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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Happening today: All you need to know as the Bank of England set to raise rates again June 22, 2023 The Bank of England is poised to raise interest rates for the 13th time in a row after disappointing inflation figures showed price rises have not eased. The UK’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was unchanged in May at a rate of 8.7 per cent , according to the Office for National Statistics. It came in [...]
Does raising interest rates actually bring down inflation? June 22, 2023 Britain’s inflation problem is looking much harder to solve than first thought. Numbers out from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday revealed the rate of price increases was unchanged in May at 8.7 per cent. The City thought it would slim to 8.4 per cent. Core inflation – the best barometer of underlying price [...]
UK inflation smashes forecasts again raising chances of larger Bank of England interest rate hike June 21, 2023 UK inflation is still outpacing experts’ predictions and is running at a level that could lure the Bank of England into an outsized interest rate hike tomorrow, heaping more pain on families and businesses. Official figures out this morning from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the rate of price hikes held steady at [...]
Housing market a ‘ticking time bomb’ as prices slow amid mortgage mayhem June 21, 2023 The housing market has slowed amid the mortgage crisis, with experts warning it is like a “ticking time bomb” before it crashes. This morning’s House Price Index from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show average UK house prices increased 3.5 per cent in the 12 months to April 2023, but this was down from [...]
Berkeley warns planning rules and ‘regulatory uncertainty’ weighing down housebuilding goals June 21, 2023 Housebuilder Berkeley has warned the delivery of new properties is under threat from the planning environment and regulatory uncertainty, as it reported near 10 per cent profits before tax this year. More than 4,000 homes were delivered by the firm with over 85 per cent being on regenerated Brownfield land. It also said it’s delivering [...]
Bank of England risks steering UK into needless recession with more interest rate hikes June 20, 2023 Back in November, the Bank of England took the highly unusual step of explicitly telling financial markets to calm their sky high bets on where interest rates might end up. “Should the economy evolve broadly in line with the latest monetary policy report projections, further increases in bank rate may be required for a sustainable [...]
Bank of England to raise interest rates for 13th time in a row this week to tame persistent inflation June 19, 2023 The Bank of England is nailed on to raise interest rates for the thirteenth meeting in a row this Thursday, but markets think there’s an outside chance Governor Andrew Bailey and co will revert to an outsized rise to tame what is emerging as the worst inflation problem in the rich world. Markets reckon the [...]