The Roman Empire has a lesson for Andrew Bailey on devaluing a currency June 24, 2022 Winston Churchill once said: “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Those words apply to many aspects of our lives, not least economics. The past few weeks have seen the pound slump in value. In May alone, it fell by around eight per cent on its year-on-year value [...]
Cocktail of problems plunge UK consumer confidence to record low June 24, 2022 A relentless cost of living crunch, the prospect of a recession and stagnant wage growth has driven British pessimism to new highs, reveals a closely watched survey published today. UK consumer confidence dropped to minus 41 points this month, down marginally from minus 40 in May, the lowest reading recorded by research firm GfK since [...]
Second day of rail strikes send Trainline tumbling as FTSE 100 dips June 23, 2022 A second day of railway worker strikes sent shares in ticket booking platform Trainline tumbling as London’s top indexes dipped today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.97 per cent to 7,020.45 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 1.05 per [...]
The bear market story and what next – in six charts June 23, 2022 It’s been the worst start to a year for markets since the Great Depression. We tell the story so far in six charts. Like a bear with a sore head, many investors probably wish they had stayed in hibernation in 2022. It has been a brutal year so far, the worst since the Great Depression [...]
Do bear markets herald a recession? June 23, 2022 We look back over more than 100 years of data to ask what this week’s severe market moves might signal for the economy. After hitting an all-time high at the start of the year, the S&P 500 has plunged into bear territory this week. As a rule of thumb, the so-called bear market is when [...]
UK economy spiralling toward ‘troubling’ recession and even higher inflation June 23, 2022 The UK economy is hurtling towards a “troubling” slump that will see it tip into recession and suffer from rampant inflation, reveals a closely watched survey published today. Consumers are responding to the worst cost of living crunch in a generation by cooling spending, while businesses are grappling with flatlining demand, according to S&P Global’s [...]
100 days to cash in or spend it: Bank of England warns £14.5bn worth of paper bank notes will soon be withdrawn June 23, 2022 The Bank of England has warned people there are just 100 days to use or return £14.5bn-worth of paper bank notes before they’re removed as legal tender. On 30 September, £20 and £50 notes made from paper will be withdrawn from circulation completely, and replaced with new polymer versions. The warning was given because a [...]
Bank of England official compares crypto crash to dotcom bubble June 22, 2022 The Bank of England’s Deputy Governor has compared the recent crypto crash to the dotcom bubble more than two decades ago. Jon Cunliffe said those that survived the crash could become the technology companies of the future and rival the likes of tech giants Amazon. “The analogy for me is the dotcom boom, when $5 trillion was [...]
Inflation bump sends chill through London’s FTSE 100 June 22, 2022 London’s top indexes slumped today as investors fretted over the damage further inflation surges could deal the UK economy. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index slid 0.88 per cent to 7,089.22 points, while the domestically-focused, mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 0.31 per cent to [...]
US Fed chief Powell warns higher rates may tip economy into recession June 22, 2022 The chief of the US Federal Reserve has warned it may hike interest rates to a level that tips the economy into a recession. “It’s certainly a possibility” that a rapid tightening of monetary policy will force the US economy into reverse, Fed chair Jerome Powell said today in response to a grilling by American [...]