Insolvencies at ‘jaw dropping’ level as debt industry warns UK economy ‘is not out of the woods yet’ April 18, 2023 More companies in England and Wales entered insolvency during March than at any point since monthly records started three years ago, according to official data that showed a 16 per cent increase on a year ago. The Insolvency Service reported 2,457 corporate insolvencies last month, up from 1,784 in February. The rate of companies falling into insolvency [...]
London economy powers ahead of every other UK region as the capital shrugs off recession fears April 18, 2023 London’s economy is firing on all cylinders and has raced ahead of every other region in the UK as spending in the capital climbs to the highest level in a year, a new survey shows. According to NatWest and S&P Global’s regional purchasing managers’ index (PMI), businesses in London are performing better than in any [...]
UK workers still gripped by inflation despite better than expected near six per cent pay growth April 18, 2023 UK workers are still being squeezed by a historic inflation crunch despite wage increases smashing expectations, official figures out today reveal. The average pay increase including bonuses hit 5.9 per cent over the three months to February, up from the previous period and above the City’s expectations of a 5.1 per cent increase, according to [...]
EasyJet profits expected to fly past £260m as demand and ticket prices soar April 18, 2023 Easyjet announced a £120m improvement in its first half performance year on year, as the low-cost airline continued to turnaround its business. Headline losses before tax for the first half are expected to be between £405m and £425m, in spite of economic challenges including inflation, rising fuel costs and preparation costs for summer. The airline [...]
No break for Brits as inflation pushes the cost of kitchen staples by 80 per cent April 18, 2023 Brits are yet to receive a break from soaring food prices as the price of cheddar cheese, sliced white bread and porridge oats are up to 80 per cent more expensive than a year ago. As inflation reached record highs due to the war in Ukraine, consumers were forced to fork out more for kitchen [...]
North Sea industry push for windfall tax price floor in bid to boost bank lending April 18, 2023 North Sea oil and gas producers are pushing the government to introduce a price floor in the windfall tax so that banks will offer better loans.
UK economic outlook: Moving from shaky ground to stability and growth April 18, 2023 Few would argue that UK businesses have had an easy time the last few years. Between the pandemic, cost-of-living crisis, and rising inflation, many had predicted an upcoming recession for the UK economy. Whilst we may have avoided a sharp economic downturn, there is no denying that businesses in the UK are still very much on rocky [...]
Inflation sliding and tough Bank of England means the pound will see better days April 18, 2023 “Hope is not a strategy,” Jordan Rochester, a wonk at Japanese investment bank Nomura, said last September, referring to politicians’ attempts to revive the pound after it plummeted to its lowest level ever against the US dollar following Liz Truss’s tax cutting mini budget. A lot has changed since then. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt raised taxes [...]
Bank of England to shun interest rate hike for first time since November 2021 next month April 18, 2023 The Bank of England will keep interest rates unchanged at its next meeting on 11 May, marking the first time the central bank has not hiked borrowing costs since November 2021, a new survey out yesterday predicted. According to a survey by Bloomberg, more than half of City economists suspect Governor Andrew Bailey and the [...]
Low-cost energy generation may no longer be winning factor for renewable auctions under government overhaul April 18, 2023 Applications for renewable projects could soon be assessed on their contributions to the wider green industry, rather than just prices.