Footfall drops but shoppers keep spending October 17, 2016 Spending on the high street rose last month despite a decline in footfall, the latest data has shown. Retail spending grew in September by 1.3 per cent, while at the same time both footfall and shop prices have dropped year-on-year, according to figures released today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and retail analysts Springboard. Total [...]
May you leave us alone? Mark Carney says Bank of England won’t be instructed by politicians October 15, 2016 Mark Carney has said the Bank of England will not be told what to do by politicians. Speaking shortly after Prime Minister Theresa May questioned the impact of quantitative easing policies, the Bank’s governor said on Friday that his job is sometimes made more difficult by comments from the political world. Read more: Theresa May [...]
Solid figures show US still on course for December rate hike October 14, 2016 The US Federal Reserve is still on course to hike rates by the end of the year after a reassuringly uneventful set of economic data out this afternoon. New numbers showed retail sales jumped by 0.6 per cent in September, bouncing back from a 0.2 per cent fall the month before. On an annual basis, consumer [...]
Construction industry still struggling for momentum October 14, 2016 British builders downed tools over the summer, as construction output missed economists' expectations in the wake of the EU referendum. Activity in the sector, which accounts for around six per cent of the UK economy, dropped by 1.5 per cent between July and August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed this morning. The fall [...]
Be afraid: Market volatility and the fear index are on the rise October 14, 2016 After a surprisingly quiet summer, nerves have returned to the financial markets and volatility is on the rise. In the UK, the FTSE 100 has moved by more than 0.5 per cent on 10 of the last 13 days and sterling has suffered some chunky jolts back-and-forth, often crashing through multiple resistance points in single trading sessions. [...]
Editor’s diary: Adam Smith gets a rebrand for 21st century politics October 14, 2016 We hear a lot about neoliberalism these days. More often than not it’s a phrase thrown around by pro-Corbyn activists as a form of insult that ranks alongside “Blairite”. Indeed, you’ll often hear the two phrases together. Owen Smith, who challenged Corbyn for the leadership on a policy platform of higher taxes, nationalisations and state expenditure [...]
Will the pound’s weakness continue to drive the FTSE 100? October 13, 2016 The relationship between the weak pound and a strong stock market is showing signs of fraying, analysts pointed out today, as the FTSE 100 dives even as the pound remains under pressure. Sterling has been through the ringer this week, swinging up and down on the slightest whisper of Brexit news, although today's trading has been slightly calmer, with [...]
Business profits set to stumble in wake of EU referendum October 13, 2016 Corporate profitability held up in the three months before the EU referendum, new statistics have revealed, as companies showed little sign uncertainty was weighing on their ability to generate cash. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said this morning profitability of private sector non-financial corporations, as measured by their net rate of return was 12.2 per [...]
Chinese trade tumbles amid weak demand October 13, 2016 China posted its weakest trade figures for six months overnight, as the economy suffers in the face of weak demand at home and abroad. Both exports and imports dropped in the year to August, falling well below economists' expectations and proving the world's second largest economy is not immune from the global growth slowdown. Analysts had expected [...]
FTSE 100 drops below 7,000 as Unilever and Tesco share prices fall after Marmite row October 13, 2016 The FTSE 100 has fallen further from its record high as markets digest some shock weak trade figures from China and the US Federal Reserve looks on course to hike interest rates. The bluechip index tumbled below 7,000 points to stand down for the week after reaching a record intraday high of 7,129 on Monday. Miners, [...]