Bank of England launches groundbreaking private credit stress test Markets The Bank of England has launched its first ever stress test of the fast-growing private credit industry, in a bid to establish how the opaque sector would respond to a range of economic and financial shocks. The undertaking, called a ‘system-wide exploratory scenario exercise (SWES)’, will work with some of the industry’s biggest players to [...]
Bank of England’s Breeden says inflation ‘hump’ is transitory Economics The Bank of England’s deputy governor has warned keeping interest rates too high could drag inflation below the Bank’s two per cent target in comments that further exposed the divergence that exists among central bank officials over the long-term path of inflation. In a dovish speech delivered at Cardiff Business School, financial stability deputy chief [...]
The Bank of England’s trouble-free decision to cut interest rates Economics The Bank of England has long suffered from the accusation of groupthink. Reforms have been mooted – and some have been implemented – but it has struggled to shake off the charge. Economists at the Cato Institute and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) have, for example, pointed the blame at Threadneedle [...]
Inflation expected to ease slightly in March amid uncertain future April 15, 2025 Inflation in the month to March is expected to remain well above the Bank of England’s target rate of two per cent, putting policymakers in an awkward position ahead of a potential interest rate cut in May. A Bloomberg poll of economists said that consumer price inflation (CPI) on a year-on-year basis will hit 2.7 [...]
Bank of England’s postponement of bond sale is a ‘precaution’ April 10, 2025 The Bank of England’s decision to postpone the sale of long-dated bonds to after June following market volatility was a “precaution”, according to deputy governor Sarah Breeden. President Donald Trump’s tariffs sent markets around the world into a state of panic as 30-year gilt yields surged to its highest level since 1998, pushing up borrowing [...]
Bank of England should be ‘more careful’ about rate cuts, say deputy governor April 10, 2025 A Bank of England rate-setter has said that policymakers need to be “more careful” about cutting rates after years of high inflation, adding that it was “too soon to say” whether President Trump’s tariffs will weigh on price growth in the UK. Sarah Breeden became the second official since Trump’s Rose Garden speech to take [...]
Bank of England’s Breeden backs ‘gradual’ interest rate cuts January 9, 2025 A Bank of England rate-setter said she expects to back “gradual” interest rate cuts this year due to continued uncertainties about the economic outlook. Speaking in Edinburgh, Sarah Breeden said inflation had come down faster than expected throughout 2024, which will enable the Bank to continue lowering borrowing costs. “The recent evidence further supports the [...]