Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to meet lenders as mortgage crisis worsens June 23, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will ask banks if they can do more to support struggling households after a shock interest rate hike deepened the mortgage crisis. He is meeting large lenders including HSBC and Santander in Downing Street this morning as the government comes under pressure to relieve the pain. Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Hunt [...]
Hotel Chocolat shares plummet 13 per cent after profit warning on flagging consumer sentiment June 23, 2023 Hotel Chocolat shares have plummeted by around 12 per cent as the premium brand is expected to be back in the red. The retailer, which has fallen victim to cash-strapped Brits cutting back on luxuries, said it now anticipates revenue of £201.8m and underlying profit before tax of £0.3m for the 2023 financial year. It [...]
Wall Street drifts after Bank of England hikes interest rates again June 23, 2023 Stocks drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street on Thursday as central banks around the world keep cranking interest rates higher in their fight against inflation. The S&P 500 rose 16.20 points, or 0.4per cent , to 4,381.89, even though the majority of stocks fell. A rebound for technology stocks helped to overshadow losses [...]
Soaring inflation forces Brits to tighten belts on groceries as summer clothes, DIY and fuel sales pick up June 23, 2023 Brits are still splashing the cash amid soaring inflation, with retail sales estimated to have increased by 0.3 per cent last month off the back of non-food splurging. The main driver of sales was online, with non-store selling volumes up by 2.3 per cent, while food store sales were down by half of one per [...]
It was do or die for Andrew Bailey and the Bank of England – in the end, there was no choice June 23, 2023 When it came down to it, there was no choice. Inflation stuck at just below nine per cent. Unforgiving buried price pressures. Businesses rebuilding profits. Workers with no choice but to demand more money. These are the characteristics of an economy stuck in stagflation. The Bank of England had to take drastic measures. Yesterday’s interest [...]
Ryanair and Wizz Air caught up in fresh greenwashing allegations June 22, 2023 Ryanair and Wizz Air are facing fresh allegations of greenwashing after the consumer organisation BEUC filed a complaint to the European Commission, naming them among the 17 European airlines accused of making misleading climate-related claims. The BEUC – which represents 46 consumer organisations in the European bloc – are calling for a continent-wide investigation in [...]
Morrisons loyalty scheme helps hike sales to £3.7bn June 22, 2023 Morrisons has recorded a 0.9 per cent decline in group revenues, blaming a slowdown in sales across its petrol stations. During the quarter, its total sales excluding its fuel offering rose by 3.1 per cent to £3.7bn, and sales across its wholesale channel were also up 20 per cent. The former ‘Big Four’ grocery, which [...]
Bank of England hikes interest rates by 50 points to five per cent after inflation shock June 22, 2023 The Bank of England today reverted to steeper interest rate rises in a sign that embattled Governor Andrew Bailey and co have been spooked by much tougher than feared inflation. Bailey and the rest of the monetary policy committee (MPC) – the nine-strong group who set official interest rates in Britain – backed a 50 [...]
Housing market reeling after BoE hike interest rates in fresh blow for mortgage holders June 22, 2023 Prospective buyers and homeowners looking to reinstate fixed rate or tracker deals on their homes were met with a fresh blow this afternoon following the central bank’s decision to hike interest rates for the 13th time in a row in efforts to cool soaring inflation. It is expected that the decision will lead high street [...]
Credit fears send bank shares lower after Bank of England lifts rates by 50bps June 22, 2023 Shares in the UK’s biggest banks today fell after the Bank of England raised interest rates by 50 basis points, heaping more pain onto borrowers. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee reverted to a larger rate hike after inflation remained stuck at 8.7 per cent last month. It was the 13th rate hike in a row [...]