Europe still has a problem with low inflation July 16, 2015 While consumers may be happy to see prices rising more slowly, central bankers and politicians around Europe are a little more nervous about how they are are behaving across the European Union and Eurozone. The European Union experienced annual inflation of just 0.1 per cent in June and the Eurozone only did marginally better with [...]
Inflation back to zero: Here’s what the analysts said July 14, 2015 Falling clothing and food prices sent Britain back into "noflation" in June, down from 0.1 per cent in May, according to figures releases today by the Office for National Statistics. Read more: Britain falls back into "noflation" territory Here's what analysts had to say: Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said: Core inflation (excluding energy, food, [...]
UK inflation falls back to zero as Britain returns to “noflation” territory July 14, 2015 The falling price of clothes and food meant that Britain's consumer price index slipped back to zero last month, from a 0.1 per cent increase in May, and coming in line with economists' expectations. Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics showed clothing and footwear prices fell by 0.4 per cent in the [...]
Retail sales and jobs data expected to prove positive – The week ahead July 12, 2015 RETAIL sales data and employment figures due out this week are expected to show improvement, while some of the UK’s biggest brands will update the market over the next five days. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) retail sales monitor for June, out tomorrow, is expected to show healthy year-on-year retail sales growth in June. Data [...]
How the chancellor used his new-found luck: Easing the squeeze on public services July 8, 2015 GEORGE Osborne has not, up to now, been a very lucky chancellor. He inherited a huge fiscal deficit and has presided over a recovery that, in the early years, repeatedly disappointed. Initial plans to eliminate the deficit over the life of the last Parliament morphed, year by year, into plans to halve the deficit over [...]
Bank of England monetary policy committee could split over timing of first interest rate rise June 24, 2015 One of the MPC’s nine members, Dr Martin Weale, has indicated that the Bank of England should be prepared to raise the cost of borrowing as early as August. The comments indicate the monetary policy committee could soon face a split over when to raise interest rates from the historic low of 0.5 per cent they [...]
Retail sales growth slows in May as clothing sales dip June 18, 2015 Retail sales growth slowed to 0.2 per cent last month, after rising a downwardly revised 0.9 percent in April, according to data released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This meant sales rose 4.6 per cent year-on-year in May, and it also marked the 26th consecutive month of annual growth. Read more: UK retail sales smash [...]
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee meeting minutes show members vote 9-0 to keep rates unchanged in June June 17, 2015 The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted 9-0 to keep interest rates unchanged at its meeting ending June 3 minutes released today have shown. Read more: UK shrugs off deflation as prices rise 0.1 per cent in May All nine members voted to hold interest rates at 0.5 per cent, although two members said their [...]
UK shrugs off deflation as prices rise 0.1 per cent in May June 16, 2015 Inflation rose by 0.1 per cent in the year to May according the Office for National Statistics, up from -0.1 per cent a month earlier, and ending a brief spell of deflation. "The largest upward contribution to the change came from transport services, notably air fares with the timing of Easter in April a likely [...]
Britain likely to exit deflation next week June 12, 2015 Economists have said that official data due to be released next week will likely show Britain escaped from a brief period of technical deflation last month. They think that prices could have risen slightly in May due to higher fuel prices, alongside increases in the cost of air/sea transport, and holiday prices. Inflation turned fell by [...]