Bank of England lifts interest rates to fresh 15 year high in smaller than feared 14th straight hike August 3, 2023 The Bank of England today hiked the UK’s official interest rate for the 14th time in a row but by a lower degree than some had feared. Members of the nine-strong monetary policy committee (MPC) voted 6-3 in favour of a 25 basis point rise, smaller than the 50 basis point lift some in the [...]
Societe Generale tops forecast, but retail woes put focus on CEO plan August 3, 2023 Societe Generale beat quarterly earnings forecasts on Thursday as the French bank kept costs and provisions down, but a slump at its retail business will turn up pressure on its new CEO as he prepares to unveil his plan. An investor day on Sept. 18 will be a key test for Slawomir Krupa, tasked with [...]
FTSE 100 close: Markets in the red as Bank of England hikes interest rates to 5.25 per cent August 3, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 stayed in the red through most of Thursday on a day which saw the Bank of England confirm a 14th consecutive interest rate hike of 25 basis points. The capital’s premier index was down 1.27 per cent by midday and closed at -0.51 per cent. The domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which [...]
The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on Muskisms, Barbie and why there’s light at the end of the rate-rising tunnel August 3, 2023 Where the City’s movers and shakers get a few things off their chest. Today, it’s Victoria Scholar of Interactive Investor Little relief from interest rates yet, but there is light at the end of the tunnel The Bank of England is forecast to raise interest rates for the 14th time in a row today, lifting [...]
Steady as she goes: Virgin Money launches further buyback after solid third quarter August 2, 2023 Virgin Money’s margin remained stable, despite increasing competition in the market, as Richard Branson’s bank said it anticipates a £175m share buyback at its end of year results. The challenger bank launched a £50m buyback today, after it passed the Bank of England’s stress test, and expects to deliver a £125m buyback with its full [...]
Taylor Wimpey: Profit slashed almost in half by red-hot interest rates August 2, 2023 Taylor Wimpey posted a 44.5 per cent decline in operating profit in the half year, as the house builder said it was “inevitably” impacted by red hot mortgage rates which have shattered consumer confidence. The London-listed construction firm reported a 21.2 per cent contraction in revenues down to £1.6bn compared to £2bn in the same [...]
Housing crisis is not just an issue for avo-loving millennials, but one for the UK at large August 2, 2023 House prices crash – first time buyers, rejoice? Hardly. The near four per cent fall over the past year takes house prices back to where they were only a couple of years ago; and with interest rates and therefore the price of mortgages rocketing, the end result is housing remaining out of reach for all [...]
As mortgages go up, Britons’ inability to do maths is putting them in financial peril August 2, 2023 Brits who are bad at maths are losing around £2,850 every year - a figure which will only be exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, writes Ludovic Subran.
Travis Perkins profits slip 31 per cent amid slow down in house building August 1, 2023 Travis Perkins blamed a weak market for its falling revenues as the home improvement retailer struggles to cope with dwindling sales and a tough economic climate. In its half year results, the tools supplier said revenue slipped 2.5 per cent to £2.5bn and adjusted operating profits fell 31 per cent to £112m. A slowdown in [...]
Crash warning: House prices slump in July as market hits 2009 lows August 1, 2023 House prices have slumped by 3.8 per cent year on year, the latest closely watched figures from Nationwide show, as a season of high interest rates and weak consumer confidence continues to batter the market. The figure is the weakest since July 2009, although it is only slightly lower than the -3.5 per cent recorded [...]