Cocktail of problems plunge UK consumer confidence to record low June 24, 2022 A relentless cost of living crunch, the prospect of a recession and stagnant wage growth has driven British pessimism to new highs, reveals a closely watched survey published today. UK consumer confidence dropped to minus 41 points this month, down marginally from minus 40 in May, the lowest reading recorded by research firm GfK since [...]
Brits paid billions more in taxes over the last year as HMRC ramped up tax collection June 23, 2022 The British population paid more in taxes in 2021-2022 as HM Revenue and Customs collected £718.2bn in taxes, a near 23 per cent rise from the year before. Total HMRC tax receipts for April 2022-May 2022 were £121.9bn, according to HMRC data released today. These were £14.8bn higher compared to the same period last year even as the [...]
Second day of rail strikes send Trainline tumbling as FTSE 100 dips June 23, 2022 A second day of railway worker strikes sent shares in ticket booking platform Trainline tumbling as London’s top indexes dipped today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 0.97 per cent to 7,020.45 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 1.05 per [...]
Britons lose £5k a year during lost decade of productivity growth June 23, 2022 Workers have lost an average of £5,000 every year over the last decade due to the UK’s meagre productivity growth, reveals a new report published today. Britain’s productivity growth has lagged the rest of the G7 “throughout much of the post-war period, which seems to indicate a deep structural problem,” according to the National Institute [...]
Rampant inflation swells UK debt interest bill and pushes up government borrowing June 23, 2022 Inflation is swelling the UK’s interest bill and forcing the government to borrow more money to pay investors, official figures released today revealed. The amount of money the government paid to holders of UK debt jumped just over 70 per cent over the last year, reaching £7.6bn in May, up from £4.5bn last year, according [...]
The bear market story and what next – in six charts June 23, 2022 It’s been the worst start to a year for markets since the Great Depression. We tell the story so far in six charts. Like a bear with a sore head, many investors probably wish they had stayed in hibernation in 2022. It has been a brutal year so far, the worst since the Great Depression [...]
Do bear markets herald a recession? June 23, 2022 | City Talk We look back over more than 100 years of data to ask what this week’s severe market moves might signal for the economy. After hitting an all-time high at the start of the year, the S&P 500 has plunged into bear territory this week. As a rule of thumb, the so-called bear market is when [...]
UK economy spiralling toward ‘troubling’ recession and even higher inflation June 23, 2022 The UK economy is hurtling towards a “troubling” slump that will see it tip into recession and suffer from rampant inflation, reveals a closely watched survey published today. Consumers are responding to the worst cost of living crunch in a generation by cooling spending, while businesses are grappling with flatlining demand, according to S&P Global’s [...]
Inflation bump sends chill through London’s FTSE 100 June 22, 2022 London’s top indexes slumped today as investors fretted over the damage further inflation surges could deal the UK economy. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index slid 0.88 per cent to 7,089.22 points, while the domestically-focused, mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 0.31 per cent to [...]
US Fed chief Powell warns higher rates may tip economy into recession June 22, 2022 The chief of the US Federal Reserve has warned it may hike interest rates to a level that tips the economy into a recession. “It’s certainly a possibility” that a rapid tightening of monetary policy will force the US economy into reverse, Fed chair Jerome Powell said today in response to a grilling by American [...]