Exclusive: City asset finance chief on how to stay calm amid eye-watering inflation January 12, 2023 Inflation numbers hit record levels in 2022, while the cost of living crisis raged and interest rates went through the roof. Without a doubt, it was – and continues to be – a turbulent and uncertain time for many players in the City and beyond. Time for City A.M. to catch up with Mike Randall, [...]
Tesco: Bumper Christmas sales will put shares in the spotlight this morning January 12, 2023 TESCO enjoyed a bumper Christmas period, it told markets this morning, with like-for-like sales up nearly 8 per cent despite bruising economic headwinds. The supermarket told markets this morning it had seen customers switching to Tesco across December. The boost meant revenues hit a cool £19.7bn in the UK and Ireland for the quarter to [...]
Exclusive: High Street queen Mary Portas says retail’s 2022 race to the bottom is finally over January 12, 2023 City A.M. sits down with the 'Queen of retail', or Madam High Street, retail consultant and broadcaster Mary Portas.
Staggering £25bn down the drain as 9 in 10 Brits plan to cut back in 2023 January 12, 2023 Close to £25bn-worth of discretionary outgoings in the “cut-back economy” may be lost this year as close to nine in 10 people plan to reduce their spending over the year ahead. More than a third of UK households are “financially distressed” and plan to cut back across most, if not all, of their non-essential spending, [...]
Mark Kleinman: My bold predictions for 2023 in the City – from Natwest to Spurs January 11, 2023 After the political and economic events of 2022, the idea of being able to predict anything with confidence seems even more outlandish than usual. Nevertheless, with the UK economy precariously balanced less than two years before a general election, these seem – in early January – to be sensible bets for UK plc in 2023. [...]
Global cost-of-living crisis risks ‘dire consequences’ for planet as firms ditch climate concerns January 11, 2023 The global cost-of-living crisis threatens to railroad efforts to combat climate change, “potentially leading to dire planetary and societal consequences,” the World Economic Forum (WEF) warned today. Soaring energy and food prices are forcing governments and private businesses to turn to cheaper, often dirtier resources to produce goods and services. As a result, “the risks [...]
Number of cash withdrawals in the UK rises for first time in 13 years January 11, 2023 Cash usage increased for the first time in 13 years in 2022, according to fresh data from Nationwide, as Brits responded to the cost-of-living crisis by budgeting with physical money. “For the first time in years we are seeing a natural rise in cash withdrawals as people return to using cash to help avoid getting [...]
FTSE 100 close: JD Sports springs London flagship index to 2018 high January 11, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index leapt to its highest level since 2018 in afternoon exchanges in the City today after a series of strong retailer earnings signalled the UK consumer is holding up well amid the cost of living crunch. The FTSE 100 index climbed 0.99 per cent to 7,770 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE [...]
FCA to expand guidance for insurers on protecting cash-strapped customers January 11, 2023 The City watchdog has vowed to update guidance for insurers on protecting customers amid the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today set out plans to expand guidance, which was first introduced during the pandemic, to ensure all struggling customers are protected. Under the FCA’s proposed new guidance, insurers will be [...]
Cost-of-living crisis will fuel tsunami of cyber attacks in 2023, warns industry insider January 11, 2023 The cost-of-living crisis is fuelling a surge in cyber attacks on UK businesses, a leading fraud expert has warned. Leigham Martin, group head of infrastructure and security at Connectus Business Solutions, shared with City A.M. that cutting costs on security will spell disaster for businesses. “There is increasing evidence that some businesses are looking to [...]