British businesses struggle to source cash amid Bank of England interest rate hikes June 26, 2023 British businesses are struggling to source cash to fuel growth as lenders retrench from the credit market after the Bank of England’s 13 straight interest rate rises, new research out last night showed. Just over nine in 10 mid-sized companies are running into roadblocks when trying to secure financing, prompting them to shelve expansion plans, [...]
Roaring mortgage rates to keep a lid on housing demand as City eyes Bailey and Pill remarks June 26, 2023 Roaring mortgage rates in response to markets betting the Bank of England will have to send official borrowing costs to over six per cent are poised to have kept a lid on housing demand. Fresh figures out this Thursday from the Bank of England are expected to show the volume of mortgages approved in May [...]
Bank of England and others may have to keep rates ‘higher for longer’ to crush inflation June 25, 2023 The Bank of England and the rest of the world’s top monetary authorities’ fight against roaring inflation “is not yet done,” one of the globe’s leading economic institutions has warned. In its annual analysis on the state of the world economy released today, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), often referred to as the “central [...]
Ex Asda boss: Cutting prices for cash-strapped Brits is ‘very important’ after Sunuk plea June 23, 2023 Supermarkets regard cutting prices as “very important”, according to a former boss of Asda, after the Prime Minister warned retailers about pricing “responsibly and fairly”. Andy Clarke, who served as Asda’s chief executive officer between 2010 and 2016, said the big chains were “heavily focused” on competitive pricing as the industry hit back over suggestions [...]
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to meet lenders as mortgage crisis worsens June 23, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will ask banks if they can do more to support struggling households after a shock interest rate hike deepened the mortgage crisis. He is meeting large lenders including HSBC and Santander in Downing Street this morning as the government comes under pressure to relieve the pain. Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Hunt [...]
It was do or die for Andrew Bailey and the Bank of England – in the end, there was no choice June 23, 2023 When it came down to it, there was no choice. Inflation stuck at just below nine per cent. Unforgiving buried price pressures. Businesses rebuilding profits. Workers with no choice but to demand more money. These are the characteristics of an economy stuck in stagflation. The Bank of England had to take drastic measures. Yesterday’s interest [...]
Bank of England hikes interest rates by 50 points to five per cent after inflation shock June 22, 2023 The Bank of England today reverted to steeper interest rate rises in a sign that embattled Governor Andrew Bailey and co have been spooked by much tougher than feared inflation. Bailey and the rest of the monetary policy committee (MPC) – the nine-strong group who set official interest rates in Britain – backed a 50 [...]
Happening today: All you need to know as the Bank of England set to raise rates again June 22, 2023 The Bank of England is poised to raise interest rates for the 13th time in a row after disappointing inflation figures showed price rises have not eased. The UK’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was unchanged in May at a rate of 8.7 per cent , according to the Office for National Statistics. It came in [...]
Does raising interest rates actually bring down inflation? June 22, 2023 Britain’s inflation problem is looking much harder to solve than first thought. Numbers out from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) yesterday revealed the rate of price increases was unchanged in May at 8.7 per cent. The City thought it would slim to 8.4 per cent. Core inflation – the best barometer of underlying price [...]
UK inflation smashes forecasts again raising chances of larger Bank of England interest rate hike June 21, 2023 UK inflation is still outpacing experts’ predictions and is running at a level that could lure the Bank of England into an outsized interest rate hike tomorrow, heaping more pain on families and businesses. Official figures out this morning from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the rate of price hikes held steady at [...]