London’s FTSE 100 dragged down by industrial giants as pound weakens against US dollar October 10, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 dipped today driven lower by investors ditching industrial giants on concerns over a slowdown in commodity demand amid a global economic slowdown. The capital’s premier index dropped 0.45 per cent to close below the 7,000 mark, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
Bank of England doubles daily bond purchase cap, but borrowing costs surge October 10, 2022 The Bank of England has rolled out a raft of measures to help shore up the UK gilt market this morning as it looks to stave off a return to turmoil when it halts its bond-buying programme on Friday.
OBR financial report and government fiscal plan to be delivered on 31 October October 10, 2022 The UK’s spending and borrowing watchdog’s assessment of the government’s tax cutting splurge will be released on 31 October, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced today. In a letter to Tory MP and chair of the treasury select committee, Mel Stride, Kwarteng said he has decided to bring the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecasts forward from [...]
Analysis: Bank of England averts market spiral, but pressure remains October 6, 2022 Hat tip to Mel Stride, Tory MP and chief of the treasury committee, for asking the Bank of England to explain why they launched an emergency support package for the UK debt market last week. If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t know there was a “self-reinforcing spiral” – how deputy governor at the Bank Jon Cunliffe [...]
Mini budget market turmoil partly triggered BoE emergency intervention, dep governor says October 6, 2022 Market volatility that followed chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini budget last month partly forced the Bank of England to step in to stabilise UK debt prices and prevent a crisis in the pensions sector, one of its top officials said today. After Kwarteng slashed taxes by £45bn and signalled a borrowing surge on Friday 23 September, [...]
Pound snaps winning streak against US dollar after Truss conference speech October 5, 2022 The pound slumped against the US dollar today, slicing some of the gains it has made since the currency collapsed after Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget last month. Sterling weakened as much as two per cent against the greenback. It was down against the euro too. The world’s major currencies have tumbled against the dollar this year. [...]
Kwarteng trashes market bets on earlier OBR report and fiscal plan October 4, 2022 The pound today climbed to its highest level against the US dollar in two weeks despite chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng trashing market expectations of a sooner-than-expected fiscal plan. Sterling surged 0.78 per cent against the greenback to buy $1.141. It has now regained all its losses since Kwarteng’s mini-budget rocked the currency last month. UK borrowing [...]
Truss and Kwarteng mini-budget to ‘deepen’ UK recession October 4, 2022 Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s decision to slash taxes and ramp up borrowing without costing their plans will make the looming UK recession worse, City economists predicted today. Soaring mortgage rates driven by lenders passing on higher market yields pushed up by a lack of confidence in prime minister Liz Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s [...]
Explainer: Bank of England hasn’t lost £65bn of UK’s money October 4, 2022 Let’s get one thing straight: the Bank of England is not going to lose £65bn on buying government debt. There’ve been a few social media posts (and a few newspaper headlines) whipping up this point. It’s untrue. Last week, the Bank said it will buy up to £65bn worth of long-dated government debt until 14 [...]
Royal Mint releases new £5 and 50p coins with King Charles’ effigy September 30, 2022 Coins bearing the face of new monarch King Charles III have been unveiled by the Royal Mint. The official effigy of the sovereign appears on a commemorative £5 coin and 50p, marking the life of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. The portrait adorning both coins was created by renowned British artist and sculptor [...]
