Tag Archives: uk economy

Japans GDP contracts 4%

Japan’s economy has contracted by 4% in the first quarter of 2009, taking the annual rate of contraction to 15.2% as the strong yen and slump in global trade battered the Japanese export sector. The pound is trading at its highest level in 2009 against the US dollar and has strengthened against the euro and yen amidst the view that the UK is well placed for economic recovery.
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US Retail Slumps

The risk rally lost momentum overnight as US retail sales figures declined by 0.4% in April. US retail sales figures are a crucial to wider economic sentiment as they are directly related to business confidence and import levels. Weakened growth predictions from the Bank of England and negative industrial production figures from the eurozone also dragged exchange rates downwards for the “riskier” currencies.
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Markets look to BOE

Currency exchange rates are likely to be subject to volatility today as interest rate decisions from the Bank of England and ECB are due. The results of “stress tests” on US banks are also due later in the day and this could affect exchange rates for all the major currencies. The Australian dollar reached a 12-year high against the pound overnight as positive figures from the US and buoyant Australian retail sales improved investor confidence.
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Pound hits Four Month Highs

The bullish trend in equities and currency exchange rates continues this week as both the euro and pound reached four month highs against the US dollar. Improved prospects of global recovery are encouraging the flow of funds away from safe havens and many of the “riskier” currencies are receiving a boost in exchange rates this week.
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Markets Hit Four Month High

Stock markets climbed to a four-month high in London this morning, as abating fears over swine flu and prospects of economic recovery improved appetite for risk. Recent PMIs released in the UK and Europe have shown the pace of recession is easing and this has improved market sentiment. Interest rate decisions from the ECB and Bank of England are due this week.
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Unemployment to reach 3.2 million

Business leaders have warned that UK unemployment will reach 3.2 million in the third quarter of 2010. The British Chambers of Commerce said its survey showed a “worrying deterioration” in manufacturing, with exports reaching 10-year lows. The BCC said one…

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U.K Retail Sales Slow

Retail sales growth in the UK almost stalled in February as consumers cut back on spending, figures from the Office of National Statistics show. Sales growth slowed to 0.4% last month, the smallest increase since 1995, after a 3.6% rise in January. Analysts had expected retail sales growth to slow to 2.5%. Continue reading

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U.k House Price Drop Continues

The fall in UK house prices gathered pace in January, according to the government’s own house price index. Prices were 11.5% lower than in January 2008, an increase in the 10.2% annual fall seen in December. The price of the average UK property is now down to £195,724, a fall of £26,034 in the past year. Prices have been falling fastest in Northern Ireland, down 14.3%, and are still highest in London, where the average home costs £301,383. Continue reading

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Barclays Debt Talks

Barclays have confirmed this morning that they are in talks with the Treasury over its potential participation in the government’s Asset Protection Scheme. Lloyds Banking Group and RBS are already signed up to the scheme. Barclays said that any decision on whether it would participate in the scheme would be based on “the economic merits to shareholders.” Continue reading

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Rallies exclude Sterling

Yesterday brought an improvement in risk appetite with the news that Citigroup operated profitably in the two months of 2009. Accompanied by a speech from Ben Bernanke, this news restored market confidence and equity markets rallied which was reflected in currency exchange rates. This rally however has excluded Sterling, which remains weak on the back of unease surrounding Bank of England policy and a sharp decline in industrial production figures. Continue reading

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