Stronger than expected US job growth plunges pound against dollar October 7, 2022 The pound slipped 0.3 per cent against the dollar at $1.113 this afternoon after US labour figures suggested stronger than expected jobs growth. US employers added 263,000 jobs in September as the country’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.5 per cent, figures from the Bureau of Labour Statistics show. Economists polled by Reuters had previously expected US [...]
Banks, inflation, recession, gold AND Ocado: Five lessons the markets taught us this week March 31, 2023 It’s spring. The days are longer, the sun is shining, and fears about the imminent implosion of the global financial system are fading, for now anyway. Markets appeared to calm down after several weeks of banking-related aftershocks and both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 were on course to end the week on a positive [...]
London City Airport reports fourth consecutive busiest week March 21, 2022 Passenger numbers continue to grow at London City airport, as the hub reported today its fourth consecutive week of growth since the pandemic’s start. Following the end of all UK travel restrictions, passenger numbers have gone up 40 per cent on February’s levels, while business travel has reached 2019 figures – representing a 46 per [...]
Slowing business activity strengthens UK recession risk May 26, 2022 Swelling costs and fears over rampant inflation forcing consumers to slash spending are eroding British businesses’ optimism, casting doubt over whether the country can avoid a recession, two surveys published today reveal. Households are cutting discretionary purchases in response to living costs climbing at the quickest pace in four decades, research by the Confederation of [...]
FTSE 100 Live: London markets fall following Bank of England’s interest rate decision May 11, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index fell this afternoon following the Bank of England’s latest interest rate decision, when the Bank’s base rate was lifted by 25 basis points. The capital’s premier index fell 0.64 per cent to 7,691.42 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK [...]
Octopus and Good Energy defend heat pumps amid backlash to oil boiler ban August 13, 2023 Energy suppliers have given heat pumps a fresh vote of confidence despite calls from backbench MPs to slow down the shift from oil and gas.
Taco Bell ‘on fire’ as Mexican fast-food chain gears up for 100th UK site June 16, 2022 “We’re on fire” is how Taco Bell International’s president Julie Felss Masino described the Mexican fast food chain’s rollout to CityA.M. After launching 50 sites in the UK over the past decade, the US-based firm has expanded by another extra 50 sites in just the past 18 months. The chain, a subsidiary of Pizza Hut [...]
Retail sales drop as Brits return to venues while cost of living crunch looms March 25, 2022 Retail sales volumes fell 0.3 per cent last month as Brits made the most of Covid restrictions abating. Stormy weather also deterred shoppers from making trips to the high street, with Storm Eunice and Storm Dudley causing travel haovc across the country last month. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shoppers bought less [...]
FTSE 100 close: Barclays, HSBC and Easyjet shine on otherwise poor day in London January 25, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 today gave up morning gains to finish lower before stronger-than-expected retail earnings provided a balm against recession fears. The capital’s premier index fell 0.22 per cent to 7,740.34 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, slid 0.38 per cent to [...]
Uncertainty from our leaders is keeping our economic recovery wavering on the brink February 2, 2022 In November last year, the UK’s total GDP output finally regained its pre-pandemic level. But although the economic recovery is on an upward trajectory, there is a disconcerting stop-start hesitancy to it. A reasonable indicator of where the economy stands in any given month is the purchasing managers’ index which shows the prevailing direction of [...]