The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK unemployment rose sharply in the three months to July – the biggest rise in almost two years. The ONS said unemployment rose by 80,000 in the three month period to 2.51 million – far higher than the 70,000 expected by economists. The latest figures take [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today announced Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rose to annual rate of 4.4% last month after easing to 4.2% in June. Analysts had expected the figure to rise slightly to 4.3%. Higher inflation continues to be led by rising food costs – which grew by 6.2% in July, while clothes [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK public sector borrowing rose last month. According to the ONS, public sector net borrowing rose to £14 billion last month compared with £13.6 billion June 2010. The figure was higher than analysts’ expectations and was attributed to a fall in income tax receipts. The figure [...]
The Commerce Department has today revealed the US economy grew by an annualised 1.9% in the January to March period – marginally higher than the previous estimate of 1.8%. On a quarterly basis, growth was up 0.58%. Today’s reading is the third and final for first quarter growth. Stubbornly high unemployment and a depressed housing [...]
Speaking to the Treasury Select Committee today, Business Secretary Vince Cable has warned banks over lending, threatening higher taxes. The business secretary told MPs that the amount of lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was a “serious problem” and has reminded banks of their targets, set out in the Project Merlin agreement. Under the [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK public sector borrowing was higher than expected last month, due to a decline in tax receipts. According to the ONS, public sector borrowing was £10 billion in April, compared with £7.3 billion last year. Last year’s figure was boosted by £3.5 billion by the tax [...]
According to statistics agency Eurostat, Greece’s public deficit reached 10.5% of GDP at the end of 2010 – higher than the 9.5% forecast. The Greek finance ministry has previously attributed the larger deficit to a deeper than expected recession, which cut into tax revenues and social security contributions. The figures suggest the country continues to [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK public sector borrowing was higher than expected last month. According to the ONS, public sector borrowing was £11.8 billion in February - the highest for the month of February since records began in 1993. Furthermore, the figure was far higher than the £6.9 billion expected [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today announced Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rose to an annual rate of 4.4% in February – the highest rate since October 2008. The latest figures mean inflation is still way above the target of 2% – where it has been for more than a year and exceeded economists expectations [...]
The Labor Department has today revealed US prices rose by 2.1% on an annual basis in February - up from 1.6% in January. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 0.5% – the fastest rise since June 2009, driven by higher oil and food costs. Food costs rose by 0.6% month-on-month, the most in two-and-a-half [...]
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has again revised its forecasts for the airline industry. However, the forecasts have been revised on the back of surging oil prices, according to the industry body. IATA said global airlines will make a profit of $8.6 billion (£5.3 billion) for 2011 - down from the $9.1 billion it [...]
The Labor Department has today revealed the US Consumer Price Index, the core rate of inflation, rose by 1.6% on an annual basis in January. However, the rate is still within the central bank’s target of closer to 2%. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 0.2% - the largest gain since October 2009 - [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today revealed producer output prices increased 4.8% on an annual basis in January - higher than expectations of a 4.4% gain. Meanwhile, producer input prices for January were 13.4% higher on an annual basis - the biggest rise in more than two years. It was also higher than forecasts [...]
Respected think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), has today revealed three quarters of a million people will become higher rate taxpayers from April. The earnings threshold will be lowered to £35,001 from £37,400 on 5 April - with the IFS estimating that the average household will be £200 worse off. The study from [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today revealed producer output prices increased 0.5% in November on the month, after October’s 0.4%. The forecast was for a rise of 0.4% and takes the annual rate to 4.2%. According to RBS economist Ross Walker, it will make “uncomfortable” reading for the Bank of England and will raise [...]
The Commerce Department has today revealed the US economy grew by 2.5% in the July to September period – much faster than the 2% previously estimated and higher than economists had forecast. Today’s estimate is the second reading, a third and final estimate will be available next month. GDP was revised upwards due to higher [...]
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has said the private sector will be hit severely hard as a direct result of the Government’s spending cuts. Last month, Chancellor George Osborne unveiled his Comprehensive Spending Review – in what has been described as the most savage spending cuts since the Second World War. The [...]
According to a survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), small manufacturers are expecting to increase production in order to meet higher demand. The CBI survey, which questioned 382 businesses, established that a balance of 19% of firms expect to raise output - higher than the 9% balance in the previous three months, According [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed public sector net borrowing totalled £15.607 billion in September – its highest for the month of September since records began more than 17 years ago. The figure was also higher than the £14.2 billion economists had expected and compares with £14.806 billion a year earlier. Overall, [...]
The Commerce Department today announced the US trade deficit widened in August by 8.8% to $46.6 billion (£29 billion), from $42.58 billion in August. Economists had expected a $44.5 billion gap. According to the Commerce Department, the widening in the trade deficit was primarily due to record imports from China. Imports from China rose 6.1% [...]
Britons duped into buying “shoe-box” homes
Britons are being duped into buying new homes that are too small to live in comfortably, with house builders and estate agents demonstrating a distinct “lack of transparency” over floor space. According to research from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), thousands of brand new homes are failing to provide the space families need, [...]
UK unemployment up to 2.51 million
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK unemployment rose sharply in the three months to July – the biggest rise in almost two years. The ONS said unemployment rose by 80,000 in the three month period to 2.51 million – far higher than the 70,000 expected by economists. The latest figures take [...]
John Lewis reports challenging trading environment
The John Lewis Partnership, which is regarded as a barometer of British retailing, has reported a marginal increase in sales and said trading conditions are “extremely challenging”. The renowned employee-owned chain, which owns the Waitrose supermarket chain, said sales rose 1% on a like-for-like basis in the six month period to 30 July. However, across [...]
European equities markets were higher Tuesday as banks came back from big declines on Monday, helped by a statement from Societe Generale’s (Euronext: GLE) CEO that his bank is healthy. The FTSE 100 was up 0.87 percent to 5,174.25 in London, while the FTSE 250 added 0.27 percent to 10,011, with banks the best performers [...]
Rics: Housing market remains in the doldrums
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has today reported that the UK housing market remained weak in August with house prices falling further. According to the Institution, homeowners remain reluctant to put their properties up for sale, while buyers continue to struggle to secure a mortgage and remain uncertain about the economic climate. The [...]
CML: Mortgage lending edges higher in July
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has reported the number of loans for house purchase rose in July. According to the Council, there were 48,400 loans advanced for house purchase in the month – up by 1,000 from June’s figure but almost 7,000 lower when compared with July 2010. Commenting on today’s figures, Paul Smee, [...]
UK inflation edges higher in August
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today announced Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rose to annual rate of 4.5% last month from July’s rate of 4.4%. However, the figure was in line with analysts’ expectations. Higher inflation continues to be led by rising food costs but the main reason behind last month’s rise was a 5.1% [...]
Fresnillo down on silver prices
European equities markets were lower Monday on the possibility that Greece could default soon and on speculation that Moody’s Investors Service could cut its rating on several big banks with holdings tied to Greece. The FTSE 100 was down 1.63 percent to 5,129.62 in London, while the FTSE 250 dropped 1.65 percent to 9,983.75 as [...]
IFS warns of tough times for UK households
A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that households will be squeezed for the next decade as they suffer from the harsh spending cuts introduced by the Government. It said households are suffering one of the worst attacks on their finances since the Second World War and that the impact of [...]
ICB final report recommends ring-fencing
The Independent Commission on Banking’s (ICB) final report has been published today and is recommending that UK banks should ring-fence their retail banking operations. According to the report, ring-fencing would protect banks from riskier investment banking divisions and would “make it easier and less costly to resolve banks that get into trouble”. The ICB, which [...]
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