Government borrowing higher than expected as interest payments hit November record December 21, 2023 With interest rates rising, the government had to pay £7.7bn on central government debt, the highest November total since monthly records began.
Ørsted makes good on world’s largest wind farm promise in boost for UK’s green economy December 21, 2023 The Danish wind firm has had a difficult year defined by supply chain cost rises.
Wall Street slams the brakes for a rare slowdown following record-setting rally December 21, 2023 Wall Street hit the brakes on its big rally on Wednesday after disappointing profit reports from companies and warnings that the market had simply gone too far, too fast. The S&P 500 slumped 1.5 per cent for its worst loss since beginning a monster-sized rally shortly before Halloween. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 475 [...]
Nightmare before Christmas? Nearly 4,500 UK retailers are in ‘critical financial distress’ December 21, 2023 Nearly 4,500 UK retailers are in “critical financial distress” during the sector's ‘Golden quarter’ due to weak Christmas sales performances.
Private equity firms line up London lawyers ahead of deals frenzy December 21, 2023 Private equity firms are predicting a busy first two months of deals next year - they're hiring lawyers and advisers now to get ahead of the game.
The cranes of Manchester tell a tale of a city that said yes to Yimbyism December 21, 2023 As the novelist Karl Ove Knausgaard wrote: “There are few things I find more beautiful than cranes”. Officially, the symbol of Manchester is a bee – but it might as well be a crane. These skeletal structures are symbols of the skybound rise of England’s third largest city which this week smashed Welwyn Gardens out [...]
Private sector AI forum to launch in January, No10 announce December 20, 2023 A new artificial intelligence (AI) opportunity forum to explore private sector adoption of the technologies will launch in the new year, No10 have confirmed.
FTSE 100 soars to three-month high as inflation data bolsters case for interest rate cuts December 20, 2023 A sharp fall in inflation added further fuel to a Christmas rally as London's FTSE 100 closed at its highest level since 20 September on Wednesday.
It’s Quiz-mas! How will you score in Deloitte’s big economics quiz of the year? December 20, 2023 The answers and a brief explanation of the factors at work are at the end of this note. Obviously, our readers won't be cheating....
Surprise inflation fall casts doubt on Bank of England’s interest rate path December 20, 2023 According to new figures out this morning, the headline rate of inflation fell to 3.9 per cent, its lowest level in two years.