Supermarket sales boost consumer spending but high street woes continue February 5, 2019 Consumer spending returned to growth in January thanks to increased purchases of essentials, but high street retailers continue to feel the strain. Spending rose 2.9 per cent year-on-year last month thanks to a strong performance from supermarkets, which saw their highest rate of growth since April 2017 at 6.8 per cent, according to data from Barclaycard. [...]
UK house prices: Housing market ‘on its knees’ amid Brexit uncertainty February 28, 2019 UK house price growth remained sluggish in February, as property experts warned the housing market is “on its knees”. Prices rose just 0.4 per cent year on year compared to January’s 0.1 per cent rate of growth, new data published today reveals. Read more: January transactions flat as uncertainty weighs on housing market But prices [...]
Profit warnings by UK retailers at the highest level since Global Financial Crisis January 20, 2019 The number of UK retailers issuing profit warnings reached a ten year high last year as the sector endured a torrid twelve months, according to data from accounting giant EY. Data showed that 38 per cent of FTSE general retailers issued profit warnings in 2018, a 50 per cent increase on the previous year and [...]
New car sales fall in crucial month for Britain’s car industry as Brexit uncertainty lingers April 4, 2019 New car registrations dropped by 3.4 per cent last month as political and economic uncertainty continues to hit demand. Demand slipped in both private and business sectors as sales hit their lowest March level since 2013, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more: Cost of meeting emissions [...]
UK house prices: Growth falls to four-month low in June July 2, 2019 UK house prices remained “subdued” in June, new figures showed today as the cost of buying continued to fall in London and the south east. The price of a UK home grew 0.5 per cent year-on-year over the month, lower than May’s 0.6 per cent growth. The rate was the worst since February’s 0.4 per [...]
Obscure fees could be eroding your pension – here’s what you should be paying June 19, 2019 If you’ve ever endeavoured to compare fees charged by pension providers, you’re probably sat wild-eyed, rocking yourself back and forth. Despite the push to rid the financial sector of opaque and confusing charging structures, it’s still incredibly difficult for consumers to compare the fees levied by pension providers. Not only can it be difficult to [...]
Brexit stockpiling helps UK economy bounce back in first quarter of 2019 May 10, 2019 Experts hailed the UK economy’s “resilience” today as it rebounded in the first quarter of 2019 with growth of 0.5 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Read more: The City powers the UK economy – it must not fall into Labour's hands That is more than double the low 0.2 per [...]
Digital publishing revenues rise as video and display formats drive growth April 23, 2019 Digital publishing revenues rose almost seven per cent last year as publishers shift their focus towards video formats. Figures from the Association for Online Publishing (AOP) and Deloitte reveal UK revenues rose 6.8 per cent to £511.5m in 2018. Read more: Google hands out €500,000 for local publishers’ project The growth was driven largely by [...]
Schroders profit drops amid weak investor sentiment August 1, 2019 Schroders suffered a 14 per cent profit drop despite a rise in assets under management as it warned investors that it sees “headwinds across the industry”. Read more: Janus Henderson struggles to shake client jitters as outflows mount up The figures Profit before tax fell 14 per cent year on year to £319.3m for the [...]
US economic growth unexpectedly slows in final quarter March 28, 2019 America’s economic output grew more slowly than previously expected in the final quarter of 2018, at an annual rate of 2.2 per cent, figures released today showed. The 2.2 per cent figure, which amounts to 0.55 per cent GDP growth in the final quarter compared to the previous quarter, was 0.4 percentage points lower than the [...]