US economy remains in rude health as jobs growth surpasses expectations October 4, 2024 The US economy shrugged off any suggestion that it was on the cusp of a major downturn with a jobs report that blew past all estimates. New figures showed that the US economy added 254,000 jobs in September, well ahead of the 150,000 expected by economists and a big acceleration on last month’s figure of [...]
Bank of England’s Huw Pill: ‘Ample reason for caution’ on interest rates October 4, 2024 Huw Pill, chief economist at the Bank of England, called for a “gradual” approach to cutting interest rates, citing continued concerns about the potential upside risks to the inflationary outlook. In a speech this morning Pill said there was “ample reason for caution” when assessing the dissipation of inflationary persistence. “While further cuts in Bank [...]
Tim Martin warns against pub crackdown as JD Wetherspoon smashes profit expectations October 4, 2024 Profit at JD Wetherspoon over the last year exceeded even the high expectations from the market, bringing in £73.9m of pre-tax profit, compared to expectations of £72m. The chain of pubs reported it had made more than £2bn in sales over the year to the end of July, an eight per cent increase from last [...]
Not ‘much to be optimistic about’ in London rental market October 3, 2024 Pressure on the rental market continues to build this autumn despite a cooling market earlier in spring, with more landlords selling up and more tenants looking for short-term homes, according to fresh data. More than three-quarters of agents have seen an increase in the number of tenants searching for properties, while more than half of [...]
Bank of England survey suggests progress on inflation might be slowing October 3, 2024 The Bank's own decision maker panel (DMP), which surveys business leaders around the country, showed that wage and price pressures were more stubborn than anticipated last month.
Services inflation falls to lowest level since February 2021, survey suggests October 3, 2024 The survey noted that "competitive pressures continued to limit pricing power," which helped to contain inflationary pressures.
Sales near £2bn at Glenfiddich and Hendricks Gin distiller October 3, 2024 Sales at the maker of the likes of Glenfiddich and Hendricks Gin surged to almost £2bn as its profit passed the £500m mark during 2023. William Grant & Sons, which is headquartered in Scotland, has reported a turnover of £1.96bn for its latest financial year, up from the £1.72bn it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts [...]
Sterling falls as Bailey suggests Bank could become ‘ more activist’ on rate cuts October 3, 2024 The Governor's comments were seen as slightly more dovish than his previous guidance had implied, prompting markets to anticipate further rate cuts in the months ahead.
KP Snacks: Hula Hoops maker defies cyber attack and strikes as profit nears £100m October 3, 2024 Profit surged to almost £100m at KP Snacks, the maker of the likes of Mccoy’s, Hula Hoops and Terrell’s during its latest financial year. The Slough-headquartered business, whose brands also include KP Nuts, Butterkist, Pom-Bear and Popchips, has reported a pre-tax profit of £93.7m for 2023, up from the £64.3m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed [...]
Telecom Plus: Utility Warehouse provider continues growth streak October 3, 2024 Multi-service utility, internet and insurance firm Telecom Plus has reported a third consecutive year of double-digit growth. The FTSE 250 listed company, which provides energy, broadband, mobile and insurance services through one account, said that just over 1m households were now taking their essential home services from the firm. Telecoms Plus said that its customer [...]