By: Jake Cordell

I'm City A.M.'s economics reporter, looking at the news, stories and data that move markets in the UK, Europe and around the globe. I also cover broader developments in the business and political worlds at home and abroad.

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China’s balancing act is the biggest risk to the world economy as inflation data shows prices still off target

May 10, 2016

China’s economic rebalancing is the biggest threat to the global economy, the ratings agency Fitch has said, warning that a “hard landing” would trigger ripple effects around the world. The difficulties associated with shifting the world’s second largest economy from a reliance on investment towards consumption are “sharpening” according to Fitch, as authorities face the [...]
At the close: Steady as she goes on the FTSE 100?

May 5, 2016

Markets were put through their paces today, but failed to hold onto early gains as the bad stories just kept on coming. The FTSE 100 closed the day up 0.1 per cent at 6,117.25 after starting with a 40-point ascent in the first 90 minutes of trading. The French Cac 40 slipped back 0.3 per cent [...]
Treasury stashes its vaults ahead of Brexit vote as it amasses even more international reserves

May 5, 2016

The government added an extra $7bn (£4.8bn) to its international holdings in April as it gears up to deal with any currency volatility in the event of Brexit. The government now holds $145bn worth of reserves spread across foreign currencies, gold, funds lodged with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and various other assets – 16 [...]
The UK economy is slowing – and it’s not all down to Brexit

May 5, 2016

The April purchasing managers' indexes (PMIs) painted the bleakest picture of the UK economy so far this year. The surveys signal a near-stalling of economic growth, down to just 0.1 per cent. How worried should we be? News that the surveys saw an increased number of companies complaining about ‘Brexit’ uncertainty caught the headlines, suggesting that we [...]
UK banks would face a squeeze on their balance sheets after Brexit

May 5, 2016

Profits at the UK’s largest banks would be squeezed if the UK votes to leave the European Union, a top credit ratings agency has said today. Moody’s has warned that Brexit would hit demand for loans, potentially reduce the value of banks’ balance sheets and heap pressure onto London’s fragile investment banking sector. “Uncertainty before [...]
Accountants say the government needs to play the numbers game to solve the productivity puzzle

May 5, 2016

The government should set itself a “productivity target” to boost UK growth and hold itself accountable for the performance of the economy, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has argued. In the latest report into the productivity puzzle, the number crunchers said the government should be aiming to boost productivity by [...]
EU referendum: Survey shows that firms will stop hiring because of vote, but only if the UK votes for Brexit

May 5, 2016

Employers say that jobs will be at risk if Britain votes to leave the European Union, but few are actually cutting back on hiring in the run-up to the vote, according to a new survey by recruitment firm Reed. A clear majority – 85 per cent – of businesses said that the EU referendum had [...]
Standard and Poor’s says the UK’s ageing population could result in a massive increase in UK debt

May 5, 2016

Ageing populations will cause debt levels in advanced economies to reach potentially unsustainable levels over the next three decades, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) has warned today. The ratings agency said that without policies which address high – and increasing – levels of public spending that are going towards supporting older populations, credit ratings would be cut, causing [...]
Services PMI comes in at three-year low in April – rounding off hat-trick of weak economic data

May 5, 2016

The UK economy could be growing at its slowest pace in three years, according to purchasing managers' index (PMI) data out this week, which has raised serious concerns about the security of the economic recovery. Today it was the turn of services – which makes up four-fifths of the UK economy – to show signs [...]
The European Central Bank thinks it still has some bullets left

May 5, 2016

The European Central Bank (ECB) has insisted – again – that it stands ready to do whatever it takes to make sure the Eurozone does not slip into a Japan-style spiral of deflation. In its monthly economic bulletin published this morning, the ECB said that its extraordinary monetary policy measures – negative interest rates and [...]

First real estate float on challenger stock market Aquis

English cricket facing tragedy if ECB doesn’t change, warns county boss

Psst… This is how to ski Les 3 Vallées without the crowds

By: Jake Cordell

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