Poundland adds more items to its offering – but do customers see the value? January 16, 2025 Yougov’s chief executive Steve Hatch takes a closer look at the data behind the biggest stories in business. Here, he searches for value in Poundland. Poundland announced an increase in the number of £1 products it offers from 1,500 to 2,400 on 6 January 2025, having cut the price of basics such as milk, bread, [...]
How ‘twin deficits’ have fuelled turmoil in the gilt market January 16, 2025 The sell-off eased slightly on Wednesday following positive inflation figures, but yields remain well ahead of where they were just a few weeks ago.
Reeves has dodged a bullet but she’s surrounded by landmines January 16, 2025 After all the excitement of a ministerial resignation, it’s time to check in on the government’s growth agenda. After all, the fate of individual politicians is of no significance when viewed against the major economic challenges facing the government, and the country. Talking to City CEOs, particularly those in the pension and investment sectors, it’s [...]
How to control the cost of our over promoted civil service January 16, 2025 Civil service pay has been frozen yet the wage bill remains the same as it was 10 years ago. Time to clear out the dead wood and boost the pay of top talent, says Henry Hill It’s all so predictable. The previous government froze civil service pay to try and control costs as headcount ballooned. [...]
No Conservative should stand for Britain in decline January 16, 2025 With persistent inflation, Conservatives exhausted and a Labour government with no ideas, the ghosts of the 1970s have returned to haunt Britain. Now, just as then, a comprehensive reboot of the right is required, says Sir Simon Clarke We live in a time of ghosts. The spirits of the 1970s are stirring across the UK, [...]
Wall Street banks JP Morgan, Citi and Goldman Sachs report bumper profit January 15, 2025 Some of Wall Street’s biggest banks reported a surge in profit today on the back of a rebound in dealmaking and strengthening equity markets toward the end of last year. JPMorgan Chase, the US’s biggest lender, said profit had jumped 50 per cent to $14bn (£11.41bn) through the final quarter as its dealmakers and traders [...]
FTSE 100 rises and gilts recover but Reeves isn’t out of the woods just yet January 15, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves was dealt some welcome good news after a surprise drop in inflation that saw gilt yields fall at the fastest pace in over a year on Wednesday, but some economists fear the development represents a temporary reprieve with inflation at risk of rebounding in the coming months. New figures from the Office [...]
US inflation rises slightly but core prices weaker than expected January 15, 2025 US inflation rose at a slightly weaker pace than expected last month, but it is unlikely to be enough to prompt the Federal Reserve into cutting interest rates in the near future. The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the headline rate picked up to 2.9 per cent in December, up [...]
Ashmore: Asset manager’s stock surges as investor withdrawals subside January 15, 2025 Ashmore stock surged five per cent in early trading this morning after the asset manager reported a sharp reduction in outflows. Investors pulled $400m (£327m) from the emerging markets specialist over the last quarter, down from $700m (£572m) in the three months before and below the $1.1bn (£900m) expected by analysts. When excluding a liquidity [...]
Inflation: ‘Relief’ for Reeves or a ‘temporary reprieve’? January 15, 2025 Inflation unexpectedly fell in December, but is it 'relief' for Rachel Reeves or just a 'temporary reprieve'?