It appears the recovery in the world’s largest economy is gathering momentum after figures revealed activity in the services sector beat expectations last month. The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM’s) non-manufacturing index climbed to 53.2 in September, from 51.5 the previous month. Activity in the sector, which covers approximately 90% of economic output, was higher [...]
According to the Commerce Department, consumer spending in the US improved in August, despite households being squeezed amid higher unemployment. Consumer spending, which makes up for more than two-thirds of overall economic activity in the US, rose 0.4% – the same as July’s figure and higher than the 0.3% expected by analysts. In the meantime, [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed the UK economy grew by 1.2% in the April to June period – unrevised from its second estimate last month. While the reading was expected to remain the same – it represented the fastest pace in nine years and took the annual rate of growth to [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will today issue its final reading for UK quarter two economic growth. However, there is expected to be no revision to 1.2% growth for the April to June period. Growth in the second quarter exceeded many expectations but growth in the second half of the year is expected to [...]
Government data has today revealed a further slowdown in Japanese exports in August – the sixth consecutive month in which they have eased. The figures raise concern that the economic recovery is faltering. Exports rose 15.8% in August to 5.22 trillion yen on an annual basis – well below the 45.3% high seen in February. [...]
Professor David Blanchflower, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), has today said he still doesn’t rule out a double dip recession. In June, Mr Blanchflower, who is professor of economics at Dartmouth College in the US, warned the coalition Government that tough spending cuts could pose a threat to [...]
There was some good news from the US housing market today after the Commerce Department revealed housing starts jumped in August to a four-month high. According to the Commerce Department, construction of new US homes rose 10.5% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 598,000 units – beating analysts expectations of 550,000. In [...]
Influential think tank, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), has today said the world is not in danger of a double-dip recession. Despite this, it has revised its growth forecasts downwards, now predicting that the global economy will expand by 3.5% this year and 3.4% next year. Down from the 3.7% and 4.1% [...]
A survey by accountancy firm, BDO LLP, has revealed business confidence has slumped to a level not seen since the height of the financial crisis two years ago. The firm’s optimism index (which reflects how businesses expect trading to develop two quarters ahead), fell from 95.5 in July to 93.1 last month. According to BDO, [...]
Influential think tank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), has today said the global economic recovery is slowing faster and has therefore revised its growth forecast downwards for the G7 leading economies. However, the think tank has said a return to recession is unlikely but “great uncertainty” remains. It has therefore slightly revised [...]
Official figures show that the number of US workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week to a high not seen since April. The figures show that initial jobless claims rose more than 4% to 479,000 in the week ended July 31, according to the Labor Department. Analysts had expected a fall [...]
According to the Commerce Department, consumer spending in the US remained flat in June. Households in the US continue to be squeezed amid higher unemployment. Consumer spending, which makes up for more than two-thirds of overall economic activity in the US, was unchanged from May. Meanwhile, incomes failed to increase for the first time since [...]
Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, has told US television that there is currently a “pause” in the US recovery. Mr Greenspan told NBC’s Meet the Press programme: “We’re in a pause in a recovery, a modest recovery but a pause in the modest recovery feels like a quasi-recession.” He was [...]
British people continue to be concerned about the economic outlook after the GfK/NOP Consumer Confidence index fell for the fifth straight month in July. The index fell 3 points to -22 – the lowest reading since August 2009 – when the economy was in the midst of recession. The survey was conducted after the new [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK economic growth for the second quarter today surged ahead by 1.1% – almost double the rate analysts had forecast. Meanwhile, economic growth rose by 1.6% on an annualised basis – the highest in two years. The UK is the first G7 country to release its [...]
The Treasury Select Committee has warned that cutting the deficit too quickly could risk pushing the UK back into recession. Since coming to power, the new coalition Government has made cutting the deficit its top priority. However, many leading business groups and former Chancellor, Alistair Darling, all warned that cutting the deficit too quickly could [...]
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today revealed a fall in confidence, sending shares lower. Wall Street experienced falls after the US home builder sentiment index fell in July to the lowest level since April 2009 after the Government tax credit incentive expired a few months ago. According to the index, confidence among US [...]
The massive spending cuts, implemented by the Government, have increased the chance of a double dip recession – according to a senior member of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – the economic forecasting body. This is the opinion of Geoffrey Dicks who said public spending cuts and a hike in taxes will have slashed [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is scheduled to announce the UK inflation rate this morning, with analysts expecting the annual rate to be around 3.1%. Last month, the ONS reported Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) eased to 3.5% from a 17-month high of 3.7% in April – but still above the 2% target. However, many [...]
A survey by accountancy firm Deloitte has revealed confidence among finance directors of Britain’s leading companies has dropped to its lowest for a year. The study found two-thirds believe that their companies will be affected by the major cutbacks in Government spending. In addition, according to the study, 38% believe there is a risk of [...]
Phone fraudsters stealing bank card pins
Fraudsters using a phone scam to trick bank card holders into revealing their pin numbers stole £750,000 in the first four months of this year. This is the same amount stolen through this scam in the whole of last year. The fraudster telephones a bank customer, often someone elderly or vulnerable, telling them that their [...]
FSA rules out ban on interest-only mortgages
Speculation that the Financial Services Authority would ban interest-only mortgages as part of its Mortgage Market Review has proved to be unfounded. However, lenders will be required to monitor the performance of the investment product taken out by the customer to repay the mortgage at the end of its term. Investments are performing poorly because [...]
Bank of England may end free in-credit banking
A director of the Bank of England has warned that official intervention could be considered to end the ‘dangerous myth of free in-credit banking’. Andrew Bailey has already spoken out against free banking in relation to the mis-selling of financial products. In a speech made available to media, he reiterated his concern, saying that it [...]
Bank of England votes against more economic stimulus
The Bank of England voted against a further round of quantitative easing, at its latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. Just one member, David Miles, voted for further asset purchase to encourage growth in the UK economy, while the other eight members voted to keep the Bank’s quantitative easing programme steady at £325bn. The minutes [...]
Catalogue debt growing says helpline
Calls from people concerned about their debts with mail order catalogues accounted for more than 12 per cent of all calls received by National Debtline last year, compared with just 8 per cent in 2007. More people were concerned about catalogue debt than about payday loans, mortgage or rent, according to the Money Advice Trust [...]
Homeserve faces mis-selling investigation
HomeServe, which provides emergency insurance cover and domestic repairs to households in the UK, is to be investigated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Issues over the possible mis-selling of household emergency policies were uncovered last October during an internal review at the Walsall-based company. Homeserve’s call centre staff were found to be selling ‘Complete [...]
OFT warns Wonga over debt collection methods
Payday loan company Wonga used aggressive and misleading methods to collect debts from customers, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has found. Wonga sent letter and emails to certain customers suggesting they had committed fraud and threatening to report them to the police if they did not act in the way Wonga suggested. The company [...]
NS&I re-launches investment account
National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has re-launched its Investment Account at a higher interest rate than it previously offered. The account now offers 0.75 per cent before tax, compared with between 0.2 and 0.3 per cent previously, depending on the account balance. Deposits and withdrawals on the account can no longer be made at Post [...]
Rightmove reports property downsizing trend
Two in five property owners planning to sell in the next year are planning to ‘trade down’, compared with one in four who plan to ‘trade up’. A survey by property website Rightmove found that moving to a smaller home is the main reason for moving in nine out of the ten regions in the [...]
More people failing to save for retirement
The proportion of people with no pension savings has grown from 20 per cent to 22 per cent over the past year, according to Scottish Widows’ latest survey. The pension provider surveyed 5,200 adults in the UK, aged 30 or over, and earning at least £10,000 a year, for its annual review of pensions. Ian [...]
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