Week ahead: City shapes up for possible double-digit inflation August 14, 2022 The City is bracing for a week brimming with big economic announcements that will shed more light on the health of the UK economy. London’s premier FTSE 100 index notched a decent performance last week, gaining nearly one per cent to close at a shade over 7,500 points. The mid-cap domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which [...]
Truss or Sunak will need to deliver ‘shot in the arm’ of UK economy July 22, 2022 Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will need to deliver a “shot in the economic arm” of the country to lift Brits’ confidence out of the doldrums after one of them wins the Conservative leadership race, two closely watched surveys published today reveal. Scorching inflation, the highest interest rates in 13 years and tax hikes have [...]
Cocktail of problems plunge UK consumer confidence to record low June 24, 2022 A relentless cost of living crunch, the prospect of a recession and stagnant wage growth has driven British pessimism to new highs, reveals a closely watched survey published today. UK consumer confidence dropped to minus 41 points this month, down marginally from minus 40 in May, the lowest reading recorded by research firm GfK since [...]
Week ahead: City braces for further inflation surge June 19, 2022 Investors are bracing for fresh data this week to point to a further surge in UK inflation, sending the rate of price rises beyond an already 40-year high. London’s FTSE 100 last week was caught up in one of the most volatile weeks for global stock markets since the early days of the pandemic. It [...]
Sky high inflation: Consumer confidence crashes as Brits worry about big purchases April 22, 2022 Consumer confidence has crashed this month, nearing a historic low in GrowthforKnowledge (GfK)’s index. The data company’s Consumer Confidence Index decreased seven points to -38 in April, as Brits worried about rising inflation. All measures, which look at how Brits feel about their personal situation and general economic situation, as well as major purchases, were [...]
Brits’ optimism shrinks on soaring inflation and looming tax hikes January 21, 2022 An inflation spike, the re-emergence of Covid-19 restrictions and looming tax hikes have combined to dampen Brits’ confidence in the year ahead, reveals a closely watched survey released today. The erosion of household budgets by inflation climbing to a near three decade high has led to concerns about a deterioration in personal finances to sweep [...]
Omicron and virus curbs deals blow to Brits’ confidence December 17, 2021 The emergence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has dealt a blow to Brits’ optimism, according to a closely watched survey published today. Consumer confidence edged back one point over the last month to minus 15 in December, research by GfK found. The dip has been driven by households’ confidence in their personal finances over [...]
Consumer confidence edges up despite inflation and supply chain woes November 19, 2021 Shoppers put aside concerns about soaring inflation and supply chain woes and spend in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas, leading consumer confidence to edge up, according to new data published this morning. GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased three points to minus 14 in November following a three-month downturn. A seven-point jump in [...]
Rush to buy Christmas presents lifts Brits’ optimism November 19, 2021 A rush to buy Christmas presents early to avoid being stung by potential shortages has lifted Brits’ confidence. Shoppers are ready to pounce on big ticket purchases at Black Friday and over the festive period, research by GfK has found. Intention to splurge on expensive products jumped seven percentage points over the last month, climbing [...]
Britain’s economic adjustment only ends in one way October 7, 2021 The ails of the nation’s favourite sausage roll maker are a microcosm of the problems afflicting the UK economy. In a trading update yesterday, high street baker Greggs warned it is suffering from a “supply of ingredients.” A couple months back, it pulled its iconic chicken bite for similar reasons. Severe shortages plaguing the British [...]