]
Investors eat up UK inflation-linked debt despite record low yield November 23, 2021 The UK has sold a tranche of debt that will pay investors the lowest inflation adjusted yield on record. Investors hoovered up over £1bn in inflation-linked gilts maturing in 2073 paying the lowest yield on any syndicated gilt sale ever. The maturity date is also the longest for any inflation-linked debt issued. Inflation-linked debt is [...]
UK property market bottoms out after stamp duty relief end November 23, 2021 The end of a watered down tax relief on home sales has caused the property market to bottom out, according to official figures released today. Research by HMRC found property sales shrank around 52 per cent over the last month, dropping to 76,930 in October, down from 160,220 in September. The looming end of the [...]
Bets against pound mount after Bank of England rate inertia November 23, 2021 Traders are strengthening their stance against the pound after the Bank of England scuppered City bets on a first rate hike in three years this month. Short bets – in which traders borrow assets and sell them expecting to make a profit in the future after their price falls – have mounted to around £2bn, [...]
PMI: UK businesses buckle under weight of record cost rises as City strengthens BoE rate hike bets November 23, 2021 UK businesses are buckling under the weight of costs swelling at the fastest pace on record, according to a closely watched survey released today. A toxic combination of supply chains wilting, demand for goods and raw materials running red-hot and crippling worker shortages have propelled businesses’ costs. The November increase in average cost burdens was [...]
London markets whacked by AO World tumbling on supply chain profit hit November 23, 2021 Supply chain snarl ups and soaring costs have whacked AO World’s profits, sending the online electricals retailer’s shares tumbling, dragging the mid-cap FTSE 250 down with it this morning. In the first hour of trading, London markets plunged into the red, with the capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropping 0.59 per cent to 7,212.35 points, [...]
Burdensome EU border regime threatens post-Brexit lorry pile up at Port of Dover November 23, 2021 A fresh logistics regime imposed by the EU after Brexit could lead to lorries piling up at the Port of Dover, authorities and MPs warned yesterday. Rules overseeing entry to the bloc’s passport-free Schengen Area would increase the amount of time it takes lorry drivers to pass through Britain into the region. Drivers would have [...]
It’s Friday again: Atom Bank shifts to four-day week November 23, 2021 Digital lender Atom Bank has become the biggest UK employer to shift to a four-day working week. Staff at the challenger bank, launched in 2016, will work a 34-hour week spread over four days for the same monthly pay. Staff are being encouraged to work “core hours” of 9.30am – 4.30pm between Monday and Thursday. [...]
Brexit migrant exodus not to blame for labour squeeze November 23, 2021 Hundreds of thousands of Brits have stopped working since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, creating a vacuum of workers, according to fresh figures released today. Research by the Resolution Foundation found the number of workers who are economically inactive – which means they are either not working or not looking for work – has [...]
Powell secures Biden nomination to lead US Fed for second term November 22, 2021 US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has today been recommended for a second four-year term to lead the central bank by President Joe Biden ending months of speculation over whether he would remain in the job. Powell has come under intense scrutiny while heading the world’s most influential central bank due to the Fed keeping [...]