Retailer sell off drags down London indexes April 6, 2022 A retailer sell off caused by concerns over a pull back in spending amid a tight cost of living squeeze led London’s top indexes lower today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.34 per cent to 7,587.70 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
UK inflation to scale to twin peaks in April and October April 6, 2022 Inflation in the UK will have twin peaks this year in a sign that households will absorb a double hit to their living standards. At the start of the year, the cost of living was originally forecast to peak in April, driven by the energy watchdog hiking the cap on energy bills 54 per cent. [...]
Bank of England to launch 1980s style rate hike cycle as it scrambles to douse down rampant inflation April 6, 2022 The Bank of England will hike interest rates at the quickest pace since 1988 this year as it scrambles to douse down rampant inflation. 0Threadneedle Street will lift borrowing costs four more times this year, taking the calendar year total number of hikes to six, according to forecasts by investment banking giant JP Morgan. The [...]
UK building firms’ confidence plummets on Russia-Ukraine war April 6, 2022 Existing supply chain disruption intensified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has eroded confidence in the UK construction sector to its lowest level in around a year and a half, reveals a closely watched survey released today. Swelling raw material costs, elongating delays in sourcing components and higher staffing bills all compounded to spike optimism among [...]
New tax year ushers in more woe for businesses and households April 6, 2022 Today marks the start of what will be yearly increases in tax bills for households across the UK as a raft of hikes, threshold freezes and fiscal tweaks come into effect. The new tax year has been ushered in by the much-lamented 1.25 percentage point national hike, which is forecast to deal a more than [...]
Energy giants fuel London indexes ahead of government white paper April 5, 2022 London’s top indexes were boosted by investors pouring into energy stocks yesterday ahead of the UK government publishing its much-awaited energy strategy. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index rose 0.72 per cent to 7,613.72 points, while the domesticall-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, edged 0.13 [...]
The Russia–Ukraine war and other geopolitical risks April 5, 2022 | City Talk The war in Ukraine is dominating the headlines. For now. But the conflict’s indirect reverberations will ripple far beyond the borders of its combatants and their allies. Indeed, they could give rise to new and varied geopolitical risks throughout the world. The war’s potential effect on the global grain supply and food inflation is especially [...]
Inflation heats up as UK firms launch record price rises April 5, 2022 The cost of living squeeze that is already threatening to cool growth is tightening, driven by UK businesses lifting prices at the fastest pace on record to cope with a cost storm, a closely watched survey released today reveals. A combination of soaring staff costs, swelling energy bills and higher raw material prices has coaxed [...]
Ukraine war is dramatically dialling up risk of global recession April 5, 2022 The war in Ukraine has dramatically dialled up the risk of a global recession, according to leading economist. The conflict has thrown a ‘massive monkey wrench’ into what was a gradually improving post-pandemic picture, Ira Kalish, chief global economist at Deloitte told delegates at the World Retail Congress in Rome. And it could have damaging, [...]
What does the current volatility mean for energy transition investing? April 5, 2022 | City Talk The driving forces behind the energy transition remain as strong as ever and the current market volatility has only enhanced these trends. There is a lot going on in the financial markets right now. Meaningful inflation has returned for the first time in decades. Supply chains everywhere continue to be disrupted. Geopolitical and social tensions [...]