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Banking & Finance

Britain's central bank has raised its key interest rate by half a percentage point

Lockdown Hits UK GDP Less Than Feared, But Brexit Pummels Trade

Companies & Markets Sector Reports

Britain suffered its worst economic slump in three centuries last year when it shrank by 10%. It has also been hit with Europe's biggest COVID-19 death toll of over 125,000 people.

UK Economy Shrank By Less Than Feared In January, Trade Hit By Brexit

Britain's economy is likely to shrink by 4% in the first quarter of 2021, due mostly to the latest lockdown but also because of disruption caused by new, post-Brexit rules for trade with the European Union

UK Inflation Heads Up As Locked-Down Consumers Spend From Home

Customs fees and transport disruption caused by new post-Brexit red tape might also push up prices, though the Office for National Statistics said it saw no evidence of this yet.

Bank Of England Tweaks Stress Test Of Banks In Light Of COVID-19

"The focus this year will be to inform judgements about the most appropriate ways in which the banking system can continue to support the economy through the ongoing stress,"

BoE's Bailey Sees UK Economy In 'Very Difficult' Period

Bailey said he no longer thought that Britain's unemployment rate would peak at around 7-8%, as the BoE forecast two months ago, because the government had extended its job protection scheme.

UK Inflation Ticks Higher As Pandemic Pushes Up Some Prices

Consumer prices rose 0.7% in annual terms, after a 0.5% rise in September, the Office for National Statistics said, still far below the Bank of England's 2% target.

Bond Markets Should Brace For Tighter Central Bank Squeeze

Companies & Markets Markets

Bank of England increased its bond-buying by a bigger-than-expected 150 billion pounds ($195 billion), while the Reserve Bank of Australia said it would buy $100 billion ($70.4 billion) in debt over the next six months.

Bank Of England, Facing COVID And Brexit, Ramps Up Stimulus Again

Unemployment was set to peak 7.75% in the second quarter of next year, much higher than its most recent reading of 4.5%, the BoE said.

Global Stocks Weighed Down By Virus Angst, Lack Of Stimulus

Companies & Markets Markets Stock Market

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.5%. Stocks in China made their strongest gains in three weeks, with the CSI300 index adding 2.2%, a move led by financial companies.

UK Retail Sales Rise Further Above Pre-COVID Levels

Companies & Markets Sector Reports Retail

Grocery sales rose just 0.4% in August, after strong growth in previous months when British people had eaten at home more.

Bank Of England Says May Toughen Rules For Non-Banks

Backers of Brexit have said that leaving the EU is an opportunity be more flexible with regulation to help London remain a globally competitive financial centre.

Worst May Be Over For Battered British Economy

The economy will contract 8.7%, medians in the poll of nearly 80 economists showed, and then grow 5.5% next year.

Bank Of England Tells Banks To Step Up No-Deal Brexit Plans

Britain's financial services minister John Glen said on Wednesday that the country's financial services industry was "world class" and was ready for whatever Brexit outcome.

South Africa's Standard Bank Weighing Central Bank Guidance On Dividends