‘Blatant profiteering’: Bank chiefs hauled in front of FCA to discuss failure to pass on interest rates to savers July 6, 2023 Bank chiefs are meeting Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) officials on Thursday to discuss concerns surrounding interest rates for savers lagging behind the cost of mortgages. Bosses from HSBC, Natwest, Lloyds and Barclays are expected to attend. According to data from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, the average easy access savings rate on offer on Thursday is 2.49 per cent. [...]
Challenger banks win customers on back of better savings rates than big boys July 6, 2023 More generous savings rates at challenger banks are seeing customers flock to newer players in the market, as pressure grows on big banks
Value of London homes sinks as red hot mortgage rates continue to rattle market July 6, 2023 Some 68 per cent of west London homeowners have seen the value of their property decrease since last November, new data shows, as soaring mortgage rates and a difficult buyer market rattle the capital’s housing sector. As buyer confidence falls due to red hot mortgage rates 7,000 homes across west central London decreased in value [...]
The Notebook: Victoria Scholar on good news for inflation, the economics of Taylor Swift and the state of crypto July 6, 2023 Where the City’s movers and shakers get a few things off their chest. Today, it’s Victoria Scholar from Interactive Investor Supermarkets sound a positive note on inflation Some good news on inflation at last – Sainsbury’s says food inflation is starting to fall. Its CEO Simon Roberts said the company is “putting all our energy [...]
FTSE 100 close: Wilting Chinese recovery keeps London mining giants lower July 5, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 sagged today, dragged lower by industrial firms tumbling in response to signs that China’s economic recovery is running out of steam. The capital’s premier index shed 1.03 per cent to close at 7,442.11 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Inflation falling rapidly but not enough to avert 14th straight Bank of England rate rise, experts warn July 5, 2023 Inflation is still hanging around in the UK economy due to businesses continuing to pass on higher wage bills, although there are signs price pressures have turned a corner, a closely watched survey out today reveals. A reduction in energy and transport bills caused by international gas markets and supply chains repairing from a series [...]
New car market ‘growing back and growing green’ with EV surge – but rate hikes peak concern July 5, 2023 Britain’s new car market recorded its 11th consecutive month of growth in June with registrations rising 25.8 per cent – but it might not be smooth driving in the near future. Just under one million new cars were registered in the first half of 2023, up 18.4 per cent on the previous 2022, according to [...]
UK now only rich country where inflation is rising despite Bank of England interest rate hikes July 4, 2023 Britain is now the only rich country where inflation is rising, signalling the Bank of England’s series of interest rate rises have been less effective than its peers’, new data out today shows. Inflation across the Group of Seven (G7) nations fell to 4.6 per cent in May, down from 5.4 per cent in April, [...]
Savings rates: Big banks to meet regulator this week after ‘blatant profiteering’ claims July 4, 2023 Banks will meet with the regulator this week to discuss the savings rates on offer as pressure grows on the UK’s largest lenders to avoid so-called ‘profiteering’. Heads of the largest UK banks – including Lloyds, NatWest, Barclays and HSBC – will meet with the Financial Conduct Authority on Thursday, according to people familiar with [...]
Much like the UK economy, pound sterling suffers from a certainty deficit July 4, 2023 Barrelling around in the piping of the UK economy so far this year has been a sustained pound sterling rally. Britain’s currency in 2023 has been one of the best performers in the rich world. It is up nearly five per cent against the US dollar at $1.26, a far cry from the record low [...]