European Central Banks commits to supporting weaker economies after bond market volatility June 15, 2022 The European Central Bank (ECB) said today it will shield weaker eurozone economies from soaring interest rates after it convened an emergency meeting to plot how to deal with debt market volatility. The monetary authority governing the group of countries using the euro summoned its experts in response to market pressure that saw Italy’s 10-year [...]
Banks boosted by looming BoE interest rate hike June 15, 2022 Strengthening bets on the Bank of England tomorrow hiking interest rates for the fifth meeting in a row boosted the UK’s biggest-listed banks today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index surged 1.2 per cent to 7,273.41 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Solvency II shakeup will boost UK insurers’ competitivity, Bank of England exec says June 15, 2022 A high-ranking exec from the Bank of England’s (BoE’s) financial services watchdog has said the government’s plans to overhaul Solvency II will boost the insurance sector competitivity. Charlotte Gerken, executive director of insurance at the BoE’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), said the government’s plans for reforms of Solvency II will increase the UK insurance sector’s [...]
Central banks must front-load rate hikes to tame inflation, Carney warns June 15, 2022 The world’s biggest central banks need to dial up the pace of rate hikes to shake inflation out of their respective economies, the former chief of the Bank of England said today. Canadian banker Mark Carney, 57, who led Threadneedle Street from 2013 to 2020, told Bloomberg that monetary authorities “need to start moving more [...]
Q&A: Are we heading towards a commodity super-cycle? June 15, 2022 Commodities have achieved strong price gains recently, prompting speculation that we could be in the early stages of a so-called super-cycle; a sustained period of growing demand exceeding supply. Global commodity prices have moved higher in the past few months, partly due to geopolitical issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A mismatch of demand [...]
London markets continue to drop but banks jump ahead of BoE rate rise June 14, 2022 London markets continued to slip today after Monday’s bruising session, but losses were tempered by the UK’s largest lenders jumping ahead of another expected rate hike from the Bank of England tomorrow. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index fell 0.25 per cent to 7,187.82 points, while the domestically-focused, mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more [...]
Theo Paphitis: Dragons’ Den star says the high street is going nowhere and neither is he June 14, 2022 Theo Paphitis is not in any hurry to hang up his boots. After decades running the show at companies from lingerie to stationery firms, one might be mistaken for thinking the Dragons’ Den star, retail titan and former Millwall chairman may be mulling a change of pace. However, Paphitis tells City A.M. he has “a [...]
US Federal Reserve to deliver 75 basis point rate rise tomorrow June 14, 2022 The US Federal Reserve will shock markets tomorrow by beginning a 75 basis point rate hike cycle in a bid to shake inflation out of the American economy. That’s according to top Wall Street analysts, who said last Friday’s inflation overshoot will force Fed chair Jerome Powell and rate setters to deliver a monetary policy [...]
Brits’ living standards drop at quickest pace in over a decade June 14, 2022 Brits’ living standards are falling at the fastest pace in over a decade caused by historically high inflation outstripping pay, reveals official figures published today. Take home pay, accounting for price rises, dropped 2.2 per cent over the three months to April, the steepest fall since 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). [...]
What it’s actually like in Qatar ahead of the World Cup 2022 June 14, 2022 Before I touched down in Qatar, I assumed it was a nation of falconry, beauty pageants for camels, and endless amounts of money. Save for a sprinkling of snazzy, FIFA-approved stadiums, little suggests Qatar plays football. When I arrive I see no goal posts in parks, locals playing, or even “No Ball Games” signs like [...]