What you need to know before the open – 23/10 October 23, 2013 US markets continued to climb yesterday after US job numbers missed expectations, sending the S&P500 to new record highs for the third day in a row. Despite the upward revision to the jobs data, markets seem to be interpreting this as a staving off of tapering. European markets seem more restrained this morning, following a [...]
Bank’s Bean says UK some way off a housing boom October 22, 2013 Charlie Bean, deputy governor for Monetary Policy at the Bank of England, has said that he thinks we are "still some way off seeing an unsustainable house-price boom" despite "increasingly noisy commentary" to that effect. The third override condition, delegated to the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee, relates to whether the monetary policy stance is resulting [...]
Banks lent less to businesses in three months to August October 18, 2013 (Bank of England) The Bank of England's latest Trends in Lending survey shows that, whilst bank lending to businesses in the three months to August fell, mortgage approvals for households rose markedly. So did lending to individuals. (Release) Net lending to businesses of all sizes fell by £2.3bn over the period. Net lending to businesses [...]
Why the clouds surrounding the banking industry may be starting to shift October 2, 2013 YOU COULD forgive me for being a little nervous at the prospect of the party conference season. Bankers have hardly been flavour of the month at these political jamborees in recent years. And at all three parties’ annual get togethers, there have previously been vocal elements unafraid to let rip at our industry – at [...]
Mortgage lending hits 2008 levels even before Help to Buy extension September 30, 2013 THE HOUSING market had begun picking up steam even before the government rushed forward the next stage of its Help to Buy scheme, Bank of England figures showed yesterday. In August, when lenders still believed that the latest set of mortgage guarantees would not be available until January, the number of mortgages approved rose to [...]
Mortgage numbers rise to February 2008 highs September 30, 2013 Mortgage numbers have swelled in the UK this August – hitting 66-month highs. They're up from 60,624 to 62,226 in a single month, above analyst estimates of a rise to 61,500. That's before the accelerated second stage of Help to Buy even kicks in. Yet at 62,226, mortgage approvals stand at 73.5 per cent of [...]
What you need to know before the open – 30/9 September 30, 2013 If you thought things might look a little less bumpy for the markets this week – not so. Today, they look set to be battered by US and Italian politics, with the FTSE expected to open sharply lower and Asian markets closing down on concerns. Opening calls #FTSE100 is expected to open 63 points lower [...]
London Report: UK data to show the economy in healthier state September 29, 2013 EXPECTED improvements in the purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data for manufacturing, construction and services this week should all point to further signs of the UK’s economic growth. “The purchasing managers’ surveys are expected to show further robust growth in September across the services, manufacturing and construction sectors which would bode well for hopes that GDP [...]
Bank of England plays down housing bubble fears – but abnormalities in London present September 25, 2013 The Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has denied the existence of a housing bubble at present – but motions that it will remain "vigilant to potential emerging vulnerabilities" (release). While the FPC sees no immediate troubles with the housing market as a whole, it does highlight regional variability. Mortgage approvals in July were [...]
Mortgage deals strike a four year high in August September 24, 2013 THE SURGING housing market has pushed mortgage lending to a four-year peak, according to the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), while lending to businesses remains anaemic. The BBA said that last month its members approved 38,228 mortgages, an increase of just over 25 per cent from the same month last year, highlighting the recent boost to activity [...]