News & Insight

Market Commentary

Last Wednesday, hot on the heels of fresh inflation data, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took to a rain-soaked Downing Street podium to announce the date of the General Election – which is due to be held on 4 July. The countdown is on. The statement signals the start of intense campaigning for 650 Parliamentary seats […]

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Some of the topic covered in this edition are: AI & scams – don’t get caught out 48% of adults aged 25-34 have experienced financial fraud, with scams becoming more sophisticated Planning children’s financial futures If you are considering making an investment for a child or grandchild there is a lot to consider Crafting your […]

Market Commentary

Last week, during their third meeting of the year, the Bank of England’s (BoE’s) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to retain Bank Rate at 5.25% by a majority of seven to two. Two members of the committee preferred to reduce the rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 5%. The decision to retain Bank Rate was […]

Market Commentary

The recently released Lloyds Bank’s Business Barometer has revealed that during April overall business confidence was consistent at 42%. The confidence recording remains considerably higher than the Barometer’s long-term average of 28%. In the last year, only the reading in January 2024 has seen businesses reporting higher levels of confidence (44%). In April, the economic […]

Market Commentary

As demand uncertainty recedes and financing concerns reduce, investment intentions for the year ahead have improved. Manufacturers anticipate stable investment in buildings, plant and machinery, a marked shift from the January outlook when investment intentions plummeted to a three-year low. The survey also highlights expectations that spending on product and process innovation will rise during […]

Market Commentary

New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.2% in the 12 months to March 2024, down from 3.4% in February. The March CPI rate is the lowest in two and a half years and considerably down on the peak of 11.1% in October 2022. Food […]

Market Commentary

Last week, positive news came in the form of the latest UK gross domestic product (GDP) data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which showed the economy grew by 0.1% in February. This extends the economic recovery after growth in January was revised up to 0.3% from 0.2%. Economic growth in February was led […]

Market Commentary

New data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed that shop price inflation has reduced to its lowest level in over three years. Recordings for the first week of March show an easing in annual price growth to 1.3%, a considerable reduction on the February reading of 2.5%, and well below the three-month average […]

Market Commentary

New data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed that UK car production increased by 14.6% in February, marking the six consecutive month of growth in the sector and the best February performance since 2021. Almost 80,000 units were manufactured in February, driven by output for the domestic market, which surged […]

Market Commentary

Food prices were cited as one of the largest downward contributors to the monthly change, with the annual rates for most types of food products easing between January and February. The largest effect came from price reductions in bread and cereals. Following the data release, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak commented, “We have turned a corner […]

Market Commentary

New UK growth statistics released from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week showed that monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have increased by 0.2% in January, following a 0.1% contraction in December. Main contributors to growth in the month were services output and construction, which grew by 0.2% and 1.1% […]

Market Commentary

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget last week, during which he provided an economic update from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The latest projections showed the rate of inflation is expected to fall below the Bank of England’s 2% target level in “a few months’ time.”  The OBR expects economic growth of 0.8% […]