Moving markets: Five things shaping the FTSE 100 today March 13, 2024 Amidst Wall Street's historic highs, Asian markets maintained a sense of calm, while oil prices surged and Bitcoin experienced an uptick. Now, attention pivots to the eagerly awaited release of the UK’s GDP figures.
Why markets still think the Fed will cut interest rates in June despite US inflation overshoot March 12, 2024 Looking longer term, there has been little progress on inflation since last summer, when inflation dropped to three per cent. Inflation has remained roughly stable since then.
UK economy nearly a third smaller thanks to ‘catastrophically bad’ productivity slowdown March 12, 2024 Since the financial crisis, productivity growth in the UK has slowed significantly from its pre-2008 trend and has fallen behind international peers.
US inflation comes in ahead of expectations again as markets grow nervy about Fed rate cuts March 12, 2024 According to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices rose 0.4 per cent in February, higher than the 0.3 per cent expected by economists.
Bank of England’s fears of a tight labour market will remain despite growing slack March 12, 2024 Although almost every measure suggested a softer labour market than expected, the downside surprises were small and show a labour market that is still tight in historical terms.
Wage growth slows faster than expected and unemployment picks up slightly March 12, 2024 Developments in the labour market are crucial for assessing whether inflation is under control, enabling the Bank to ease the cost of borrowing.
FTSE 100 today: London markets set for cautious open as U.S. inflation data looms large March 12, 2024 Asian stocks surged, and Oracle's shares soared over 14%. Bitcoin also broke records, surpassing $72,000. Market focus now shifts to forthcoming UK employment data and US inflation figures for key insights into economic trends.
Pound Sterling makes strong start to 2024 as UK recovery from recession to continue March 11, 2024 Paul Robson, head of G10 FX strategy at Natwest, also drew attention to the UK's increasingly supportive political background.
UK set for recession rebound as growth returns, GDP figures expected to show March 11, 2024 Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said last year's minor recession was "already disappearing in the rear-view mirror".
London remains UK’s strongest region as capital powers country out of recession March 11, 2024 Despite the decrease, the figures still pointed to a "robust expansion in activity" with London remaining the strongest-performing region in the UK.