Budget: Why Jeremy Hunt needs you back at work to prevent a recession March 15, 2023 This was a budget for the workforce. It showed signs of sparking the supply side revolution that Liz Truss championed, but crashed hard in trying to get there too quickly. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) thinks so. It projects the government’s collective policies designed to boost the labour market will provide a 0.2 per [...]
FTSE 100 close: Global banking rout weighs on index as budget does little to lift sentiment March 15, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 slumped this afternoon as the banking sector faced a major sell-off following concerns over the future of Credit Suisse. The capital’s premier index closed 3.83 per cent lower at 7,344.45 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, shed 2.63 per [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index claws back Silicon Valley Bank induced losses as HSBC soars March 14, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 surged today, arresting the sharp declines notched yesterday as it was caught up in a global market sell off driven by investors’ fretting over the impact of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapsing. The capital’s premier index gained 1.17 per cent to close at 7,637.12 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, [...]
US inflation tumbles to lowest level since September 2021 but price pressures complicate Fed rate decision March 14, 2023 US inflation has dropped to the lowest level since September 2021, but underlying price pressures are still sticking around, complicating the Federal Reserve’s rate decision next week, official figures out today show. The rate of price growth in the world’s largest economy trimmed to six per cent over the year to February, down from 6.4 [...]
Budget: Why a high-tax country is still dealing with fraying public services March 14, 2023 Britain is on course to shoulder a tax burden that has “never been sustained before in its history” but is still grappling with fraying public services, a top economist has told Morning Wire ahead of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s budget tomorrow. Carl Emmerson, deputy director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said the UK has [...]
Why does the Bank of England (secretly) want to sack you? To hose down the inflation fire March 14, 2023 Whisper it very, very softly, but the Bank of England (secretly) is trying to force you out of the job. That’s right. Governor Andrew Bailey wants to toss you to the wolves in the name of the fight against inflation. That’s overegging it. No one is directly trying to make someone else unemployed. A kernel [...]
FTSE 100 close: Silicon Valley Bank collapse drags London index into red despite HSBC sale March 13, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 was dragged down into a global market sell off today driven by fears over how far the effects of the collapse of tech-focused Silicon Valley Bank could ricochet through the financial system. The capital’s premier index slid more than two per cent to close at 7,548.64 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE [...]
US Federal Reserve to refrain from rate hike later this month after Silicon Valley Bank collapse, bets Goldman March 13, 2023 Speculation is growing among traders that the US Federal Reserve could refrain from hiking interest rates later this month for fear of triggering another Silicon Valley Bank-style collapse. Turmoil in financial markets sparked by the tech-focused lender’s collapse has raised the likelihood Fed chair Jerome Powell and co may hold off raising rates any further. [...]
UK pay on track to trail inflation for 15th month in a row as cost of living crisis bites March 13, 2023 Wages are on track to trail inflation for the 15th month in a row, underscoring how much pressure the cost of living crisis is piling onto household finances, official figures out on Tuesday are expected to show. Regular pay growth is projected to trim to 6.6 per cent over the three months to February, down [...]
London economy steams ahead to top UK growth league and on track to avoid recession March 13, 2023 London’s economy is racing ahead of the rest of the UK and is on track to power the country’s GDP out of its current slump, new figures out today show. The capital’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) shot up to 56 points last month, up sharply from 50.5 points and far above the 50 point threshold [...]