UK workers have £500 a month spare after tax and essentials October 27, 2014 The average employed person in the UK has £500 in spare cash each month, research from Lloyds bank today revealed. After paying bills and buying essential items like food, seven in 10 UK full-time workers have at least 25 per cent of their salary left over. This 25 per cent equates to £500 when considering [...]
10 things we learned this week: From Tesco’s share price and Facebook’s tax bill to cures for Ebola and the EU budget October 24, 2014 What a week. From troubles at Tesco (not least its share price) to Facebook's UK tax bill, we've had a busy front on company news. And when it came to international goings-on, the EU really kept us on our toes, while Ebola continued to dominate the news. Here we digest the top 10 stories [...]
Warm September hits clothing sales, but recovery still on track October 23, 2014 SUPERMARKET sales fell in September due to warm weather, delaying winter clothes purchases, but sales are expected to rebound towards the end of the year. The volume of sales fell by 0.3 per cent from August to September due to a 7.8 per cent fall in clothing sales. Last month marked the fourth warmest September [...]
US inflation up on food costs October 22, 2014 US CONSUMER prices rose marginally in September, painting a weak inflation picture that should give the Federal Reserve ample room to keep interest rates low for a while. The Labor Department said yesterday its Consumer Price Index edged up 0.1 per cent last month as a rise in food and shelter costs offset a decline [...]
Apple Pay launches: Why mobile payment is about take off October 21, 2014 Apple Pay, the tech giant's mobile payment service, has launched in the US offering users the ability to pay for items using just their mobile phone. It kicks of the most high-profile launch in the nascent mobile payment space, which could finally push it into the mainstream. A mobile wallet is perhaps the best way [...]
How inflation data prints affect financial markets – Daily FX Tips & Picks October 20, 2014 WITH most market participants expecting a rate increase in the US during 2015, this Wednesday’s inflation figure will be very interesting. Markets anticipate that US inflation will show an annual growth of 1.6 per cent, while the reading that excludes food and energy price changes (the “core” measure) is expected to have increased by 1.7 [...]
China inflation slows to near five-year low of 1.6pc in September October 15, 2014 After yesterday’s surprise slowdown pushing inflation to its lowest in five years in the UK, the world’s second largest economy experienced a similar unexpected turn. Consumer inflation in China slowed more than expected to a near five-year low, coming in at 1.6 per cent in September, just under the 1.7 per cent expected and a [...]
Weak inflation knocks sterling to 11-month low October 14, 2014 THE POUND fell sharply yesterday as UK inflation for September came in below expectations, reducing the chance of a 2014 interest rate hike. Prices rose at their slowest pace for five years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), prompting sterling to sink last night to an 11-month low of $1.5905 to the pound. [...]
Inflation falls again: Consumer Price Index falls to a five-year low of 1.2pc in September October 14, 2014 The consumer price index (CPI) of UK inflation fell even further than expected, down to 1.2 per cent in September from 1.5 per cent the previous month, hitting a five-year low. CPI was expected to slow slightly to 1.4 per cent according to analyst forecasts. But the slump is even further below the Bank of [...]
Enthusiastic UK shoppers boost growth hopes as spending on cards increases October 13, 2014 Shoppers are splashing out more in almost every area of spending, Barclaycard numbers showed yesterday, indicating there is more life yet in the economic recovery. Overall, spending on cards last month was 4.8 per cent higher than it was in September last year – the fastest annual increase since May 2013. Spending in restaurants jumped [...]