Autumn Budget 2024: Reeves commits £5bn for Government housebuilding programme October 30, 2024 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has committed in the Budget to more than £5bn of investment over 2025-2026 to deliver the Government’s ambitious plans on housing next year. In the Budget, Reeves announced a range of measures to support Labour’s target, including skills training, reforms to the planning system and additional assistance for affordable housing. She also [...]
How will the bond markets react to the Budget? October 30, 2024 For all the government’s promises of stability and hoped-for reductions in interest rates, UK yields on government bonds are now, in fact, very similar to the levels to which they rose under the ill-fated Truss government, says Paul Ormerod There has been a huge amount of speculation about the Budget. Later today we will of [...]
Government and business need a new deal to navigate today’s uncertainty October 28, 2024 By year end, over half of the world’s population will have participated in a national election.With so many voters going to the polls, and the potential for disruptive transitions, concernsabout widespread political uncertainty have been chipping away at economic sentiment formuch of 2024. Given the wider global economic and geopolitical headwinds, this uncertaintyrisks dragging much [...]
US and European interest rate cuts hang in the balance ahead of crunch week October 27, 2024 Key economic figures in the US and Europe are set to give investors clues on how much further both regions' central banks could go in cutting interest rates this year.
Budget uncertainty threatens to freeze growth at small businesses October 22, 2024 A significant number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have warned their growth ambitions may be at risk if Rachel Reeves doesn’t prioritise their concerns in the upcoming Autumn Budget. According to a survey of over 500 SME leaders on behalf of specialist lender Simply Asset Finance, 74 per cent said the outcomes of the [...]
Oil and gas engineer Hunting’s stock plummets as profit forecast cut October 22, 2024 Oil and gas engineer Hunting’s stock plummeted this morning after it cut its profit forecast thanks to lower oil prices. Despite reporting a 16 per cent rise in profit during the third quarter, the London-listed energy services firm flagged falling sentiment and lower client activity in the sector. “Whilst the outlook for the international and [...]
How we saved Britain’s small businesses millions in energy costs – and counting October 22, 2024 Small businesses across the UK have had to face the wrath of rising energy costs for years - and entrepreneur Joe McDonald is fed up with it.
Costa Coffee in the red despite sales success October 18, 2024 Costa Coffee fell into the red despite its revenue rising by more than £100m in 2023, it has been revealed. The Buckinghamshire-headquartered business, which is owned by Coca-Cola, has reported a pre-tax loss of £9.6m for its latest financial year. The loss comes after the firm posted a pre-tax profit of £245.9m in 2022. Newly-filed [...]
Now is the time for the City to look again at investing in Africa October 18, 2024 For at least the last decade, Africa has been widely proclaimed as a sleeping giant; a continent of huge economic potential. We heard numerous voices at the United Nations General Assembly in New York a few weeks back echo the sentiment. Yet the message does not appear to be attractive to those global investors who [...]
Tory leadership: I’ll return us to ‘party of sound money’, Robert Jenrick pledges October 16, 2024 Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has pledged to return the Conservatives to “being the party of sound money”, if elected. The former migration minister outlined his economic plans in a speech this morning in which he admitted the Conservatives “abandoned fiscal responsibility in the mini-Budget.” Jenrick told an audience of journalists and MPs at a [...]