Business confidence ended 2024 at low point on jobs and prices fears December 23, 2024 Business confidence fell to its lowest level in 2024 during December, as fears around layoffs and price increases hurt opportunity for business growth. Business confidence ticked down by two points to 39 per cent this month, though remained above the long-term average of 29 per cent, according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer. “While there [...]
Housing sales end year on a high but fears about mortgage rates linger December 23, 2024 The London housing market has ended 2024 on a high, although buyers remain price-sensitive and concerned about the cost of mortgages. Over 280,000 homes worth £104bn are in the sales pipeline for 2025 – the highest number in four years, according to Zoopla. In another good sign, house prices returned to growth – up 1.9 [...]
What’s in store for bitcoin in 2025 as Donald Trump returns to the White House? December 22, 2024 2024 was definitely the year of the bitcoin: The first bitcoin spot ETFs were approved in the US, the cryptocurrency reached an all-time high, and the fourth bitcoin halving occurred in April. The price of bitcoin now sits at over $84,000, up 142 per cent since the start of the year and 60 per cent [...]
Lucy Powell says she understands public’s frustration with Labour in office December 22, 2024 The state of the economy is “disappointing” and people’s frustrations with Labour’s performance in office are understandable, a Cabinet minister has acknowledged. Commons Leader Lucy Powell insisted the Government was turning the situation around but accepted she wanted to see economic improvements faster. She defended the “difficult decisions” taken by the Government, saying “we didn’t [...]
75mph gusts forecast as Christmas getaway disruption continues December 22, 2024 Winds of up to 75mph have been forecast for parts of the UK as the Christmas getaway period continues to see disruption caused by bad weather. Heathrow Airport has confirmed around 100 flights have been cancelled on Sunday and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling. It comes as the Met Office [...]
The best business books picked by CEOs December 22, 2024 Your Spotify Wrapped excitement might have now come and gone — if you’re not still questioning why your top artist was who it was — but fortunately, a new kind of ‘year in review’ list is here to take its place. Perlego, an educational technology company dubbed the “Spotify for textbooks” wrapped up the most-read [...]
Bank of England governor to visit China with Chancellor December 21, 2024 Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey will accompany Chancellor Rachel Reeves to China next month, Sky News said on Saturday, a visit intended to revive high-level economic and financial talks that have been frozen since 2019. Sky News said Bailey was expected to hold talks with Pan Gongsheng, the governor of the People’s Bank of [...]
FTSE 100 logs worst week in more than a year December 21, 2024 The FTSE 100 touched a more than one-month low on Friday and logged its sharpest drop since October 2023 for a week filled with a raft of central bank policy decisions. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.3 per cent, hitting its lowest since 13 November, though the mid-cap FTSE 250 was up 0.3 per cent, after [...]
Nigel Farage ‘hasn’t got a clue’ how to fix the economy, says Rachel Reeves December 21, 2024 Nigel Farage “hasn’t got a clue” how to grow the economy or make people’s lives better, Rachel Reeves has claimed. The Chancellor also urged the public to be patient with her plans to turn around the economy in an interview with the Guardian. As the public’s view of Labour falters, and Reform makes gains in [...]
US Senate passes government funding bill to avoid shutdown December 21, 2024 The US Senate has rushed through the final passage of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid. Facing a government shutdown deadline, the restructured bill dropped President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” [...]