Price hike Britain January 18, 2011 Fears were growing last night that Britain faces an explosion in the cost of living, with spiralling inflation threatening to erode savings and squeeze households already facing higher taxes. The consumer price index (CPI) shot up in December at the fastest rate since the Office of National Statistics (ONS) began reporting it in 1996, the [...]
Rising inflation smashes through CEE price targets January 18, 2011 INFLATION targets are being overshot throughout central and eastern Europe (CEE), mirroring price worries in the UK and elsewhere. While consumer price index (CPI) inflation remains low compared to the long term average, the CEE average has increased every month since June last year, rising from 3.6 per cent in June to 5.5 per cent [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS January 18, 2011 GREENCORE RBS rates the Irish convenience foods producer “buy” with a target price of €1.50. The broker believes Greencore enjoyed solid trading over Christmas, though it expects raw material cost inflation to continue to dampen profits. RBS believes its short-term price is likely to be driven by its proposed merger with Northern Foods. PRUDENTIAL Nomura [...]
Inflated expectations are driving up sterling January 18, 2011 INFLATION is the curious way in which, over time, the same amount of money buys progressively less stuff. So it was strange to see yesterday that, as a result of higher than expected inflation in Britain, the value of sterling hit its highest level in two months. Against the dollar, the pound rose by about [...]
Inflation hits eight-month high of 3.7 per cent January 18, 2011 A surge in oil prices drove consumer price inflation up far more than expected in December to an 8-month high of 3.7 per cent – well above the Bank of England’s own forecasts. The Office for National Statistics said the annual rate of CPI rose to 3.7 per cent in December from 3.3 per cent [...]
INVESTORS GIVEN CAUSE TO CHEER January 17, 2011 CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT EUROZONE investors had cause to cheer last week as bond auctions in Portugal, Spain and Italy went better than expected. As the auctions approached, their success looked pretty much guaranteed thanks to the efforts of the European Central Bank (ECB), along with promises of support from China and even chronically-indebted Japan. [...]
Developed markets should expect inflation January 16, 2011 INTEREST rates may still be at all time lows in the developed world but inflation is the only story in town for much of the emerging world. It will soon be the same story in the West. In 2008, spiralling food prices brought people in Asia, Africa and Latin America onto the streets. Many fear [...]
BoE credibility at risk over inflation January 16, 2011 THE Bank of England’s credibility could be on the line tomorrow if UK inflation spikes even further above expectations. Economists expect consumer price index (CPI) inflation for December to approach 3.5 per cent, when the figure is released tomorrow by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). And price pressures could see inflation hit twice the [...]
Cash injection for the UK economy could risk deflation January 16, 2011 AN INJECTION of cash into the UK economy through quantitative easing could risk the economic recovery and lead to deflation. Fathom Consulting has warned a fresh round of quantitative easing (QE) could become self defeating, as higher headline inflation, without an increase in higher wages, would ultimately be deflationary. Analysts warned a fresh injection of [...]
US retail sales back to annual growth January 14, 2011 SALES at US retailers in 2010 reversed two years of contraction and posted the biggest gain in more than a decade, a government report showed. Retail sales rose 0.6 per cent in December, slightly less than expected, but the growth was still the sixth straight month of growth, the Commerce Department said. And total sales [...]