HSBC hits back at Ping An calls to carve out Asia business August 1, 2022 HSBC today hit back at intense pressure from its biggest shareholder to spin out its Asia business. The chief of Britain’s largest lender, Noel Quinn, said HSBC’s “strength as a well connected, global institution is the main reason our wholesale clients choose to bank with us”. “We are determined to capitalise on the advantages our [...]
Brits scale down inflation expectations in sign BoE rate hikes are quashing price pressures August 1, 2022 British households are scaling down their expectations for future inflation in a sign that the Bank of England’s series of rate hikes are curbing price pressures, a fresh survey published today revealed. The UK public in July thought inflation will settle at 3.8 per cent in five years, down from four per cent in June, according [...]
Economic downturn pummels UK factories August 1, 2022 UK factories are succumbing to a concoction of downside risks that have shifted the sector into “reverse gear,” a closely watched survey published today revealed. Activity in the British manufacturing sector last month plunged to a 25-month low of 52.1, down from 52.8 in June and slightly below analysts’ expectations, according to S&P Global’s purchasing [...]
England Women set for sponsorship offers after Euros success turns Lionesses into stars August 1, 2022 The stars of England’s success at Women’s Euro 2022 could be in line for lucrative personal sponsorship deals as a result of the tournament making them household names. Lionesses including captain Leah Williamson and super-sub Alessia Russo have enjoyed greater prominence than ever as women’s football has made the front and back pages. But the [...]
Brits struggle to cut back as inflation eats into budgets August 1, 2022 Brits are struggling to find any more areas of spending to cut back on to keep their finances above water, a new survey published today reveals. Over one in 10 households will have nothing else to slash from their budgets when the October energy price cap hike lands, according to a survey by Legal and [...]
Sky-high inflation slows UK private sector economy to ‘standstill’ August 1, 2022 Consumers reacting to scaling prices by cutting spending is expected to grind the UK economy to a halt, new surveys published today revealed. Private sector firms think they will squeeze out zero growth over the next three months, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the country’s largest business lobby group. Businesses are beginning [...]
Water sector debt risks market crisis warns watchdog July 31, 2022 Water utilities loaded with debt are at a growing risk of collapse as interest rates rise, argued David Black, chief executive of Ofwat.
Week ahead: City braces for biggest Bank rate hike since independence July 31, 2022 The City will this week be bracing for what could be the steepest interest rate rise since February 1995. London’s premier FTSE 100 index posted a strong performance last week, climbing just over two per cent to 7,423.43 points. The mid-cap domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
23m Brits on £2.4bn spending spree today as the nation tunes in for the Women’s Euro final July 31, 2022 Nearly 23m Brits are expected to spend money today as they will be celebrating England Women’s first appearance in a major football final since 2009. The EURO final today is expected to generate an average spend per person of over £46.08 before, during and after the match with the top purchases being food delivery (62%), [...]
Eurozone inflation surges to fresh record high dialling up pressure on ECB July 29, 2022 Prices are rising are the fastest pace on record in the eurozone, figures published today revealed. Inflation surged to 8.9 per cent, up from 8.6 per cent in June, the highest rate since the creation of the euro in 1999. The fresh figures dial up pressure on the European Central Bank (ECB) to hoist interest [...]