London restaurant chain Ping Pong bans staff tips on card and introduces ‘brand fee’ April 5, 2024 A London restaurant chain has banned customers from paying a tip by card and introduced a 15 per cent “brand” fee instead, just three months before a new legislation makes it compulsory to give staff tips.
House prices: March only slowing property growth, not reversing it April 5, 2024 The price of a home grew by just 0.3 per cent in March, slowing down from a 1.6 per cent rise when compared to the previous month.
FTSE 100 today: London stocks brace for muted trading amid risk-averse sentiment; all eyes on US jobs data for guidance April 5, 2024 Wall Street's sharp decline led to a ripple effect, with Asian stocks following suit. Meanwhile, oil prices surged amid escalating Middle East tensions, while gold pulled back. All eyes now turn to the US jobs report and U.K. housing prices for further market direction.
Bank of England survey: Wage growth expectations ease in boost for interest rate cut hopes April 4, 2024 Persistent wage growth has been a major concern for the Bank as it considers when to start lowering interest rates.
UK services sector continues to grow driving fears of ‘sticky’ inflation April 4, 2024 Firms in the service sector noted that economic conditions were slowly improving, but flagged household incomes remained constrained due to higher interest rates.
Treasury urged to reform tax system in bid to boost US-style philanthropy April 4, 2024 According to the Financial Times, Frazier is pushing the Treasury to move the tax regime towards a more US-style system.
Cricket needs a reality check, it cannot have it all April 4, 2024 The earth has orbited once more around the sun. Cricket’s County Championship starts again tomorrow (45 per cent chance of rain in Durham at 11am; showers expected shortly after in Hove). We are almost 12 months on from the acknowledgement that English cricket is institutionally racist and appear to be edging closer to an influx [...]
UK economy ahead of rivals as prospects for 2024 look rosy April 4, 2024 The UK economy has made a stronger start to the year than advanced economies around the globe, according to a closely watched survey.
FTSE 100 today: London markets set to open higher following Asian peers’ lead April 4, 2024 Japan’s Nikkei led an Asian market rally. Oil and gold prices soared. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated a cautious stance on rate cuts, while investor focus shifts to upcoming Fed speeches and U.S. jobs data.
Letter to the editor: Interest rates, the long and the short of it April 4, 2024 While short-term interest rates make news, many overlook long-term rates, which are reaching levels not seen in over a decade.