PMIs: UK economy slips hard in August as recession warning lights flash August 23, 2023 The UK economy has contracted significantly this month according to a closely-watched index - triggering renewed recession warnings
UK pay deals cool for first time in 2023, easing pressure on BoE August 23, 2023 Pay deals awarded by British employers cooled for the first time this year in the quarter to July, which may calm the worries of Bank of England officials who fear wage growth is feeding inflation, a survey showed on Wednesday. Median basic pay deals in the three months to the end of July fell to [...]
Homes more affordable but borrowers stretched by rising mortgage costs August 23, 2023 The cost of a typical house is 6.7 times average earnings in Britain despite the recent slowdown in the property market, according to new figures. Mortgage lender Halifax said this is down from a record high of 7.3 times average earnings last summer, when a UK home cost an average £293,586 and the average annual [...]
Trade bodies warn Bank of England economic data ignores small business fears August 22, 2023 The proportion of businesses that will struggle to pay back debts due to rising interest rates could increase to the highest level since the financial crisis, the Bank of England has warned. In a blog post published today, the central bank said the proportion of firms that are seeing debt-servicing distress is projected to increase [...]
Former Bank governor Carney called in to head Bloomberg board August 22, 2023 Bloomberg has called in former Bank of England governor Mark Carney to chair a new board of directors in a slew of senior promotions.
Under-offer Lookers nets £46m profit amid tough economic headwinds August 22, 2023 Car dealership Lookers, which looks set to be swiped from London markets in a £504m take-private deal, reported resilient trading in the first half against significant macroeconomic headwinds. The UK’s biggest car seller reached an agreement late last month with Global Auto Holdings – an entity linked to the Canadian Alpha Auto Group – to [...]
Government borrowing: Another new debt record as interest hits July high making pre-election tax cuts unlikely August 22, 2023 The interest paid on government debt hit its highest July level on record as government borrowing continued to rise, albeit significantly less than expected.
The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on falling house prices, global travel’s acceleration and Netflix’s Sackler drama August 22, 2023 Today, Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, takes the City A.M. notebook pen The only thing being built is negative momentum Rising interest rates, high inflation and the cost of living crisis are starting to take a serious toll on the UK housing market. Just this week, data from Rightmove pointed to a [...]
Markets look for clues on future direction of interest rates as central bankers meet for Jackson Hole Symposium August 21, 2023 Central bankers from around the world will descend on Wyoming for the annual central banking jamboree later this week, with markets looking closely for any signals about the future direction of interest rates. Last year the discussion focused on the near certain recession that commentators thought would develop in the face of rapidly rising interest [...]
House prices: Five things we’ve learnt from the latest data (and why we might still be set for a crash) August 21, 2023 House prices might not crash - but neither renters nor homeowners have all that much to cheer as we head into September