AppLovin: Firing the 5G starting gun December 5, 2016 Dubbed the “Brexit Budget,” this year’s Autumn Statement was one of few surprises – other than that it would be the last. The chancellor certainly lived up to his “Spreadsheet Phil” epithet. But Philip Hammond gave a welcome nod to UK tech industries, all too aware that their impetus will play a prominent role in [...]
Top ONS economist: Brexit recession still possible August 19, 2016 The top economist at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has warned it is too early to rule out the prospect of a recession, despite a flurry of strong post-referendum indicators. Joe Grice, ONS chief economist told Bloomberg this morning there were still too many pieces of the puzzle to put together and would not like to [...]
What the new government should do to pensions: Scrap the £1m lifetime allowance and nudge young people to save more October 27, 2016 Philip Hammond has a lot on his plate. As the Autumn Statement approaches, shielding the UK economy from Brexit’s slings and arrows will be higher up his agenda than fiddling with a pensions system which was tinkered with year after year under the last government. Some of the changes (many at the exit end of [...]
House prices in the City and its fringes have boomed in the last five years August 11, 2016 House prices in the City and the surrounding boroughs have soared over the past five years as the centre of London has become a more attractive place to live. City fringe areas such as Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and Wapping have proven particularly popular, where prices have jumped by 47 per cent since 2011, according to research [...]
UK’s trade deficit narrows in July as the weak pound cheers exporters September 9, 2016 A weak pound may be bad news for holiday makers – but exporters were celebrating in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, new data has suggested. In fact, tumbling sterling pushed exports up to such a degree that the UK's trade deficit narrowed by £1.1bn to £4.5bn in July, the first full month after the EU [...]
Shares in EDF have jumped – but not because of last night’s Hinkley Point decision July 29, 2016 Shares in French power giant EDF were up more than 10 per cent this morning – but it wasn't just investors rewarding its board for finally getting around to making a decision on the construction of the much-delayed Hinkley Point C. Shares rose 10.5 per cent to €12.16 in Paris, after results posted by the company [...]
Britain must raise its game on innovation to make a success of Brexit November 7, 2016 The UK economy has so far proved hardy in the face of the vote to leave the EU. While GDP growth has slowed, it’s been higher than many had expected – consumers continue to spend on the high street and exporters have been taking advantage of a weaker sterling. But uncertain times are still ahead [...]
Top world economies commit to contain Brexit fallout at G20 finance ministers meeting July 24, 2016 World leaders have indicated they stand ready to act to ensure the UK's vote to leave the EU does not upset already-fragile global economic growth. G20 finance ministers and central bank governors said the world's largest economies "are well positioned to proactively address the potential economic and financial consequences stemming from the UK referendum," at the conclusion [...]
Carney’s Bank of England ally Minouche Shafik calls for further rate cuts September 28, 2016 A key Bank of England policymaker has said Threadneedle Street will need to loosen monetary policy again in the wake of the Brexit vote. Minouche Shafik, deputy governor of the Bank with responsibility for markets and banking, said this morning it was "likely" the rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) would need to cut interest rates or [...]
Public finances falter following EU referendum August 19, 2016 Government income shrunk in July with tax receipts missing expectations in the first sign of a post-referendum hit to the public finances. The government ran a surplus of £977m in July, according to figures published this morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), though this was down on predictions for a £1.9bn windfall and [...]