‘It’s existential’: Unpacking a looming tax scarier than the National Insurance hike April 13, 2025 For William Fugard, chief executive and co-founder of Gusto Organic, headaches caused by issues beyond his control are an occupational hazard. The terms on which the UK decided to leave the European Union meant that – in 2019 – the cost of exporting a pallet of his firm’s premium soft drinks went from £70 to [...]
Trump, tariffs and GDP: How do you forecast uncertainty? April 12, 2025 The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), one of the UK’s central forecasters, prepared itself for President Trump’s tariff war – or at least partially. At a presentation after Chancellor Reeves’ Spring Statement, OBR chair Richard Hughes admitted the fiscal watchdog’s central forecast risked being completely undermined by global events. Hughes came up with three possible [...]
Could Trump’s tariff war turn crypto into a safe-haven asset? April 11, 2025 As trade tensions reignite under Trump’s wavering tariff announcements, global markets are once again bracing for volatility. The US President’s announcement of his ‘reciprocal’ tariffs last week triggered market chaos. His surprise move, expanding and intensifying tariffs on a wide range of imports, shook equities, manufacturing and commodities alike. But in the world of crypto [...]
Consumer confidence flattens as recovery stalls despite wage growth April 11, 2025 Consumer confidence was flat in the first quarter of the year despite high wage growth, as economic uncertainty weighs on Brits. Overall consumer confidence rose 0.3 percentage points in the first three months of 2025, with sentiment towards the UK economy at its lowest level in over a year, according to Deloitte. “The consumer recovery [...]
BMW M5 2025 review: The hybrid super saloon with V8 muscle April 10, 2025 I was there, and 1984 was nowhere near as terrible as George Orwell would have you believe. Ghostbusters and The Goonies ruled the box office, Prince released Purple Rain, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood topped the chart with Relax, then again with Two Tribes. In Munich, meanwhile, BMW pulled the wraps off the world’s first [...]
Bank of England should be ‘more careful’ about rate cuts, say deputy governor April 10, 2025 A Bank of England rate-setter has said that policymakers need to be “more careful” about cutting rates after years of high inflation, adding that it was “too soon to say” whether President Trump’s tariffs will weigh on price growth in the UK. Sarah Breeden became the second official since Trump’s Rose Garden speech to take [...]
S&P 500 slumps on open as Treasury yields remain elevated April 10, 2025 US markets have opened down after digesting the implications of Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on his sweeping tariffs. The Nasdaq opened down 2.7 per cent, while the Dow Jones fell 1.9 per cent and the S&P 500 opened 2.3 per cent down. Meanwhile, US Treasury yields have remained elevated, with the 30-year US Treasury sitting [...]
Richard Farleigh: Why a wealth tax won’t work April 10, 2025 A wealth tax won't work, writes Richard Farleigh, a former dragon from Dragons' Den, author, investor and serial entrepreneur.
Exclusive: Former Bank of England policymaker calls for interest rates to be held amid high inflation April 10, 2025 A former Bank of England rate-setter has suggested that high inflation levels call for interest rates to be held at 4.5 per cent in May. The majority of investors and analysts are expecting the Bank to cut interest rates next month to ease low growth concerns, with up to three more cuts priced in until [...]
The Capitalist: City of London terrorised by ducks April 10, 2025 Market shenanigans, Jamie Dimon's good manners guide and the Square Mile's aggressive ducks; catch up on City drama in The Capitalist.