Don’t blame speculators for soaring food prices February 14, 2011 Experts often tell us that retail investors should steer well clear of speculating in the soft commodities market. It’s too risky, they warn, with too many variables for the average private investor to make a fully informed choice. Chuck in a splash of unpredictable weather and a dash of political interference, and it’s all too [...]
ECONOMISTS’ VIEWS: IS INFLATION HERE TO STAY? February 13, 2011 JAMIE DANNHAUSER | LOMBARD STREET RESEARCH “We broadly sympathise with the view of the Bank – that inflation will peak this month or in March, but fall heavily in January next year and be below target through next year.” IAN STEWART | DELOITTE “My assumption is that a good deal of the excess inflation relates [...]
Inflation fears turn up heat ahead of Bank rate decision February 9, 2011 RISING inflation expectations are adding pressure on the Bank of England to lift interest rates, ahead of today’s latest decision by the monetary policy committee (MPC). “Inflation expectations have soared since the last quarter,” said researcher Monica Insoll yesterday, referring to a survey of investors conducted for the ratings agency Fitch. Over half the respondents [...]
Bernanke says US job growth too low February 9, 2011 US unemployment remains too high for comfort despite the economy showing signs of strengthening recovery, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has said. In testimony to the US House of Representatives’ Budget Committee that largely echoed a speech he delivered last week, Bernanke also warned about the dangers of unsustainable budget deficits. But his commitment to [...]
VAT shock yet to be passed to consumers February 8, 2011 INFLATION in UK shops rose to 2.5 per cent in January – from 2.1 per cent in December — despite retailers absorbing much of the hike in VAT, a comprehensive survey revealed today. Even more price pressure could spill through to consumers in the coming months, the British Retail Consortium warned. “Retailers generally took the [...]
The screws are tightening, but it’s not torture yet February 8, 2011 CHINESE interest rate rises are, it seems, rather like coffee. The effect gets smaller with each extra dose. When the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) first announced an interest rate increase in mid-October last year, the trade-weighted dollar strengthened 1.7 per cent. The second rate rise, announced on Christmas day, produced a smaller reaction, but [...]
China raises interest rates February 8, 2011 China raised interest rates for the second time in just over six weeks, intensifying a battle in the fast-expanding economy against stubbornly high inflation that threatens to unsettle global markets. The timing was a surprise, coming on the final day of China’s Lunar New Year holiday, but investors have long expected more monetary tightening as [...]
Rising commodity prices have further to go February 6, 2011 FOR two weeks our headlines and television sets have been dominated by Egypt. Prior to the scenes in Tahrir Square, all eyes were on Tunisia; contagion is spreading across the Middle East. So what role did rising food costs play in pushing the region to the brink? And how can citizens be expected to understand [...]
FREW STEPS UP FOR THE 30 PER CENT CLUB CAUSE February 3, 2011 GOOD news – of a kind. The 30% Club has finally found a female chairman to join its ranks. For those not au fait with the club’s goings-on, it was founded to pursue the “aspiration” of getting boards at the UK’s top companies to be at least 30 per cent female by 2015. While the [...]
Manufacturing grows at record pace February 1, 2011 Manufacturing activity grew in January at its fastest pace since records began in 1992, and factory costs also surged, in a further sign that price pressures are building in the economy, a survey showed. Employment in the manufacturing sector also rose at the quickest pace since the records began. The Markit/CIPS manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index [...]