Cost of living crunch bites Brits’ optimism February 8, 2022 Fears over a sharp erosion in living standards driven by the cost of living crunch is weighing on Brits’ confidence levels, reveals a fresh survey published today. Consumer confidence in the UK dipped to its lowest level in 11 months last month, according to research by Bank of America. Concerns over inflation hitting household budgets [...]
Cost of living crunch already hitting consumer spending even before inflation peaks February 8, 2022 The cost of living crunch is prompting Britons to rein in spending even before inflation reaches its expected summit this spring, reveals new research published today. An erosion in household budgets triggered by inflation hitting its highest level in nearly three decades weighed on consumer spending last month, according to figures from Barclaycard. UK spending [...]
London markets climb as airlines take off February 7, 2022 London markets posted a strong start to the week yesterday, led higher by airlines taking off. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 0.76 per cent higher at 7,573.47 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, added 0.39 per cent to reach 21,797.29 points. [...]
Bank of England has undercooked inflation forecasts again, City economists warn February 7, 2022 The Bank of England has undercooked its forecasts for inflation again in a sign the cost of living squeeze will get worse before it gets better, reveals new estimates from City economists. Inflation will peak at 7.5 per cent in April, higher than the Bank’s expected peak of 7.25 per cent in its latest forecasts, [...]
Top economist says Bank of England’s failure to tackle inflation quickly will worsen cost-of-living crisis February 6, 2022 One of Britain’s top economists has accused the Bank of England’s of failing to act quickly enough to stop inflation from worsening the cost-of-living crisis. Gerard Lyons, a former economic advisor to both Gordon Brown and Boris Johnson, accused Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey of failing to “nip inflation in the bud” and taking [...]
Cost of living crunch to derail UK economy in bruising day for living standards February 3, 2022 A double whammy of bad news today laid bare the scale of the blow the cost of living crisis will deal the British economic recovery, with the energy price cap set to spike by 54 per cent and GDP forecasts slashed by the Bank of England. Ratesetters at Threadneedle Street hiked the interest rate to [...]
London markets register sobering day as Bank of England rate hike spooks investors February 3, 2022 London markets dropped sharply yesterday after investors were spooked by the Bank of England hiking interest rates at successive meetings for the first time since 2004. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index closed 0.71 per cent lower at 7,528.84 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
Brits should brace for further rate hikes from Bank of England, City economists warn February 3, 2022 Households should brace for further rate hikes from the Bank of England this year as it steps “up its fight against inflation”. The Bank will rapidly pivot policy toward getting on top of Britain’s cost of living crunch, City economists are betting after today’s decision to raise rates at back-to-back meetings for the first time [...]
Russia-Ukraine: What will sanctions mean for UK businesses? February 3, 2022 Liz Truss this week warned Russia that the UK is now prepared to hit the Russian Federation with its “toughest sanctions regime” ever, as it seeks to deter the country from sending troops into Ukraine. “Nothing is off the table and there will be nowhere to hide,” the foreign secretary said. But as of yet, [...]
ECB leaves rates untouched despite record high inflation February 3, 2022 The European Central Bank (ECB) yesterday left interest rates unchanged despite inflation on the Continent running at its highest level ever. The ECB’s decision to leave rates in negative territory was taken despite president, Christine Lagarge, warning the cost of living in the bloc could rise even further. Europe’s central bank’s inertia runs against the [...]