Even as we turn inwards to shore up security, globalisation is still alive August 2, 2022 Ten years ago, it would have been hard to imagine an end to the all-conquering forces of globalisation. Our world has been on a one-way ticket to integration since the mid-20th century – and it has shown little sign of return. Yet with the dual shocks of Covid-19 and the invasion of Ukraine revealing the [...]
We need to encourage home ownership, but Londoners can barely afford to rent August 2, 2022 IT COMES down to simple supply and demand economics. When a good or service becomes scarce and demand is in the ascendency, the price will go up. Tenants in the London rental market have found this out the hard way. It has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which held city rents lower than they should have [...]
IFS: Sunak’s pledged Income Tax cut smaller than his tax rises as chancellor August 1, 2022 Rishi Sunak’s newly unveiled promise to cut the basic rate of Income Tax from 20p to 16p by the end of the decade is smaller than the tax rises he made as chancellor, according to an influential economic think tank. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) today also said the tax plans of Sunak and [...]
Fund titan Blue Whale dumps Big Tech stocks August 1, 2022 Peter Hargreaves backed fund Blue Whale has backed out of Big Tech stocks as the sector continues feels the sting of inflationary concerns.
London markets lose early gains despite UK banks’ best efforts August 1, 2022 A bumper crop of results from Britain’s largest lender and Asia-focused HSBC initially boosted London markets today, before an afternoon collapse. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.13 per cent to 7,413.42 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, added 0.22 per [...]
HSBC hits back at Ping An calls to carve out Asia business August 1, 2022 HSBC today hit back at intense pressure from its biggest shareholder to spin out its Asia business. The chief of Britain’s largest lender, Noel Quinn, said HSBC’s “strength as a well connected, global institution is the main reason our wholesale clients choose to bank with us”. “We are determined to capitalise on the advantages our [...]
Union calls for end to rail profit as worries of hiking annual fares mount August 1, 2022 The union TSSA has called for a new financial settlement for rail as worries of hiking annual fares mount. TSSA’s general secretary Manuel Cortes said commuters have been “clobbered by above inflation fare rises,” while private rail operators “laughed all the way to the bank.” “We need our railways to be fully in public hands [...]
Brits scale down inflation expectations in sign BoE rate hikes are quashing price pressures August 1, 2022 British households are scaling down their expectations for future inflation in a sign that the Bank of England’s series of rate hikes are curbing price pressures, a fresh survey published today revealed. The UK public in July thought inflation will settle at 3.8 per cent in five years, down from four per cent in June, according [...]
Low-income crypto investors sold off holdings during crash August 1, 2022 Low-income crypto investors sold off their holdings as the crypto crash swept across the industry, while wealthier investors held on to their portfolios. 46 per cent of crypto investors sold their holdings, with lower income individuals the most likely to do so, a survey by US-based intelligence company Civic Science found in a survey of [...]
Economic downturn pummels UK factories August 1, 2022 UK factories are succumbing to a concoction of downside risks that have shifted the sector into “reverse gear,” a closely watched survey published today revealed. Activity in the British manufacturing sector last month plunged to a 25-month low of 52.1, down from 52.8 in June and slightly below analysts’ expectations, according to S&P Global’s purchasing [...]