As consumer price rises fall to 1 per cent, is subdued inflation a new normal for the UK? December 16, 2014 Samuel Tombs, UK economist at Capital Economics, says Yes. Low inflation is unlikely to be just for Christmas. A combination of lower commodity and import prices, alongside stable energy bills, should mean that consumer price inflation falls to comfortably below 1 per cent in the coming months. And while the impact of these factors is [...]
UK inflation falls to lowest rate since 2002 thanks to plumetting oil prices December 16, 2014 UK inflation fell to its lowest rate since 2002 in November after petrol costs were cut due to plummeting oil prices. The rate of consumer price growth fell to one per cent last month, the lowest rate for 12 years and down from a 1.3 per cent rate in October. Any hopes investors [...]
Rising prices a bigger burden for low earners as inflation hits those spending least December 15, 2014 Households that spend the least and have lower disposable incomes have been hit harder by inflation over the past decade. Households in the lowest 10 per cent of spenders saw prices rise by 3.7 per cent per year on average between January 2003 and October 2014, figures released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics [...]
The rise of the machines? Shape-shifting robot viewers to cost marketers £4bn in fake traffic December 10, 2014 We're pretty used to hearing that robots are going to steal our jobs. But now it turns out that once they've done that, they're going to do exactly what we do anyway: sit around watching online videos. But this is actually a serious problem. Global advertisers stand to lose out on $6.3bn (£4bn) next [...]
Britons spend less on leisure as rents climb December 2, 2014 BRITISH households are spending less on eating out, hotels, alcohol and smoking, according to the annual official survey of family budgets released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The survey also reveals how rent, gas and electricity are taking up a larger proportion of spending. Total average spending by families in 2013 was [...]
Food prices fall for first time in almost 10 years December 2, 2014 Britons had reason to cheer last month as food prices fell, while real wages rose for the first time in five years, according to an index of retailers out today. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen said food prices fell by 0.2 per cent year-on-year in November – the first decline since the firms’ [...]
Spending is on the rise as housing costs more than ever December 2, 2014 Household spending is at its highest since 2010, according to the latest official figures, with more money being spent on housing than ever before. The average UK household spending was £517.30 a week in 2013, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), up from an all time low of £501 the previous year and [...]
UK inflation: Consumer price index rises to 1.3 pc November 18, 2014 The rate of UK inflation rose to 1.3 per cent in the year to October 2014, recovering slightly from a suprise fall to 1.2 per cent the previous month. Smaller declines in transport costs – such as motor fuels and and air fares – drove the increase. Oil prices have plummeted recently, but they have [...]
As the Bank of England predicts low inflation for longer, is real wage growth here to stay? November 12, 2014 Rob Wood is chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank, says Yes. Real wage growth is here to stay, but it’s important to keep some perspective. We are finally seeing wages rise above inflation, partly because petrol and food price falls have dragged the latter down. Money wage growth remains weak, if better than a few [...]
Aviva Investors’ Euan Munro on why markets will see more Wobbly Wednesdays November 11, 2014 It’s lunchtime at Aviva Investors’ offices at No.1 Poultry, but the three platters of fish, meat and vegetable sandwiches supplied by catering lie untouched on the table. Euan Munro, chief executive of the fund management house, is sitting drinking full fat Coca-Cola from a glass, while the pungent aroma of the Coq d’Argent restaurant upstairs [...]