Barclays kicks shareholder goodies into long grass again after $15bn trading blunder April 28, 2022 British banking giant Barclays has kicked its share buyback programme into the long grass for the second time after it booked huge costs to draw a line under an unprecedented trading blunder, it announced today. The lender last month said it had sold more than $15bn (£12bn) of financial products than it was allowed to, [...]
London-listed banks boost the City as earnings season rumbles on April 28, 2022 London-listed banks continued to boost the City this morning as lenders’ earnings season presses on full-steam ahead. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index climbed 0.88 per cent to 7,491.03 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, rose 0.95 per cent to 20,631.69 points. [...]
Exclusive: Brits set to lobby employers for inflation-busting pay rise in response to cost of living crunch April 28, 2022 Brits are set to lobby their employers for a pay rise in a bid to cope with a tightening cost of living squeeze, reveals exclusive research shared with City A.M. today. Employers that fail to meet workers’ demands for a wage boost risk losing out on retaining and attracting top talent, according to the ADP [...]
UK high street lenders whipsaw on muddled day of trading in the City April 27, 2022 The UK’s biggest high street lenders whipsawed in the City today after giving up morning gains that initially boosted London’s top indexes. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 0.53 per cent higher at 7,425.61 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dipped [...]
Lloyds warns of looming defaults on cost of living shock April 27, 2022 The cost of living shock that is rippling throughout household finances is increasing the chances of borrowers defaulting on their debts, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender warned today. Worsening economic conditions triggered by inflation scaling to 30-year highs is likely to lead to greater financial distress among Brits, Lloyds Bank said today. The bleak assessment touches [...]
We need to stop comforting ourselves with the myth of the all-powerful central bank April 27, 2022 Inflation continues to be a major problem for policy makers. The annual rate of price increases hit 7 per cent last month and could be in double figures later this year. This projection is far from being a fantasy. On some measures, annual inflation in America is already over 10 per cent. Rather bizarrely, the [...]
London’s top indexes fail to recover China Covid lockdown triggered losses April 26, 2022 London’s top indexes failed to recover from Monday’s bruising session as investors were still jittery due to concerns over the severity of the impact on the global economy from China sticking to its zero-Covid tolerance policy. London’s premier FTSE 100 index edged 0.08 per cent higher to 7,286.19 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 [...]
UK flirting dangerously close with recession this year, economists warn April 26, 2022 The UK economy is flirting dangerously close with falling into recession this year as a result of inflation dealing a heavy blow to households and businesses. That’s according to a slate of gloomy forecasts from some of the City’s top economists. Elevated food, energy and core goods prices will send inflation to a peak of [...]
Historic inflation crunch swells UK interest bill to highest on record April 26, 2022 Historic high inflation has swelled the amount of money the UK government spends on servicing its debt to its largest level on record, reveals official figures released today. Britain’s debt interest bill for the year to March climbed 77 per cent over the last year to nearly £70bn in a further sign that Chancellor Rishi [...]
As house prices hit another all-time high, we need to cut bureaucracy burdening sales April 26, 2022 Yesterday, average house prices in England hit a record high for the third consecutive month, according to RightMove. They reached an average of £360,100. High buyer demand and a limited number of homes available are likely to send prices even higher. Against this backdrop, it’s about time we reconsider the way we buy and sell [...]