Scorching inflation sends UK debt interest bill to record-high £19bn July 21, 2022 Scorching inflation has ballooned the UK’s debt interest bill to its highest level since records began in the early 1990s, official figures published today revealed. The amount of money the UK had to pay investors holding government debt in June more than doubled over the last year, topping £19bn, up from £9.1bn in June 2021, [...]
All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers has drop in sales amid ‘major challenges’ from inflation July 21, 2022 All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers continue to face a “major challenge” due to the impact of the pandemic and ongoing inflation rises. The retailer experienced a drop in sales by 1.6 per cent in the year to date, claiming a mixture of the Jubilee weekend, industrial action and hot weather saw people go [...]
FTSE 100 loses Wall Street bounce as banks falter July 20, 2022 A boost from a bumper day on Wall Street yesterday was not enough to help London’s FTSE 100 finish higher today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index shed 0.44 per cent to close at 7,264.31 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, added [...]
Martin Lewis warns government of ‘financial time bomb’ as cost of living crisis worsens July 20, 2022 Martin Lewis warned the government of a “financial time bomb” due to explode in September as the UK’s cost of living crisis intensifies. The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com issued an “open video letter” to the current Conservative Party leadership candidates and warned of even higher energy costs and civil unrest as the UK struggles with record [...]
Inflation races to new 40-year high – but worst is yet to come July 20, 2022 UK inflation raced to a fresh 40-year high last month, but economists have warned the cost of living squeeze is set to get even worse. Prices surged 9.4 per cent over the year to June, the quickest acceleration since 1982 and up from an already historic level of 9.1 per cent in May, according to [...]
FTSE finance chiefs brace for recession July 20, 2022 Britain’s top finance chiefs are bracing for a recession driven by inflation crimping consumers and thinning businesses’ margins, a new survey published today reveals. Chief financial officers (CFO) at the UK’s largest listed companies think there is a 63 per cent chance of the economy swinging into reverse over the next 12 months, according to [...]
Inflation expected to soar above eye-watering 40-year highs as cost of living onslaught deepens July 19, 2022 When official figures lay bare the extent of the mounting cost-of-living crisis on tomorrow morning, UK inflation is expected to soar even further above current eye-watering 40-year highs. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will show Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose to at least 9.3 per cent in June, up [...]
Bank of England governor Bailey puts largest rate rise since independence on table July 19, 2022 The biggest rate hike since the Bank of England was made independent 25 years ago is on the table at its next meeting on 4 August, its chief said today. Delivering his annual Mansion House bankers’ dinner speech, Andrew Bailey said “a 50 basis point increase will be among the choices on the table when [...]
Ageing society will lead to decades of weak growth, BoE official warns July 18, 2022 An ageing society will leave the UK economy permanently weaker over the coming decades, an official at the Bank of England said today. Speaking at the Resolution Foundation, Michael Saunders, an outgoing external member of the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC), warned Britain will “face increasing challenges from demographic change, because population ageing appears likely [...]
Soaring business costs trigger wave of profit warnings July 18, 2022 Swelling costs have crimped UK companies’ margins, leading to a surge in profit warnings, reveals a new report published today. The volume of profit warnings sounded by UK-listed companies climbed 66 per cent in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2021, up to 136 from 82, according to EY-Parthenon. [...]