Why do bad companies stay in business for so long? Just ask an economist January 18, 2017 A bookseller in the Yorkshire Dales has hit the headlines, branded a “shopkeeper from hell”. He called a customer a “pain in the arse”, and has been the subject of numerous complaints to the local parish council about his rudeness. To complete the outrage, he charges 50p as an entry fee to his shop. The [...]
Higher fiscal spending could prompt faster tightening of monetary policy says Federal Reserve’s Brainard January 17, 2017 Donald Trump’s economic policy could lead to a faster pace of monetary policy tightening, according to an influential member of the US Federal Reserve’s rate-setting body. If the US President-elect’s policies lead to higher inflation at a time when the US is approaching full employment, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) could be forced to [...]
Theresa May must be even bolder to make Global Britain a free-trading success January 17, 2017 “Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion.” – Queen Elizabeth I There was just enough in Theresa May’s speech today to reassure those who campaigned to leave the EU. Crucially, she made clear that we are definitely leaving the Single Market and taking control of our borders. She suggested only a great [...]
Germans leave Brexit behind as economic sentiment recovers from July lows January 17, 2017 Confidence in the German economy has risen to its highest point since before the UK’s Brexit vote, according to a long-running survey of business in Europe’s largest economy. The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany increased slightly in January 2017. The indicator rose by 2.8 points to reach 16.6 points, although this was less [...]
Inflation hits 1.6 per cent: Experts react to biggest price rise in two years January 17, 2017 Inflation has come in higher than expected as weaker sterling continues to feed through into higher prices for the UK consumer. The 1.6 per cent increase in December surprised analysts. The Bank of England expects inflation to hit 2.7 per cent by the end of this year. It has a legal target rate of two [...]
Thanks Brexit: Now the price of iPhone apps are about to rise January 17, 2017 It's not just the price of your, Freddo, Fondant Fancy and Marmite which are being pushed up by the falling value of the pound. Apple is the latest company to raise prices, this time for apps you download from the app store by as much as 25 per cent, 9to5mac reports. The cost of apps downloaded on your [...]
How does the UK rank in the world’s 50 most innovative economies? January 17, 2017 The UK lags behind 16 global economies when it comes to innovation, as Scandinavian countries plough ahead in pushing boundaries. The UK has grasped on to its spot at number 17 for the second year, however, in Bloomberg's 2017 Innovation Index, which ranks 50 of the world's economies based on six factors which indicate a recipe for innovation. [...]
London house prices edged closer to £500,000 in November January 17, 2017 The average house price in the capital edged closer to the half a million pound mark in November, rising to £482,000 for the first time. Figures published this morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed house prices in the capital jumped 8.1 per cent in the year to November, rising 1.9 per cent [...]
UK inflation rises faster than expected to hit highest rate in more than two years January 17, 2017 Prices in the UK increased faster than expected in December, as the impact of a weaker pound continues to feed through on consumer shopping baskets. The consumer price index rose by an annual rate of 1.6 per cent, beating market expectations of around a 1.4 per cent increase in prices, according to the Office for [...]
Davos 2017: This is what’s happening at the World Economic Forum today January 17, 2017 The 2017 World Economic Forum kicked off at Davos today, with a star line up of speakers ready to air their views on subjects ranging from the future of the digital economy to safe water. The first panel discussion on today's agenda, which began at 7.15am, was the Size Matters talk on the future of [...]
