CITY VIEWS: IS INFLATION HITTING THE BANK OF ENGLAND’S CREDIBILITY? February 15, 2011 Save or Borrow peer to peer at RateSetter.com www.RateSetter.com Customer Phoneline: 08442490115 GRANT CLEMENCE| QBE INSURANCE “No, changing interest rates wouldn’t have any impact. It’s driven by commodity prices.” JAMES COOPER| LONDON METAL EXCHANGE “Yes, they’ve set these targets but aren’t being seen to do anything about it.” JOHN FILTNESS | RFIB “They are doing [...]
EU summit the new focus as investors waver over the euro December 4, 2011 LAST week saw an extraordinary turnaround in equity markets. The index bounced off 5,100 and shot higher with barely a backward glance. The FTSE 100 tacked on more than eight per cent over the period and on Friday it tested significant resistance at 5,600. This marks the 61.8 per cent Fibonacci retracement of the sell-off [...]
EU in bid to veto UK bank reform October 30, 2011 THE BANKING FILES THE banking reforms proposed by the Vickers Commission could be illegal under EU law, according to an internal Treasury document obtained by City A.M. UK authorities are currently locked in fractious negotiations with Brussels over the details of new EU capital rules, with the European Commission (EC) arguing against giving Britain the [...]
Firms are unclear on FPC’s role November 3, 2011 TOO LITTLE is known about the new Financial Policy Committee’s (FPC) role and instruments and how it will impact on lenders, Paul Smee, director-general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said yesterday. Smee warned the post-Financial Services Authority (FSA) landscape for mortgages is going to become more complex under the Prudential Regulation Authority and [...]
Over-50s still feel squeezed by downturn November 27, 2011 PEOPLE aged 50 and over are continuing to suffer from a decline in their quality of life as a result of rising inflation, unemployment and a fall in savings, research by Saga reveals today. The Saga quarterly report, conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Populus, questioned more than 10,000 people over [...]
Tightening up on loose interest rate language November 21, 2011 WOULD a rise in interest rates by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) constitute a tight monetary policy? Not necessarily. Economists tend to refer to the “neutral interest rate” as that which coincides with output growing at its trend rate and low inflationary pressure. Austrian school economists would also stress that interest rates [...]
Tightening up on loose interest rate language November 21, 2011 WOULD a rise in interest rates by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) constitute a tight monetary policy? Not necessarily. Economists tend to refer to the “neutral interest rate” as that which coincides with output growing at its trend rate and low inflationary pressure. Austrian school economists would also stress that interest rates [...]
Employment growth falls as demand recovery stalls October 20, 2011 GROWTH slowed in consumer spending, manufacturing and investment over the last month according to the Bank of England’s agents’ summary of business conditions, out yesterday. The official survey measures the state of the economy across the country and informs the monetary policy committee (MPC) in making its interest rate decisions. Consumer demand growth is sluggish [...]
Employment growth falls as demand recovery stalls October 20, 2011 GROWTH slowed in consumer spending, manufacturing and investment over the last month according to the Bank of England’s agents’ summary of business conditions, out yesterday. The official survey measures the state of the economy across the country and informs the monetary policy committee (MPC) in making its interest rate decisions. Consumer demand growth is sluggish [...]
THE TIPSTER November 22, 2011 THE fragile state of the UK economy has seen the pound fall against a number of currencies in the past week and with the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting notes likely to point to further quantitative easing, more pressure could be put on sterling. The fall against the euro has been stemmed somewhat [...]