Recruitment drive lifts Robert Walters profits to first half record July 27, 2021 A resurgence in recruitment activity triggered by firms rapidly scaling staffing numbers after Covid restrictions were lifted has pushed first half profits to record levels at recruiter Robert Walters. The group registered a pre-tax profit of £22.1m in the first six months of 2021 compared with £4.2m for the same period a year earlier. Read [...]
China crackdown weighs heavily on global markets July 27, 2021 Global stock markets notched losses on Tuesday as investor sentiment soured on concerns that Chinese authorities may over-extend their regulatory crackdown. The US’ main benchmarks dropped during the opening session, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq registering the worst performance, down 1.76 per cent. The blue-chip S&P 500 fell 0.78 per cent, while the Dow Jones lost [...]
Vaccine rollout and surging consumer spending to fuel fastest economic growth since WW2 July 26, 2021 The rapid rollout of Covid vaccines and a surge in consumer spending has prompted forecasters to improve their outlook for the UK economy. Forecasts published by EY Item Club predict that the UK economy will grow 7.6 per cent this year, the fastest pace of expansion since 1941. The recent burst in consumer spending triggered [...]
Covid recovery pays dividends for UK plc July 26, 2021 UK plc has bounced back from the worst of the Covid crisis and is sharing the proceeds with investors, according to new figures released today. Dividends distributed by UK companies surged 51.2 per cent annually to reach £25.7bn in the second quarter of this year, according to the latest UK Dividend Monitor from Link Group. [...]
Tech stocks lead gains on Wall Street July 23, 2021 US stocks opened up on Friday morning driven by a rally among megacap technology shares. The blue-chip S&P 500 rose 0.54 per cent during the opening session. The Dow Jones increased 0.41 per cent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 0.4 per cent. Investors piled into tech stocks after a string of strong earnings were [...]
Euro 2020 pushes retail sales above pre-Covid levels July 23, 2021 Retail sales surged above pre-pandemic levels last month as consumers rushed back to high streets to buy products that were unavailable amid Covid lockdowns and splurged on pints during matches at Euro 2020, new figures released today reveal. The volume and value of retail sales in June were up 9.5 per cent and 10.6 per [...]
Worker shortages bite as UK economic recovery stalls in July July 23, 2021 Shortages of workers and raw materials triggered by the “pingdemic” and supply chain constraints is threatening to stall the UK’s economic rebound from the Covid pandemic, show new figures published today. IHS Markit / CIPS’ latest flash UK composite PMI fell to 57.7 in July, the lowest reading since March. The reading dropped markedly over [...]
Covid sharpens inequalities in UK housing market July 23, 2021 The Covid crisis has widened inequalities in the UK housing market, according to new research published today. Figures from building society Nationwide show one in four private renters think the pandemic has made it more difficult for them to buy a home. Sharp rises in house prices over the last year, driven by demand being [...]
Pingdemic: Food workers added to self-isolation exemption list July 23, 2021 Key workers in the food industry have been added to the government’s self-isolation exemption list. Staff at supermarket depos and food manufacturers will be able to take daily tests and not need to self-isolate after being pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app if they test negative for Covid. The move comes as major British supermarkets [...]
UK consumer confidence jumps on stronger than expected economic rebound July 23, 2021 UK consumer confidence rose for the sixth month in a row in July driven by the economy recovering much faster than initially expected. GfK’s latest consumer confidence index edged up two points to minus seven this month, marking the strong improvement in households’ outlook since the initial Covid unlocking in April of this year. The [...]