Consumer debt growth is not a new subprime bubble say FCA and Bank of England economists January 8, 2018 The recent surge in consumer lending to record levels will not be a rerun of the subprime borrowing bubble that crippled the world’s financial system in 2008, according to new research by City watchdogs. Credit growth is not being driven by the borrowers rated as most likely to default, according to a joint article published [...]
London Stock Exchange Group’s LCH clearing arm enjoys record year January 8, 2018 The London Stock Exchange (LSE) Group’s LCH clearing arm processed a record volume of derivatives over the course of 2017, ahead of an expansion further into servicing growing Asian markets. The notional value of interest rate derivatives processed by LCH reached over $873 trillion during the course of 2017, according to data to be published [...]
Is the end of QE in sight? Why what the markets want may not be what they get January 5, 2018 After years of loose monetary policy, the money presses in several of the world’s biggest markets are finally winding down – if not yet falling silent. In the US, the era of easy money is already over. But with a huge $4.5 trillion of assets to return to global stock markets, it has always been [...]
Consumer credit growth slows in November as mortgage borrowing declines January 4, 2018 Growth in the amount borrowed by consumers in the form of credit cards and loans fell in November to its lowest since December 2015, as the amount borrowed by home buyers also declined. Figures by the Bank of England showed growth in consumer credit slowed to 9.1 per cent in the year to November, from [...]
As the new year starts Britain needs some economic resolutions January 3, 2018 It’s hard to like January as a month. The start of the New Year invariably brings with it resolutions to drink less – or even nothing – for a month, do more exercise and take more care over how we spend our money. In short, we make all sorts of promises to ourselves to live [...]
Let 2018 be the year in which we stop labelling international students as immigrants January 3, 2018 The rise in rail fares may have added insult to hangover, but it remains the case that the start of a new year brings with it a feeling of renewal, or at least the prospect of it. With Brexit talks poised to enter a more meaningful (if complicated) phase and with UK growth revised up [...]
DEBATE: Should the City be optimistic about 2018? January 3, 2018 Should the City be optimistic about 2018? Gerard Lyons, chief economic strategist at Netwealth Investments, says YES. Be positive. The City will get a boost from LSD this year. L is for liquidity, which remains ample as the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank continue to ease, while the US Federal Reserve and [...]
City leaders recognised for services to business in New Year honours December 30, 2017 The Square Mile has weathered a turbulent year, and as 2017 comes to a close, business leaders have been recognised for their work to promote UK industry through a period of immense change. Business leader Ken Olisa, former Lord Mayor of London Andrew Parmley, and City grandee Anthony Habgood, have been given knighthoods. Vivian Hunt, [...]
The FTSE in 2017: Five charts that tell the story December 27, 2017 The FTSE 100, 250 and All-Share indices made strong gains in 2017. A record year for dividend payments and ongoing loose monetary policy from the Bank of England helped each index hit a record high in 2017. By the close on 13 December 2017 the FTSE 100 was up 5%. But it was outperformed by [...]
Ignore the forecasts. No-one really knows what 2018 holds for markets December 21, 2017 How will markets and the global economy perform in 2018? If you’ve not yet been confronted with a barrage of forecasts or predictions, then you’re likely to be in the coming days. Trying to predict what will happen next year has become as much a part of the Christmas tradition as turkey, presents and overindulgence. [...]