Bank of England: Economists split as monetary policymakers set out into the unknown | City A.M. July 30, 2018 The Bank of England is widely expected to raise interest rates on Thursday, but the decision by the monetary policy committee (MPC) is likely to be one of the most controversial in recent memory. While most City observers now think rates will rise, economists are split as to whether hiking borrowing costs amid a weak [...]
Business and consumers’ confidence wanes as uncertainty dominates pre-Brexit outlook June 29, 2018 British consumers and businesses are battening down the hatches in the face of heightened uncertainty as Brexit approaches, new survey evidence suggests. A widely followed measure of British consumer confidence by data firm GfK, published today, fell by two points to a negative reading of nine, as people expressed growing concerns over the economy. A [...]
Is the high street really doomed? June 26, 2018 UK high street retailers have endured a torrid time over the last few years. A slew of store closures, job losses and administrations don’t make for pretty headlines, and illustrate just how difficult it is for those looking to invest in the retail sector. Discount retailer Poundworld followed electronics firm Maplin and toy retailer Toys [...]
Last Week in the City: Stiff competition in funerals? June 1, 2018 Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market-moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (28 May to 1 June 2018). Shares in listed funeral director Dignity slumped after the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will examine the pre-paid funeral sector, a move that could see tougher regulation. [...]
Consumer confidence rose in March as promises of wage increases boosted optimism March 29, 2018 A snowy March failed to dampen consumer confidence in the UK, according to new research which shows optimism increased over the month. Consumers were generally more confident across the board in the key areas of personal finance, the general economic situation, the major purchase index and the savings index, the long-running research from GfK on [...]
Businesses feel confident in their future but consumer confidence slumps to the low recorded post-Brexit vote November 30, 2017 Confidence in business prospects has risen to its highest level since April 2017, while consumer confidence has dipped to the lows recorded in the wake of the Brexit vote, according to new figures out today. Lloyds Bank’s business barometer for November found that business confidence dipped two points to 24 per cent, and economic optimism [...]
Ministers must show they are pro-business by tackling costs in the Budget February 27, 2017 Momentum behind the post-Brexit consumer-spending boom appears to be slowing. As City A.M. reports today, a GfK poll found that UK consumers’ confidence took a turn for the worse this month, with the index slipping a point to a score of minus six. It would be easy to dismiss the dip as mere jitters but [...]
Consumer confidence climbed this month, but signs point to slowing spending in 2017 January 30, 2017 Overall consumer confidence edged up this month, but Britons showed they have less faith in making major purchases, signalling a spending slowdown in the year ahead, a new report suggests. GfK's consumer confidence index, published today, climbed two points to minus five in January. Three of the five measures experienced increases this month, one was unchanged and one decreased. It was the [...]
Resilient British consumers grow more confident about personal finances, but see storm clouds ahead for the UK economy December 22, 2016 British consumers have ended the year on a resilient note, with confidence rising despite gloomy forecasts for the economy, according to a long-running survey. Consumer confidence increased in December by one point, driven higher by a positive attitude towards making major purchases such as furniture or white goods, says the index compiled by market research [...]
Big ticket purchases help shore up consumer confidence October 28, 2016 Consumer confidence is still holding steady following the EU referendum, defying expectations of a freeze in spending. The GfK consumer confidence index, out today, came in at minus three in October, down slightly from minus one last month, but holding well above the minus nine recorded in the weeks immediately after the vote. GfK also found [...]