Bank of England ditches any threat of recession in biggest GDP upgrade since 1997 independence May 11, 2023 Any threat of a recession in Britain this year and over the medium term has today been scrapped by the Bank of England in what was the largest upgrade to the central bank’s GDP projections since it was made independent in 1997. The UK economy is now tipped to broadly flatline this year and start [...]
FTSE 100 Live: London markets fall following Bank of England’s interest rate decision May 11, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index fell this afternoon following the Bank of England’s latest interest rate decision, when the Bank’s base rate was lifted by 25 basis points. The capital’s premier index fell 0.64 per cent to 7,691.42 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
Bank of England to usher in new era of higher interest rates after sending them to near 15-year high today May 11, 2023 The Bank of England will rip up the monetary policy order of the last decade and keep interest rates far above their post-financial crisis rock bottom levels over the coming years, new forecasts out today claim. UK borrowing costs are on course to top four per cent for the whole of this year and next [...]
FTSE 100 close: ASOS shares nosedive 22 per cent after posting dim results May 10, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 slipped in the City today as online fashion retailer ASOS was pummelled after a dim set of results. The capital’s premier index shed 0.29 per cent to close at 7,741.32 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, lost 0.15 per [...]
US inflation falls faster than expected to 4.9 per cent, raising chances of Fed rate hike pause May 10, 2023 US inflation fell faster than expected last month, potentially paving the way for the Federal Reserve to pause its aggressive interest rate hike campaign at its meeting next month, official figures unveiled today unveiled. The rate of price increases in the world’s largest economy slipped to 4.9 per cent in April, down from five per [...]
Nationwide, Santander, TSB and Virgin Money probed over ‘measly’ savings rates May 10, 2023 An influential parliamentary body has expanded its inquiry into the low savings rates paid by the UK’s retail banks, describing the current rates on offer as “measly”. Having investigated the UK’s four largest retail banks, MPs at the Treasury Committee have now sent letters to Nationwide, Santander, TSB and Virgin Money. These lenders account for [...]
UK businesses turn to temp staff amid recession worries May 10, 2023 UK businesses are turning to part-time staff to avoid locking into long-term contracts for fear of being dragged down by the economic slump, a new survey out today shows. Demand for temporary staff is running much higher than for full-time workers, according to consultancy KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). The pair’s permanent [...]
Can regulators get the City growing? It will be hard to tell, lawyers warn May 10, 2023 The government may run into trouble as it looks to gauge the impact of City regulators in boosting the growth and international standing of the UK’s financial sector, top lawyers have warned.
Britcoin: BoE’s CBDC head says digital pound will have ‘very highest standards of privacy’ May 9, 2023 The Bank of England’s director of fintech batted away concerns that a digital pound would threaten privacy as he confirmed that it would not be exchangeable with cryptocurrencies as they currently exist. Speaking at the Financial Times’ Crypto and Digital Assets Conference, Tom Mutton – who is responsible for leading the CBDC unit at the [...]
FTSE 100 close: Barclays and NatWest rise on London index as stalling house prices knock builders May 9, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kick started a fresh week down today, with Britain’s biggest home builders sliding after new figures showed house price growth has stalled. The capital’s premier index nudged 0.18 per cent lower to 7,764.10 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]