A survey by LSL Property Services has revealed rents in England and Wales continue to surge, with the average rent hitting a record high last month. July represented the sixth consecutive month that the average rental cost rose. According to LSL, the average rent stands at £705 – an all-time high. However, rental costs vary [...]
The Halifax has today revealed UK house prices plunged by 1.4% in April compared with March, driven by weak consumer confidence in the housing market. The latest house price rise takes the average cost of a UK home to £160,395, the Halifax said. Meanwhile, on an annual basis, prices are 3.7% lower – the biggest [...]
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has today raised key interest rates for the eighth time in less than a year, in a bid to tame stubbornly high inflation in a thriving economy. The move, which was widely expected, saw the central bank raise its repo rate, at which it lends to banks, to 6.75%, [...]
According to the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), final salary pension scheme closures are on the increase. These types of schemes are becoming significantly more expensive to operate and costs are likely to rise. As a result, the rate of decline appears to be picking up, said the NAPF. The Association said 17% of [...]
The EU has commenced a new round of stress tests after last year’s failed to reveal the weakness among banks in Ireland. The latest tests, which will be headed up by the new European Banking Authority (EBA), are expected to be tougher and may include a liquidity test. However, regulators have yet to agree to [...]
The People’s Bank of China has again raised interest rates in a bid to curb high inflation. The central bank first lifted rates last October - the first such move since 2007. Today’s rise represents the third in four months and the Bank has increased the one-year yuan lending rate from 5.81% to 6.06%, and [...]
Following the two-day meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels, it has emerged that Governments are in no hurry to increase the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - otherwise known as the rescue fund. Greece and Ireland have received emergency bailouts from the fund and there has been speculation that weaker euro zone nations will [...]
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the body established to compensate victims of banking failures, will now reimburse up to £85,000 per saver if a bank collapses, up from the £50,000 limit previously agreed. It is hoped the new limit, which is paid for by the UK financial services industry, will avert customer panic if [...]
A meeting today of euro zone finance ministers is expected to see pressure mount to boost the EU rescue fund in light of the debt crisis. The recent Irish bailout has done little to allay fears and speculation has been mounting that other weaker euro zone economies may need financial aid. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, chief of [...]
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 [...]
It is understood that the amount of money people can save into an Individual Savings Account (ISA) will increase by £470 next year. From April 2011, the annual tax-free savings allowance will rise from £10,200 to £10,670, while the amount for a cash ISA will rise from £5,100 to £5,335. The rise is in accordance [...]
The UK minimum wage will rise by 13p (2%) to £5.93 an hour today and is set to benefit almost one million people, according to the Low Pay Commission. The 13p an hour rise applies to workers aged 21 and over. Meanwhile, the rate for 18 to 20-year-olds will increase by 9p to £4.92, while [...]
A leading debt charity has warned that repossessions could increase, despite a rallying of the UK economy. The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) believes that a recovering housing market could make lenders less lenient and more likely to repossess. The charity is aware that a “large number” of its clients have suspended repossession orders on [...]
Agency Express has reported a 13.6% increase in the number of homes put up for sale in May, compared with April, leaving prospective purchasers their best level of choice in over two years. The firm’s managing director, Stephen Watson, comments: “The decision by the new coalition Government to immediately suspend the requirement to have a [...]
The French Government has announced the country’s retirement age will be lifted from 60 to 62 by 2018, as part of a sweeping overhaul to its pension system. The new measures are to be implemented to cut France’s pension costs and reduce public borrowing. However, the shake-up has met with public anger after tens of [...]
The housing market in Scotland is showing signs of a weak recovery, according to the latest Scottish House Price Monitor from Lloyds TSB Scotland. In the first quarter of 2010, the value of the average Scottish home rose 0.7%, compared with the previous three months, to £157,801. The increase is a shadow of the 5.9% [...]
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) said it dealt with a total of 925,095 queries from consumers in the last financial year - a 46% increase on the previous financial year. However, it said it resolved a record number of disputes (166,321) and in 50% of these cases, consumers were awarded compensation. It did highlight, though, [...]
Rightmove has reported that the week before the General Election saw the highest number of new sellers entering the UK property market since June 2008. However, the property portal observes that the lack of mortgage finance is now beginning to tell, with 2010 unsold stock levels continue an “inexorable rise”. As a result, new sellers [...]
The Land Registry has published house price data for March showing a positive annual change of 7.5% and marking the fifth consecutive month of growth. However, the monthly change stood at minus 0.6%, taking the average house price in England and Wales down slightly, to £164,288. The East Midlands was the region with the most [...]
The world’s largest advertising group WPP, has today reported an increase in like-for-like revenues of 1% in March – its first since December 2008. The advertising giant is now raising its key like-for-like full-year revenue forecast to 2% growth. Its French rival, Publicis Groupe, exceeded expectations for its first-quarter sales last week, when it posted [...]
Tullow Oil leads 100 in London
European equities markets were significantly lower Friday on an increased possibility that Greece could default on its debt as soon as this weekend, raising the concern level over the European region’s debt problems and ratcheting up worries that the economic recovery is faltering. Additionally, markets reacted to the resignation of European Central Bank board member [...]
SMMT: UK car sales rise in August
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have revealed UK car sales saw their first rise in 14 months in August. According to the trade body, car sales rose by 7.3% in August compared with the same month in 2010, with sales of smaller cars rising by more than 30%. The Ford Fiesta remained [...]
Factory gate inflation higher than expected in August
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK producer output prices held steady in August – remaining at the highest annual rate since October 2008. According to the ONS, output prices (factory gate) annual inflation for all manufactured products held steady at July’s upwardly revised reading of 6.1% in August. The figures were [...]
US exports surge, Obama unveils jobs plan
The Commerce Department has revealed US exports hit an all-time high in July, while imports fell. According to official figures, exports surged 3.8% to $178 billion (£111 billion) after two months of declines. The rise in exports was attributed to strong overseas sales of manufactured goods, particularly to countries in Central and South America. Meanwhile, [...]
China’s inflation rate eases in August
Inflation in the world’s second largest economy eased last month after reaching a 3-year high in July. According to the National Statistics Bureau, consumer prices rose by 6.2% in August on an annual basis, compared with 6.5% the previous month. Several other economies throughout the world are battling with higher inflation, particularly in Asia, which [...]
Japanese economy continues to struggle
The Cabinet Office has today revealed the world’s third largest economy performed worse than originally thought in the April to June period. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 2.1% on an annual basis in the three-month period, compared with an initial estimate of 1.3%. The fall was attributed to a cut back on spending by [...]
Euro zone interest rates remain on hold
The European Central Bank (ECB) has today opted to leave interest rates unchanged at 1.5% - for the second consecutive month. Rates were lifted from the historic low of 1% in April and then raised further to 1.25% in July in a bid to curb rising inflation. Many major economies are battling with higher inflation, [...]
Trader Glencore International up 7.58 percent
European equities markets saw gains Thursday as the Bank of England held interest rates steady at 0.5 percent and kept its bond-purchase program at £200 billion, while the European Central Bank also held rates steady, at 1.5 percent, but the ECB cut growth predictions for both this year and next year. The FSTE 100 added [...]
Fed: US economy remains sluggish
The latest Beige Book report, published by the Federal Reserve today, has revealed widespread signs that US economic growth continues to slow. The Fed said: “Economic activity continued to expand at a modest pace, though some districts noted mixed or weakening activity.” The economic recovery of the US remains sluggish in the face of higher [...]
UK interest rates remain on hold
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has today elected to keep UK interest rates on hold at the historically low level of 0.5%, as widely expected. Interest rates have now been at this low level since March 2009 – when the economy was in the midst of recession. Recent figures show the economy [...]
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