4 d. ago Factory activity shrinks as US tariffs bite; UK house prices drop – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsEuropean Central Bank president Christine Lagarde has weighed in on the crisis in France, saying that any risk of a government falling in the euro zone is “worrying”.Speaking to broadcaster Radio Classique, Lagarde said France is not currently in a situation that would need the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to intervene. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago Factory activity shrinks as US tariffs bite; UK house price drop – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsNationwide also expects income growth to continues to outpace house price growth.That would mean that housing affordability should continue to improve, if gradually.Borrowing costs are likely to moderate a little further if Bank Rate is lowered again in the coming quarters.This should support buyer demand, especially since household balance sheets are strong and labour market conditions are expected to remain solid. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Chinese economy slows as Trump tariffs bite; FTSE 100 on track to hit new record

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsThe owner of Kingsmill has agreed to buy its rival bakery business Hovis, in a deal that could make the biggest bread brand in the country if it gets the green light from regulators.Associated British Foods, a FTSE 100 company which also owns the retailer Primark, has agreed to buy Hovis from the private equity firm Endless.This transaction will create a UK bakeries business that is both profitable and sustainable over the long term. Supporting the Hovis and Kingsmill brands with well-invested and efficient operations will also enable innovation and growth. This solution will create value for shareholders, provide greater choice for consumers and increase efficiencies for customers.Firms may be running on existing capacity rather than building new plants The July industrial value-add breakdown tells a more nuanced story than the weak fixed asset investment headline. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Inflation likely moved higher last month as tariffs bite, putting the Fed in bind

Inflation likely ticked up in July for the third straight month as tariffs lift the cost of imported goods such as furniture, appliances, and toys, which could make it harder for the Federal Reserve to cut short-term interest rates as President Donald Trump has demanded

Economics

last month ChatGPT firm OpenAI could be valued at $500bn in share sale; Honda Motor profits halve as tariffs bite – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsOpenAI takes on Meta and DeepSeek with free and customisable AI modelsProfits at Japanese automarket Honda have halved in the last quarter, as Donald Trump’s trade war hit their earnings.Honda, which is Japan’s second-largest carmaker, has reported quarterly operating profit of ¥244.2bn (£1.24bn) for April-June, missing analyst forecasts of ¥311.7bn.“We’re excited to make this model, the result of billions of dollars of research, available to the world to get AI into the hands of the most people possible.” Continue reading...

Economics