Commodities crash to 11-year low as deflation fears grow: Latest price slump complicates backdrop for interest rate hikes July 20, 2015 Global commodity prices have slumped amid a glut of supply and low demand – and now experts are foreseeing the prospect of deflation in the West. A basket of commodities measured by the Bloomberg commodities index has fallen to an 11-year low, and the index is down 42 per cent since its peak in [...]
French bull run enters 10th day as Greek agreement lifts markets July 20, 2015 French stocks climbed for the 10th consecutive day yesterday. The Cac 40, a basket of stocks of the 40 biggest companies listed on the main Paris stock exchange, rose 0.35 per cent yesterday. But since 7 July it has climbed 11.68 per cent. A rise over the last 10 days during which markets were open [...]
International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank confirm Greece payment July 20, 2015 Greece has paid off its arrears to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Central Bank (ECB) today after it became the proud recipient of a €7.16bn (£5bn) emergency bridging loan from the European Union today. European markets clised slightly higher, with the FTSE 100 closing 0.2 per cent up, Dax 0.53 per cent [...]
Maurice Obstfeld replaces Olivier Blanchard as International Monetary Fund’s new chief economist July 20, 2015 Maurice Obstfeld replaces Olivier Blanchard as International Monetary Fund’s new chief economist The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced the successor to retiring chief economist Olivier Blanchard. Its new chief economist will be Maurice Obstfeld, taking over the role as director of the IMF’s research department in September. IMF managing director Christine Lagarde commented that [...]
As rental prices soar, where do Londoners move to when they quit the city? Broadstone and Brentwood top the list July 20, 2015 London rental prices are soaring, forcing some Londoners to look move from the capital in search of cheaper lodgings. But where do they tend to go? While the commuter belt soaks up the majority (50.3 per cent of those leaving the capital stay in the south east, according to Homelet) of former Londoners, it is [...]
Bank of England governor Mark Carney would be wrong to hike interest rates this year, and the next move should be a cut July 20, 2015 At a time when central banks all around the world are stimulating their economies through monetary easing and/or quantitative easing, it's madness that the Bank of England is considering raising interest rates – and if anything the next move should probably be a cut to 0.25 per cent. The Bank of Canada cut rates last [...]
Gold loses its gleam as talk of a US interest rate hike encourages investors July 20, 2015 Gold lost some of its shine this morning, as the precious metal's price fell four per cent to as low as $1,088.05 (£697) an ounce during early trading in Asia – its lowest level since March 2010. Additionally, the price of platinum dropped five per cent in its weakest trade since the global financial [...]
The UK government’s student immigration policy is bad for business and the economy July 20, 2015 Education, particularly higher education, is one of this country’s great success stories. Every year thousands of students come here to learn and along the way they become lifelong friends of Britain. Nonsensically, the government seem intent on making this whole process harder. Under current rules most students can apply for a work visa while still [...]
Home extensions pile on the pounds to property values July 20, 2015 The alterations and extensions made to people's homes have added billions of pounds to property prices across Britain. Over the last 12 months, the work has added a combined £6.5bn to the value of homes, as nearly a quarter of a million owners made changes, adding around £30,000 per property on average. In London, where homeowners have [...]
High street shopper numbers continue decline as they head online July 20, 2015 The number of people heading to the high street has fallen again, new figures reveal, as one minister called for parking charges to be scrapped in an attempt to halt the decline of town centres around the country. Footfall fell 2.8 per cent on the same month last year on the high street and 2.4 [...]