Weekend Read: Ailing business investment will dampen the economy’s post-Covid prospects August 21, 2021 The good pandemic-related news continued to emerge last week. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics shows output jumped 4.8 per cent in the second quarter of this year, driven by the lifting of Covid restrictions on sectors that rely on face-to-face and social contact to generate income. The services industry – which accounts [...]
UK consumer confidence inches down in August August 20, 2021 Consumer confidence among Brits edged down over the last month driven by concerns over the possible economic implications of future surges in Covid cases, according to fresh data published today. Research from GfK shows consumer confidence dropped one point over the last month to -8 points in August 2021. The marginal decline is likely to [...]
Government borrowing smashes expectations but debt-to-GDP highest since 1960s August 20, 2021 Government borrowing smashed official forecasts last month as the deficit narrowed by nearly half its levels registered at the height of the Covid crisis, official figures released today reveal. Data released by the Office for National Statistics shows in July of this year, public sector borrowing reached £10.4bn, the second highest figure for the month [...]
Government borrowing smashes expectations but debt-to-GDP highest since 1960s – CityAM : CityAM August 20, 2021 Government borrowing smashed official forecasts last month as the deficit narrowed by nearly half its levels registered at the height of the Covid crisis, official figures released today reveal. Data released by the Office for National Statistics shows in July of this year, public sector borrowing reached £10.4bn, the second highest figure for the month [...]
UK inflation drops to two per cent in July August 18, 2021 Inflation in the UK dropped in July, driven by sharp falls in prices for clothing and footwear as retailers sought to stimulate demand by slashing prices amid the traditional summer sale season, according to official figures released today. The Office for National Statistics said prices rose two per cent over the last year, down from [...]
UK unemployment rate shrinks faster than expected to 4.7 per cent August 17, 2021 The UK jobless rate shrank faster than expected over the last quarter as employers hired workers rapidly to cope with soaring demand triggered by the lifting of Covid restrictions, according to official figures published today. Latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows the unemployment rate dipped 0.2 per cent over the last quarter [...]
Big Four refuse to back government plan to break dominance of audit market August 16, 2021 The UK’s Big Four accountancy firms have refused to back a government scheme that would see them share audit work with smaller firms. Last month, Deloitte, EY and PwC said they did not support the government’s proposal for “managed shared audits” of large listed companies. The Financial Times has reported that the other Big Four [...]
Big Four refuse to back government plan to break their dominance of audit market : CityAM August 16, 2021 The UK’s Big Four accountancy firms have refused to back a government scheme that would see them share audit work with smaller firms. Last month, Deloitte, EY and PwC said they did not support the government’s proposal for “managed shared audits” of large listed companies. The Financial Times has reported that the other Big Four [...]
Datasite executive Merlin Piscitelli on the UK’s fintech funding boom and the future of M&A August 13, 2021 British fintech investment across M&A deals, private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) has boomed as the country emerges from the pandemic, soaring in the first six months of 2021 to four times the $5.9bn invested during the whole of 2020. Investment in UK fintech has reached an all-time high as firms in the industry [...]
UK GDP soars in second quarter as Covid unlocking turbo-charges economy : CityAM August 12, 2021 The burst in consumer spending triggered by the gradual lifting of Covid prevention measures in April and May boosted the UK economy in the second quarter, according to fresh official data released today. Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal the UK economy grew 4.8 per cent in the second quarter of this year, [...]