Ocado unveils price cuts on 200 goods as shares rise slightly August 23, 2023 Ocado’s share price grew just under one per cent on Wednesday following news it would slash prices on 200 more goods to entice customers. In recent months the tech-driven supermarket, which is owned as part of a joint venture with M&S, has been distancing itself from its reputation as an upmarket grocer with the brand [...]
FTSE 100 close: London markets finish in the green despite PMI dip August 23, 2023 London markets rose today despite new PMI data showing a significant slump in UK business activity. The FTSE 100 closed up 0.72per cent after a day in the green, while the FTSE 250, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, climbed 1.1 per cent. S&P Global’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for [...]
Retail shares may rise as profit upgrades boost investor confidence August 21, 2023 Retail shares could shoot up over the coming months despite recessionary headwinds, reports from City analysts suggest. Analysts at Peel Hunt said the market was “undervalued,” following a season of profit downgrades issued by major UK retailers that sent investor conference sinking. Many retailers were hit hard by red-hot inflation which led consumers to be [...]
The Notebook: Susannah Streeter on the parenthood trap, stripped-back burgers and the terrible trend of pub queues August 21, 2023 Today, it’s Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, holding the City A.M. pen The pricey parenthood trap I congratulated my 40-something friends and new parents who took on the daunting task of moving house with their baby last week. It’s a challenge we recklessly took on ourselves, almost 17 years ago [...]
July washout drags retail sales down 1.2 per cent as supermarkets and high street hit August 18, 2023 July’s awful weather dragged down UK retail sales by 1.2 per cent, as supermarkets suffered the most from the washout with Brits not splashing cash on food and clothes. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show retail sales volumes in July went down following a small rise of 0.6 in June, [...]
‘Greedflation’ not behind UK price rises, new data indicates August 17, 2023 Corporate profiteering, or ‘greedflation’, is not the driving force behind UK price rises, new data out today indicates. The profitability of private non-financial corporations grew by 0.1 per cent between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported. It found that the net rate of [...]
Rishi Sunak: Brits will never have it so good (next year) despite ‘real risk’ of recession August 17, 2023 Rishi Sunak has outlined his hopes to ensure Britons feel better off next year, amid warnings that the UK economy faces a “very real risk” of recession due to higher interest rates. The Prime Minister attempted to strike an optimistic tone when asked about efforts to tame inflation, as he said there is a need [...]
How is Sunak doing on halving inflation, cutting NHS lists and stopping boats? August 16, 2023 In January, Rishi Sunak unveiled the vision for his government. Five pledges; five clear goals; five ambitions for his ministers. His aim was clear: be seen as an effective, solutions-focused administration and, hopefully, reap the electoral rewards. “No tricks, no ambiguity; we’re either delivering for you or we’re not,” he vowed. Eight months in, and [...]
Inflation: Falling energy bills and price cap helps drive down prices August 16, 2023 Falling energy costs are taming once rampant inflation rates, with the consumer price index rising at its lowest rate since last February.
‘The plan is working’: Sunak hails falling inflation – but PM warned targets still in jeopardy August 16, 2023 Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt have welcomed today’s dramatic fall in inflation to 6.8 per cent, with the prime minister saying it shows his “plan is working”. The government welcomed today’s news of falling headline inflation, despite expectations the Bank of England is still likely to hike interest rates for a 15th straight time. However, [...]