March car production falls to lowest in 24 years as markets feel supply chain squeeze April 5, 2022 The UK’s automotive production in March fell to the lowest since 1998 as markets continued to feel the supply chain squeeze. According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car registrations fell by 14.3 per cent to 243,479 units while overall the first quarter of 2021 reported a 1.9 per [...]
Banks, bonds, inflation, recession and energy: Five lessons the markets taught us this week March 17, 2023 The third week of March proved to be a rollercoaster for the world’s investors, with a rout on banks and the spectre of inflation, recession and the growing cost of living making their presence felt. These themes may indeed play on in future, so here are the five lessons we’ve learned from the markets this [...]
A kernel of grain is driving a wedge through Europe’s response to Ukraine May 3, 2023 Poland and other EU member states have imposed a ban on grain from Ukraine. This risks leaving Ukrainian farmers in misery - and shows the cracks in the Western front, writes Elena Siniscalco
Prepayment customers avoid energy use amid cost of living squeeze February 24, 2022 Prepayment customers have been reducing energy use to alarming degrees, according to the latest data from Uswitch.com.
Lib Dems call for £18bn cut to VAT to ease cost of living crunch March 10, 2022 The Liberal Democrats are calling for an £18bn VAT cut that would see the rate slashed from 20 to 17.5 per cent in a bid to ease the cost of living crunch on British households. The Lib Dems say the new policy proposal, released on the eve of the party’s spring conference, would save households [...]
Why is the UK economy poised to tumble into a recession and fall behind Europe, US and even Russia? February 16, 2023 Britain avoided a much-tipped recession at the end of last year. Phew. “However, we are not out of the woods yet,” warned Chancellor Jeremy Hunt after last Friday’s GDP figures from the ONS revealed the economy stagnated at the end of 2022, meaning it narrowly avoided the technical recession definition of two consecutive quarters of [...]
Bank of England to look through weaker growth and send rates to financial crisis levels February 16, 2022 The Bank of England will look through weaker than expected economic growth this year and send interest rates to levels not seen since the financial crisis, experts are betting. Zeroing in on eradicating rampant inflation in the UK at the expense of providing a floor for the economy will drive the Bank to launch the [...]
Compass Group revenue forecast hike cooks up a storm on FTSE 100 May 11, 2022 A bumper crop of results sent shares in catering giant Compass Group soaring today helping London’s top index post a strong day. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index climbed 1.44 per cent to 7,347.66 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, added 1.35 [...]
Russia-Ukraine war to take tax cuts off the table, IFS warns March 10, 2022 Even higher inflation triggered by Russia invading Ukraine will take promised tax cuts off the table, a leading think tank warned today. Surging energy prices driven by concerns over the security of oil and gas supplies amid a ramping up in tensions between Moscow and the West will eat into Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s room to [...]
A recession will tempt firms into short-term cuts and sacrifice of future growth July 6, 2022 Throughout the history of recessions and periods of high inflation, when businesses have felt compelled to cut back to protect their margins, they’ve often looked at marketing spend with a raised eyebrow. It’s usually one of the biggest line items and certainly one of the easiest to cut. It’s a deep shame, therefore, it has [...]