Budget tax hikes branded a ‘land grab’ by retail tech boss November 25, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget was a “land grab” that demonstrated “short-term thinking” and will hamper the already struggling retail sector, the UK boss of a retail tech firm has said. Roy Horgan, who is the UK chief executive of Euronext-listed Vusion Group, said rises to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) would be inflationary and prevent [...]
Trump’s election means it’s time to take Bitcoin seriously November 25, 2024 Bitcoin was once dismissed as a tulip bubble, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that – in an era of fiat money inflation – it is the best way back to sound money The incoming Trump administration has announced its intention to back a “strategic Bitcoin reserve”. That catapults what was once a fantastical thought experiment, [...]
Eurozone inflation to take centre stage as growth worries resurface November 24, 2024 Economists expect the headline rate will climb to 2.3 per cent in November, up from 2.0 per cent in October.
Trump taps Scott Bessent for Treasury, capping long drama over choice November 23, 2024 President-elect Donald Trump on Friday said he will nominate prominent investor Scott Bessent as US Treasury secretary, ending days of twists that saw high profile candidates pitted against each other for the cabinet position with vast influence over economic, regulatory and international affairs. Wall Street has been closely watching who Trump would choose, especially given his plans to [...]
Budget uncertainty has gone but odds have been stacked against business November 22, 2024 If Rachel Reeves thought certainty would cure the UK economy’s growth problem, she was wrong. She’s just pitted consumers against retailers. This data-heavy week has reflected that uncertainty over the Budget has not been cured by policy which heaps pressure on business. We’ve had inflation rising, debt compounded, inheritance tax receipts soaring, farmers protesting, the [...]
Boohoo: Prettylittlething crashes into the red as Mike Ashley battle continues November 22, 2024 Fresh light has been shone on Boohoo’s financial struggles amid its ongoing battle with billionaire Mike Ashley. The financial performance of some of the Manchester-headquartered group’s most well-known brands have been revealed including Prettylittlething crashing into the red and sales being slashed at Nastygal. While Boohoo reports its group results to the London Stock Exchange, [...]
‘A clear thumbs down’: UK business confidence slumped post-Budget November 22, 2024 The UK’s business optimism “slumped” in a downturn after the Autumn Budget, according to a closely watched survey of the private sector. S&P’s ‘flash’ purchasing managers’ index (PMI) came in at 49.9 in November, now below the neutral 50.0 threshold, down from 51.8 last month, and the lowest since October 2023. Firms reported a fractional [...]
Retail sales fall on Budget uncertainty before run-up to Christmas November 22, 2024 Retail sales fell by almost one per cent last month as cash-strapped Brits held back big ticket purchases amid a cloud of Budget uncertainty. The Office for National Statistics said this morning they dropped by 0.7 per cent in October, following a 0.1 per cent rise the previous month, which had been revised down from [...]
Post-Budget consumer confidence rises in golden quarter boost November 22, 2024 A leading confidence survey has found that consumer sentiment rose in November, which will come as a relief to businesses dependent on a good golden quarter to boost margins ahead of tax rises next year. All five measures of confidence rose, although major purchase intentions led the pack with a five-point jump. “There was evidence [...]
Inflation is a wake-up call: We need energy sovereignty now November 22, 2024 Energy costs are continuing to drive up inflation because we have a system that’s tied to geopolitical speculation rather than supply and demand. The answer is to generat eclean power on and around our own shores, says Joe McDonald Every business owner remembers that feeling of dread in the winter of 2022 as energy bills [...]