JP Morgan: UK policy credibility ‘coming under pressure’ January 14, 2025 Gilt yields, which reflect the cost of government borrowing, have increased significantly in recent weeks.
Reeves is in a fiscal trap and spending cuts are the only way out January 14, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ Budget created a vicious circle whereby higher taxes increased borrowing costs, squeezing the public purse and further and tempting the Chancellor into further tax rises to meet fiscal targets. There is another way, says Darwin Friend Rachel Reeves is trapped in a vicious fiscal circle of her own making. Her high-tax budget, billed [...]
‘A speculative figure’: Cost of Sizewell C nuclear plant nearly doubled since 2020 January 14, 2025 The cost of building Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk could reach nearly £40bn, according to reports. Developer EDF and the UK government anticipated the project’s final price tag would be around £20bn in 2020, as it struggled to bring down construction costs and reduce delays. But the Financial Times on Tuesday reported the [...]
Innocent Drinks slashes loss after overcoming ‘challenging year’ January 14, 2025 Innocent Drinks has slashed its pre-tax loss after it recovered from a “challenging year”, it has been revealed. The London-based brand, which is owned by Coca-Cola, has reported an operating loss of £3.7m for 2023, according to delayed accounts filed with Companies House. The results, which were filed long after the initial deadline of 30 [...]
UK gilt auction oversubscribed as investors buy through market turmoil January 14, 2025 The auction comes ahead of crucial inflation data tomorrow.
JD Sports shares plunge after retailer warns on profit January 14, 2025 JD Sports shares plunged more than 12 per cent this morning after the company issued a profit warning. The FTSE 100 giant forecast full year profit before tax at between £915m and £935m, down from its previous estimate of £955m to £1.035bn. This morning, the retail giant told markets sales fell 1.5 per cent across November [...]
Persimmon: FTSE 100 builder reaps benefit of higher house prices January 14, 2025 In a trading statement covering 2024, the firm delivered a total of 10,664 homes, up seven per cent on the previous year and slightly ahead of market expectations.
Don’t lose faith on UK interest rate cuts just yet January 14, 2025 What should we make of the outlook for inflation ahead of Wednesday's figures?
Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe: UK chemical manufacturing ‘having the life squeezed out of it’ January 13, 2025 Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe has warned British chemicals manufacturing is having the “life squeezed out of it” by the government, and is on the verge of extinction. The business titan slammed the de-industrialising of Britain, which started in the 1970s and 1980s, and criticised the government for a lack of energy strategy and high [...]
UK consumer confidence may struggle to ‘ride out’ uncertainty January 13, 2025 Consumer confidence ended 2024 on a high, but analysts have warned that it might not be able to ride out a wave of economic uncertainty this year. Confidence was at its highest since April 2021 in December, according to Yougov’s and CBRE’s monthly consumer confidence survey. Business activity, optimism about the future, and perceptions of [...]