Fleet Street site amongst a host of Barclays bank branch closures January 28, 2023 Barclays has announced the closure of 15 branches across the country, meaning over 100 banks are slated to shut down so far this year. The bank is set to close 14 branches across England and one in Wales from late April to the first few days on May. Sites in London, Gosport, Bridgwater and St [...]
The mortgage ‘moron premium’ and why home loans may get (slightly) cheaper despite an expected hike in interest rates January 28, 2023 The Bank of England is expected to increase interest rates next month, making borrowing more expensive for both businesses and individuals. Although the rate decides how much businesses and individuals pay to borrow money, mortgage experts believe that the cost of home loans may actually come down, because the derivatives used by mortgage lenders have [...]
The best cut is inflation: Hunt hits back at recession ‘declinism’ but appears to rule out tax cuts in March budget January 27, 2023 Jeremy Hunt today hit back at gloomy assessments about the UK’s economic prospects but told voters not to expect tax cuts at the March budget. In a speech at Bloomberg, the chancellor said “declinism about Britain is just wrong” adding that the economy has actually grown faster than fellow G7 nations France, Italy and Japan. [...]
Bank dealmaking slumped to a five year low in 2022 – will it rebound this year? January 26, 2023 Mergers and acquisitions involving Europe’s top lenders slumped to their lowest level in five years last year as aggressive moves by central banks spooked dealmakers, new research has revealed.
A CBDC ‘digital pound’ looks on the cards, despite concerns from Bank of England chief January 26, 2023 The winds of fortune appear to be turning in a favourable direction for the prospect of creating a digital pound, despite the best efforts of the Bank of England’s Governor to nip the idea in the bud. Andrew Bailey (pictured), who has held the position of Governor since 2020, recently put the boot in on [...]
Bank of England expected to raise interest rates by 50 points to post financial crisis high of four per cent January 26, 2023 The Bank of England is set to hike interest rates 50 basis points to four per cent next week, jacking them up to the highest level since the financial crisis, markets expect. City traders reckon its governor Andrew Bailey will lift borrowing costs for the tenth time in a row, something the UK central bank [...]
Recession risks ramp up as UK economy goes ‘from bad to worse’ January 26, 2023 The risk of a recession striking the UK is gathering pace experts warned today as still extremely high inflation and collapsing confidence has resulted in the economy going from “bad to worse”. Swelling costs squeezing margins are forcing businesses to cut back production, while higher prices are eroding consumers’ incomes, knocking spending. Those two factors [...]
Who watches the watchdog? “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Part III January 25, 2023 The third instalment of Lord Holmes' thoughts on the Financial Services and Markets Bill which is at the committee stage in the House of Lords today.
FTSE 100 close: Barclays, HSBC and Easyjet shine on otherwise poor day in London January 25, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 today gave up morning gains to finish lower before stronger-than-expected retail earnings provided a balm against recession fears. The capital’s premier index fell 0.22 per cent to 7,740.34 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, slid 0.38 per cent to [...]
Mark Carney’s net zero group disputes data showing only 7 per cent of banks’ energy financing goes to renewables January 24, 2023 Only seven per cent of global banks’ energy financing between 2016 and 2022 went towards renewable energy projects, according to new data, although Mark Carney’s net zero financial coalition has disputed the claim. A report by a group of campaign groups, including BankTrack and Rainforest Action Network, indicates “major failings” by financial institutions to help [...]