FTSE 100 close: London index nips higher as Bank of England rate hike bets step up July 11, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 crept higher today as another set of hotter than feared wage numbers pushed pound sterling to its highest level in 15 months. The capital’s premier index nipped 0.12 per cent higher to 7,282.51 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Why record wage growth could seal another jumbo interest rate rise from Bank of England July 11, 2023 It seems strange to cheer what economists call a “loosening in the labour market”. What that basically means is: employment growth is slowing, joblessness is on the up, vacancies falling and wage growth receding. Most of those requirements were met in today’s release from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In a shock to the [...]
Mortgage rates climb to 15-year high following surprisingly strong wage growth July 11, 2023 The typical rate available on a two-year fixed mortgage has climbed to a 15-year high, surpassing the levels seen last Autumn in the wake of the disastrous mini-budget. According to Moneyfacts, the average two-year fixed residential mortgage rate hit 6.66 per cent, marginally higher than the 6.65 per cent seen last October. This was the [...]
Shock record wage growth amplifies risk of 14th straight Bank of England interest rate rise July 11, 2023 Workers’ pay is rising faster than expected and at among the quickest paces on record in a sign that the Bank of England will deliver a 14th straight interest rate rise next month, official figures out this morning reveal. Pay excluding bonuses rose 7.3 per cent over the three months to May on an annual [...]
The FTSE 100 has done us all dirty… again July 11, 2023 The FTSE 100 has done us all dirty yet – again. Over and over it marches us up a hill only to send us back down again. Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney is often referred to as the “unreliable boyfriend” of monetary policy making for his comments signalling he and the MPC would [...]
Bank of England won’t hesitate to hike rates if inflation persists, warns Andrew Bailey July 10, 2023 The Bank of England will have to keep on lifting interest rates if wages keep rising at a near record pace and businesses continue to pass on swelling costs, Governor Andrew Bailey has signalled today. In a speech delivered at the annual Mansion House bankers’ dinner, Bailey said price pressures emanating from the labour market [...]
London economy steams ahead of every other UK region but interest rate hikes contain growth July 10, 2023 London’s economy is steaming ahead of every other region in the UK, but there are signs higher interest rates and a return of recession jitters is holding the capital back, a new survey out today shows. Economic growth in London in June was far above the UK average and even its closest competitor, the south [...]
Wage growth has ‘passed its peak’ as Andrew Bailey prepares to address City on interest rates July 10, 2023 Workers returning to the jobs markets and boosting the volume of candidates available to businesses are poised to put a lid on wage growth, analysts are predicting official numbers this week will show. Pay growth is said to have “passed its peak” after raging for more than a year, fuelled by staff demanding wage increases [...]
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey slams firms for participating in ‘greedflation’ July 6, 2023 Businesses charging unfair prices for products must be “tackled” to help bring down inflation, the Governor of the Bank of England has claimed. Andrew Bailey, speaking to the BBC’s Newsround programme, said there is evidence that some retailers are “charging too much” for petrol. His comments come after the UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and [...]
House building craters to weakest level in 14 years amid Bank of England interest rate rises July 6, 2023 The Bank of England’s series of aggressive interest rate hikes to pull back raging inflation is wreaking havoc on house building, dealing a blow to first time buyers hoping to get on the property ladder any time soon, a closely watched survey out today shows. According to S&P Global and the Chartered Institute of Procurement [...]