British factories’ costs climb at record pace in sign of even higher consumer prices to come May 18, 2022 Prices for materials used by British factories are rising at the quickest pace on record in a sign firms may be pushed to keep passing on costs to consumers, official figures published today revealed. The cost of buying components such as fuels used for the day to day running of manufacturing firms jumped 18.6 per [...]
High street bosses plead for crisis cash to help with dramatic energy bill hikes May 18, 2022 High street businesses have called for emergency help over skyrocketing energy bills, as bosses warn a cocktail of cost pressures threaten to subdue their pandemic recovery. Without government action, historic levels of inflation and dramatic energy bill rises pose a risk to the beauty sector’s recovery, the British Beauty Council has said. The industry group [...]
UK inflation hits 9 per cent: 40-year high as country wrestles cost of living crisis May 18, 2022 UK inflation has hit 9 per cent, a 40-year high, as the country wrestles with a cost-of-living crisis. Top economists have pegged inflationary headwinds to hit double figures by the end of the year, as food, energy and other household services and goods spiral in cost. Food products and metals have seen the largest leaps [...]
All Bar One and O’Neills owner struggles to drive sales as inflation bites May 18, 2022 All Bar One and O'Neills owner Mitchells & Butlers feels the sting of inflation, with like-for-like sales growth of one per cent over the first half of the year compared to 2019 figures.
Andrew Bailey is putting the Bank’s independence at risk if he wavers on inflation May 18, 2022 Andrew Bailey’s ability to steer monetary policy through the inflation crisis will determine the Bank’s future strength
Pubs and restaurants battle to keep prices competitive amid ‘intense pressure’ on margins May 17, 2022 The hospitality sector has warned of “intense pressure” on margins while shoppers have been told food prices could surge as much as 10 per cent. Marks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman cautioned that shoppers could see an even pricey weekly shop amid historic levels of inflation. Speaking to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on [...]
The City View: Michael Hewson on problematic consumer spending growth May 17, 2022 Today Andy Silvester talks to Michael Hewson, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets. They unpick the latest wage and labour figures, analyse Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey’s comments at the Treasury select committee, go through inflation predictions for 2022, and discuss why current consumer spending growth in the US and UK will be problematic [...]
Sureserve’s order book powers profits May 17, 2022 Social housing energy services group Sureserve has reported rising revenues and a healthy uptick in profits, driven by an expanding order book.
Governor Bailey: Nothing different BoE could have done to prevent double-digit inflation May 16, 2022 Bank of England chief Andrew Bailey today defended his performance in overseeing “the biggest test” in the monetary authority’s 25 years of independence. Bailey, 63, said there was nothing else the Bank could have done to prevent inflation surging to more than five times its two per cent target in response to a grilling by [...]
Diesel prices climb to record levels as cost-of-living crisis escalates May 16, 2022 Diesel prices have soared to record levels, piling pressure on motorists amid spiralling inflation and a deepening cost of living crisis.