Former HSBC boss John Flint lands UK Infrastructure Bank chief executive job September 1, 2021 John Flint, the former CEO of HSBC, has been appointed as the first chief executive officer of the new government-backed UK Infrastructure Bank. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has tasked Flint with leading the Bank’s mandate to identify and finance infrastructure projects as part of the government’s “levelling up” agenda. The UKIB was first announced at the [...]
Severe shortages clamp down on UK manufacturing growth September 1, 2021 Severe shortages of raw materials and workers and transport delays have compounded to clamp down on growth in the UK manufacturing industry, according to a closely watched survey published today. The latest IHS Markit / CIPS purchasing managers’ index edged down to 60.3 in August, a five-month low, dropping from July’s reading of 60.4. Despite [...]
UK house prices jump unexpectedly in August September 1, 2021 UK house prices jumped unexpectedly in August driven by strong demand for homes in the lower segment of the market, according to new figures released today. Data from Nationwide shows house prices rose 11 per cent annually in August, up from July’s 10.5 per cent increase. The shock rise is likely being driven by the [...]
CEO confidence in the global economy returns to pre-pandemic levels September 1, 2021 CEOs of the world’s largest businesses are increasingly optimistic about the global economy’s immediate prospects. Despite a slower ‘return to normal’ than expected, CEOs’ expectations have finally reached above pre-pandemic levels. The KPMG 2021 CEO Outlook found that 60 per cent of leaders are confident about the global economy’s growth prospects over the next three [...]
Supply chain bottlenecks push shop prices higher September 1, 2021 Severe supply chain bottlenecks and persistent shortages of microchips drove shop prices higher over the last month, according to fresh figures published today. The British Retail Consortium’s latest shop price index shows shop prices climbed 0.4 per cent in August, up from a 0.5 per cent fall in prices in July. Logistics firms have struggled [...]
AIM dividends climb from Covid depths in second quarter September 1, 2021 Dividends paid by companies listed on the junior AIM stock market are rebounding sharply from the depths of the Covid crisis, according to fresh figures published today. Research by Link Group shows underlying dividends distributed by AIM companies shot up 56.6 per cent to £265m compared to the same period last year. For the year [...]
Analysts: China’s tech crackdown could backfire as it may hamper economy August 31, 2021 Analysts caution China’s economic growth could slow down if Beijing continues to target private enterprises that power the country’s economic success. Beijing’s sweeping regulatory crackdowns have spread like wildfire across sectors, ranging from technology and internet algorithms to online gaming and tutoring. Ross Terrill, a research associate at Harvard’s Fairbank Centre for Chinese Studies, told [...]
China: Economy under pressure as services sector slumps into contraction August 31, 2021 China’s businesses and the broader economy came under increasing pressure in August as factory activity expanded at a slower pace while the services sector slumped into contraction, raising the likelihood of more near-term policy support to boost growth. Watch the full report.
London Underground halfway back to pre-pandemic levels as Tube passenger return August 31, 2021 The number of passengers using the London Underground has hit about 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on weekdays for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Transport for London said it has seen a steady increase in use on the network over the summer and is preparing for further rises in September [...]
Eurozone inflation soars to decade high August 31, 2021 Eurozone inflation soared to its highest level in a decade this month to breach the European Central Bank’s target, according to official figures published today. Data released by Eurostat, Europe’s statistical agency, shows prices rose three per cent this month in the 19 countries that make up the Euro area, ticking up from 2.2 per [...]