Bank of England reaction: Will interest rates go negative? September 18, 2020 The Bank of England (BoE) held monetary policy steady yesterday for the second meeting in a row. Interest rates were left at 0.1 per cent and bond-buying at £745bn in a business-as-usual decision. All nine members of the monetary policy committee (MPC) voted in favour of continuing this monetary policy. But analysts, investors and traders [...]
FTSE 100 and US stocks slip amid rising coronavirus cases September 18, 2020 The FTSE 100 and US stocks slipped as investors weighed up rising coronavirus cases and the latest decisions by the Bank of England and US Federal Reserve. London’s main stock index fell 0.5 per cent to 6,017 points at 3pm. Mid-cap firms were hit harder, with the FTSE 250 dropping one per cent. Read more: [...]
Around 5m workers were furloughed in July amid uneven recovery September 18, 2020 As many as 5.3m people remained on the furlough scheme at the end of the July, although almost a million returned to their jobs on a part-time basis, the latest figures from HMRC showed. The furlough scheme became flexible in July, meaning businesses could bring employees back part-time. The government paid 80 per cent of [...]
UK small business recovery stalls as firms adapt to Covid September 18, 2020 The recovery among UK small businesses slowed in August as demand for services dropped, according to a new survey, in a worrying sign that the economic rebound is running out of steam. Natwest, who produced the survey, said there was a “widening gap” between big businesses and smaller firms, the latter of which employ the [...]
UK retail sales grow for fourth consecutive month September 18, 2020 UK retail sales reached pre-pandemic levels last month, driven by supermarket and home improvement purchases. Retail sales were up 0.8 per cent in August compared to the previous month, which was the fourth consecutive month of growth. UK retail sales were up four per cent compared to February, before the coronavirus pandemic hit the country. [...]
FTSE 100 and US stocks slide following central bank announcements September 17, 2020 The FTSE 100 continued trading in the red after the Bank of England announced it would keep monetary policy on hold, while Wall Street opened lower as tech stocks slumped. The blue-chip index dropped 0.7 per cent before inching up marginally to trade down 0.4 per cent after the bank said the economy’s recovery had [...]
Aspinal of London prepares to close stores due to low city centre footfall September 17, 2020 Luxury brand Aspinal of London is the latest retailer to launch a restructuring process as it seeks to close stores due to a sharp drop in city centre footfall during the coronavirus pandemic. The firm, which has 10 stores as well as concessions in Harrods and Selfridges, has unveiled a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) proposal [...]
Next: Working from home means staff miss out on the camaraderie September 17, 2020 Staff working from home miss out on spontaneous conversations and the camaraderie of the office, retailer Next has said. The retailer said the pandemic had been “expensive and miserable” for everyone. But it conceded that there had been some good to come from it, particularly in communications, efficiency and employee job satisfaction. Like other non-essential [...]
What anti-obesity measures and the National Food Strategy mean for businesses September 17, 2020 A number of studies suggest that people who are overweight or obese are at greater risk of serious illness, even death, as a result of Covid-19. In response, the UK government has set forth a raft of measures aimed at curbing obesity. The National Food Strategy’s first recommendations have also been submitted to government. Both target [...]
Next raises profit outlook as sales rise September 17, 2020 Retailer Next has raised its profit forecast for the second time in two months as it reported a strong recovery in online sales. The figures Total sales in the first half of the year dropped 34 per cent on last year to £1.4bn, while brand full price sales dropped 33 per cent. Online sales suffered [...]