Why ECB pressers are suffering a bout of word “inflation” May 8, 2014 The European Central Bank is still ignoring the elephant in the room. We've got a policy decision and presser coming up from the central bank this afternoon, but analysts aren't exciting anything too exciting at either event. Yet Robert Kuenzel of Daiwa Capital Markets Europe says that the ECB "clearly understands that it is already [...]
Sterling’s enduring strength: Not the bad news some fear April 28, 2014 A strong pound brings opportunities for the discerning trader NEWS of a stronger pound is often accompanied by alarmist warnings over the consequences for the UK economy. Entrepreneur and economist John Mills has recently campaigned for a devaluation of sterling to boost British manufacturing competitiveness in the long term. And many fear that a stronger [...]
Here’s why 2014 could still prove a great year for Bitcoin bugs April 25, 2014 The past few months have proved to be a tough time for cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The MtGox exchange suffered a dramatic fall from grace, while the price of the digital currency has fallen by 37 per cent the year to date. However, things may be looking up for Bitcoin as venture capital money continues pour in [...]
Here’s why 2014 could still prove a great year for Bitcoin bugs April 25, 2014 The past few months have proved to be a tough time for cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The MtGox exchange suffered a dramatic fall from grace, while the price of the digital currency has fallen by 37 per cent the year to date. However, things may be looking up for Bitcoin as venture capital money continues pour in [...]
UK retail sales jump unexpectedly in March April 25, 2014 Shoppers in the UK have been buying more than expected, particularly when it comes to clothes and shoes, with retail sales increasing 0.1 per cent in March and 4.2 per cent year-on-year. Month-on-month, that’s down from the 1.3 per cent increase seen in February (which was revised down from 1.7 per cent), but well ahead [...]
Shoppers stay away from UK high streets over Easter April 22, 2014 BRITISH shoppers did not hit the high streets in their expected numbers over the first days of the Easter bank holiday weekend, but there were signs that more people had headed to the shops yesterday. Retail data firm Springboard says that average footfall across high streets, shopping centres and retail parks was down 7.6 per [...]
End of wage squeeze on horizon as inflation falls to 2009 levels April 15, 2014 CONSUMER prices are now rising at the slowest pace in four and a half years, a dramatic turnaround which could end the pressure on family incomes from years of above-target inflation. Official figures released yesterday show that the consumer price index (CPI) rose by only 1.6 per cent in the year to March, the lowest [...]
Inflation falls to four and a half year low April 15, 2014 Inflation keeps moving lower, having fallen below the Bank of England's two per cent threshold in January for the first time in four years. Headline consumer price inflation has come in at 1.6 in the year to March, down from 1.7 per cent last month. Analysts expected to see inflation at that level today – [...]
Asian shares take a beating after US tech rout April 11, 2014 Asian shares are taking a beating after major sell-offs in US tech companies left investors shying away from riskier assets and emerging markets. The losses come hot on the heels of a tough day on Wall Street, with the Nasdaq suffering its worst single drop since 2011. Japan was left particularly vulnerable to the tech [...]
Record drop in shop prices with 11th month of deflation in March April 8, 2014 SHOP prices tumbled further in March, with the fastest deflation for more than seven years recorded by a major monthly report on the sector. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen’s latest research, shop prices fell by 1.7 per cent in the year to March, the largest drop since the groups began keeping [...]