Bumper Bank Holiday drives footfall levels up June 1, 2023 Bumper bank holidays in May helped hike footfall levels as work-free Brits flocked to the high streets to drink and shop in a welcomed boost for businesses. Footfall over the last month climbed 3.6 per cent, the second month in a row in which levels have risen following a 3.3 per cent jump in April, [...]
Jet-setting Brits ready for summer but it’s oil prices that could really take off May 2, 2023 Resurgent demand in the world’s most developed economies could prove to be a major tailwind for oil prices.
Recession knife-edge: Consumer spending on credit at £1.3bn as house prices continue to slide May 2, 2023 Britain’s better than expected economic performance since the turn of the year is poised to have lured consumers into splashing the cash on their credit cards, new numbers out this week are tipped to show. Families are tipped by markets to have borrowed £1.3bn in March, which would signal spending in the UK is holding [...]
Standard Chartered, Barclays, Natwest kick off UK bank earnings this week with interest income back in focus April 24, 2023 Profit looks set to increase at the UK’s largest lenders as they line up to report first quarter earnings over the coming two weeks. The FTSE banking giants have seen relative stability over the last few weeks following the extreme volatility in March, but this stability means investors will refocus their attention on other major [...]
Could Mega May save retail? Hopes are riding high on King’s coronation and bumper May Day bank holiday boost April 21, 2023 Could the coronation of King Charles III help lift the UK’s post-Covid retail industry? Our retail reporter Laura McGuire finds out. March has proved to be another challenging month for the retail industry as sales fell 0.9 per cent due to soaring living costs and the third wettest March in history. However, with Royal celebrations [...]
UK economic bounce back a false dawn as recession still looms December 12, 2022 The UK economy is bouncing back, latest figures show, but economists still expect the country to tip into a record long recession. Gross domestic product (GDP) climbed 0.5 per cent in October, swinging back from a contraction over the summer, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. The figures beat the City’s expectations. London’s [...]
Bank of England watchers eye Pill and Ramsden speeches November 6, 2022 Bank of England watchers are in for a bumper week as several top rate setters provide hints on the trajectory of UK monetary policy after last week they said the economy is on course for the longest recession on record. Despite the bleak projections by the Bank, London’s FTSE 100 fared well last week, climbing [...]
Home buyers warned cut in stamp duty will lead to big jump in monthly mortgage bills September 21, 2022 Home buyers could end up paying much bigger monthly mortgage bills if the government goes ahead and scraps or cuts stamp duties. Ahead of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget on Friday, The Times reported that radical plans to cut stamp duty are in the pipeline as part of efforts to boost economic growth. Downing Street refused [...]
City braces for BoE rate hike and mini-budget September 19, 2022 The City is bracing for a bumper week of economic data and policy announcements in a trading week shortened by the UK bank holiday for The Queen’s funeral. London’s premier FTSE 100 index posted mixed performance last week, initially jumping higher before closing 1.56 per cent lower at 7,236.68 points. Its mid-cap domestically-focused counterpart, the [...]
UK economy to shrink, but avoid recession for now May 23, 2022 A combination of a weak March handover and the Queen’s Jubilee in June is set to see the UK economy contract in the second quarter. An easing of coronavirus restrictions resulted in the UK economy growing 0.8% over the first quarter. But this respectable outturn masked a deterioration in the monthly profile. After a 0.7% [...]