Why is the FTSE 100 nearing a record high with a recession looming? It ain’t the economy, stupid January 24, 2023 The FTSE 100 is becoming one massive hedge fund. That’s why it’s doing so well when all the doomsters have warned the UK is headed for a long, albeit shallow, recession over the next year. Of course, the stock market isn’t the economy. How many high street coffee shop owners do you know that worry [...]
Insurers falling short in modelling cyber and natural catastrophe risks, Bank of England warns January 23, 2023 The UK’s insurance regulator has called on insurers to bolster their cyber and natural catastrophe risk modelling capabilities in preparation for a period of “high volatility and uncertainty”. In a letter sent to UK insurance companies today, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which sits within the Bank of England, warned insurers models are continuing to [...]
Recession to be more than twice as bad as first feared, forecasters warn January 23, 2023 The much touted coming recession in Britain will be twice as bad as first feared, new forecasts out today reveal. Soaring prices coupled with the Bank of England’s efforts to tame them are set to deal a heavier blow to GDP than projected just a few months ago. According to the EY Item Club, the [...]
Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt to shun tax cuts in March budget despite £11bn energy windfall January 23, 2023 Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak will hold fire on tax cuts at the 15 March budget despite being handed an around £11bn windfall from international energy prices falling to pre-Russia-Ukraine war levels, according to top economists’ predictions gathered by City A.M. Brits will have to wait until the run up to the next general election, [...]
Recession risks return as Brits brace for cost of living crisis to make 2023 a ‘bumpy ride’ January 20, 2023 UK consumer confidence dipped for the first time in two months in January, raising the risk the economy will slip into recession after all despite a string of better than expected data recently, a closely watched survey out today reveals. A credit card debt hangover from the Christmas spending splurge and energy bills looming has [...]
FTSE 100 close: Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey pull index away from record high January 19, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index registered one of its worst days since the turn of the year, pulling it away from its record high. The capital’s premier index shed 1.07 per cent to drop to 7,747.28 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell [...]
Andrew Bailey hints Bank of England is close to ending interest rate hike cycle January 19, 2023 Andrew Bailey has hinted that the Bank of England will stop hiking interest rates soon in an interview today. Speaking to Business Live, the governor of the Bank suggested market expectations of rates peaking at around 4.5 per cent is more in line with the central bank’s own thinking. Though Bailey, 63, said he is [...]
FTSE 100 close: Ocado emerges as top dog in 2023 so far, but index pulls away from record high January 18, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 finished slightly lower today, dragging it further away from its record and signalling traders are looking through signs UK inflation has passed its peak and could be a downward trend this year. The capital’s premier index dropped 0.27 per cent lower to 7,830.71 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which [...]
City analysts betting on Bank of England interest rate cuts by early 2024 – as long as inflation falls quickly January 18, 2023 The Bank of England could cut interest rates as soon as early next year if inflation continues to tumble in 2023, top City analysts have predicted. The rate of price increases is forecast to more than halve which would bring inflation to below five per cent by the end of 2023, according to forecasts from [...]
Inflation drops for second month in a row but experts warn rate has yet to pass its peak January 18, 2023 UK inflation has fallen for the second month in a row, but soaring food prices have led some experts to warn it may not have passed its peak yet. The rate of price increases dropped to 10.5 per cent in December, down from 10.7 per cent in the previous month, the Office for National Statistics [...]