Monthly insolvencies tick up again as firms feel the brunt of the Bank of England’s interest rate hikes February 16, 2024 According to figures from the Insolvency Service, there were 1,769 company insolvencies in January, five per cent higher than in the same period last year driven by an increase in forced closures.
Letters to the editor: Tourist tax proves puzzling, cross words for our crossword February 16, 2024 Each week we at City A.M. Towers receive some enlightening and occasionally constructively critical letters. Here are our favourites from this week.
Strong January retail sales raise hopes UK already ‘moving out of recession’ February 16, 2024 Retail sales rebounded much more than expected in January, following a poor Christmas period, raising hopes that the UK economy will be able to escape recession within a matter of months. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that sales volumes were up 3.4 per cent in January, compared to the 1.5 per [...]
Wellness Wonders: Meet the founder of gut health brand Biotiful Kefir February 16, 2024 Natasha Bowes founded Biotiful Gut Health in 2012 to fulfil her dream of introducing Kefir to the UK and improving the nation’s gut health.
Brexit friction is hurting firms – Sunak must ‘strengthen EU relations’, top business body warns February 16, 2024 Businesses have still not adapted to the impact of Brexit and the government must “strengthen relations with the EU” to alleviate the strain on firms, the UK’s top business body has warned.
FTSE 100: London markets rise as UK recession and poor retail sales bolster hope for interest rate cuts February 15, 2024 The UK economy shrunk 0.1 per cent in December meaning it contracted 0.3 per cent over the fourth quarter of last year, a worse performance than economists had expected.
Londoners may have to wait 30 years or get a second job to buy a house February 15, 2024 A bleak picture has been painted for prospective buyers in London in 2024, as a number of reports suggest that affordability will remain an issue this year. London has remained the most expensive part of the UK to purchase a home, due to the high demand to live in the capital. Average house prices in [...]
US retail sales tumble 0.8 per cent as consumers finally show signs of stress February 15, 2024 American consumers are finally showing signs of stress as US retail sales dropped by 0.8 per cent in January, below expectations of a 0.2 per cent drop. In the largest decrease for retail sales since March 2023, the US Census Bureau reported that American consumers spent $700.3bn last month, compared to $706.2bn in December. After [...]
Brexit left Britain more exposed to higher inflation, warns member of Bank’s MPC February 15, 2024 Greene's comments come after a busy week of data for the UK economy.
Close Brothers faces uncertain future as FCA motor finance probe sparks crisis February 15, 2024 Close Brothers shares collapsed on Thursday after it cancelled its dividend for the current financial year and announced that 2025 payouts would be placed under review amid a City watchdog probe into motor finance - a major part of its business model.