46 m. ago Trump tariffs creating ‘high uncertainty’, Bank of Japan warns; list of 95 Santander branches to close – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news Continue reading...

Events

87 m. ago Trump tariffs creating ‘high uncertainty’, Bank of Japan warns; Musk’s X ‘valued at $44bn again’ – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsSavings and investment firm M&G has warned this morning that it faces uncertain times.In its full year results for 2024, M&G points out that:Increased geopolitical uncertainty and market volatility continue to weigh on client sentiment and pose a significant challenge to financial institutions across the globe.The Company has traded well in the first half and delivered strong profit growth. Like other operators in the sector, we face many cost headwinds that will impact us in the second half, following the recent Budget, notably the increase in national living wage and national insurance from April. We estimate that the annualised impact of these two items is £2.6m, with the incremental costs commencing in April and impacting the final quarter of the 2025 financial year.We plan to mitigate the majority of these costs over the next 18 months through price increases and cost efficiencies. Continue reading...

Economics

16 h. ago Care workers ‘not paid enough to live on’ says union as charity faces walkout

Unison Scotland said it was the first time in more than a decade that staff in the charitable sector had voted for strike action.

Politics

20 h. ago Gold hits record high over $3,000 amid rising geopolitical tensions; Thames Water receives six takeover offers – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as gold hits $3,027 per ounceGold is continuing to hit new heights this morning – it’s now trading at $3,027 per ounce.“In the current environment, every day seems to offer a new catalyst for the gold price,” comments Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.In uncertain times, central banks and individuals demand gold, while inflation concerns emanating from President Trump’s tariffs and trade war are also boosting the price of gold.Life above $3,000 per ounce could be the norm for the gold price in 2025, it is already higher by 15% YTD, easily outpacing gains for global equities. Continue reading...

Events

24 h. ago Gold hits record high over $3,000 amid rising geopolitical tensions; Pound at $1.30 against weakening US dollar – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as gold hits $3,027 per ounceGold is continuing to hit new heights this morning – it’s now trading at $3,027 per ounce.“In the current environment, every day seems to offer a new catalyst for the gold price,” comments Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.In uncertain times, central banks and individuals demand gold, while inflation concerns emanating from President Trump’s tariffs and trade war are also boosting the price of gold.Life above $3,000 per ounce could be the norm for the gold price in 2025, it is already higher by 15% YTD, easily outpacing gains for global equities. Continue reading...

Economics

25 h. ago Gold hits record high over $3,000 amid rising geopolitical tensions and weakening US dollar – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as gold hits $3,017 per ounceIn the City, shares in banking group Close Brothers have tumbled after it reported that the UK’s motor finance scandal dragged it into a loss.Close Brothers reported an operating pre-tax loss of £103m for the six months to 31 January 2025, and a loss after tax ofo £111.8m. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago UK economy shrinks in January; stocks and euro jump on German debt deal – as it happened

UK economy unexpectedly contracts by 0.1% in January in blow to the chancellor ahead of spring statement; Friedrich Merz declares: ‘Germany is back’Let’s look at the GDP figures in more detail.The 0.9% drop in production output in January, which came after 0.5% growth in December, was mainly caused by a 1.1% slump in manufacturing while mining and quarrying also declined. Basic metals and metal products were down along with pharmaceutical products. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago UK economy shrinks in January; stocks and euro jump on German debt deal – business live

UK economy unexpectedly contracts by 0.1% in January in blow to the chancellor ahead of spring statement; Friedrich Merz declares: ‘Germany is back’Let’s look at the GDP figures in more detail.The 0.9% drop in production output in January, which came after 0.5% growth in December, was mainly caused by a 1.1% slump in manufacturing while mining and quarrying also declined. Basic metals and metal products were down along with pharmaceutical products. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago UK economy shrinks in January; stocks and euro jump on reported German debt deal – business live

UK economy unexpectedly contracts by 0.1% in January in blow to the chancellor ahead of spring statementLet’s look at the GDP figures in more detail.The 0.9% drop in production output in January, which came after 0.5% growth in December, was mainly caused by a 1.1% slump in manufacturing while mining and quarrying also declined. Basic metals and metal products were down along with pharmaceutical products. Continue reading...

Economics

4 d. ago FTSE 100 Live 14 March: Gold price milestone, GDP setback as Berkeley urges rate cut clarity

Recession fears stalked the City today after official figures showed the UK economy went back into reverse in January.

Politics

5 d. ago FTSE 100 Live 14 March: Gold price record, GDP falls as Berkeley urges rate cut clarity

Recession fears stalked the City today after official figures showed the UK economy went back into reverse in January.

Politics

5 d. ago FTSE 100 Live 14 March: Recession fears mount after surprise GDP fall, Berkeley urges rate cut clarity

Recession fears stalked the City today after official figures showed the UK economy went back into reverse in January.

Politics

7 d. ago Trump tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminium come into effect globally as Europe says it will retaliate – business live

European Commission says it will impose counter-tariffs on US goods from AprilFull story: Trump tariffs on steel and aluminium come into effect amid US-Canada trade warThe European Commission said on Wednesday it would impose “countermeasures” starting from 1 April in response to US tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminium imports.European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement that Brussels would be “launching a series of countermeasures” in response to the “unjustified trade restrictions”. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Wall Street falls again amid economic slowdown fears, as Musk’s Tesla falls 50% from all–time high – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as US markets slide after Beijing imposes tariffs on imports of agricultural goods from AmericaAnalysts at investment bank Jefferies remain optimistic about the prospects for the US economy in the second half of 2025 – while also fearing that it may slow more than expected in the first half of the year.In an updated US Economic Outlook, Jefferies tell clients:Broadly, these changes are modest relative to what we were looking for at the beginning of the year. We started out 2025 expecting growth to slow in the first half due to exactly the sort of tensions and uncertainty about policy that we are currently seeing. It now appears that the slowdown will be a bit more pronounced than we expected, but we remain optimistic about the second half of the year and beyond.We expect that the labor market will continue to cool gradually in the months ahead, with downside risks due to government spending uncertainty. We continue to expec...

Economics

8 d. ago Wall Street falls again as tariff fears grip markets – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as US markets slide after Beijing imposes tariffs on imports of agricultural goods from AmericaAnalysts at investment bank Jefferies remain optimistic about the prospects for the US economy in the second half of 2025 – while also fearing that it may slow more than expected in the first half of the year.In an updated US Economic Outlook, Jefferies tell clients:Broadly, these changes are modest relative to what we were looking for at the beginning of the year. We started out 2025 expecting growth to slow in the first half due to exactly the sort of tensions and uncertainty about policy that we are currently seeing. It now appears that the slowdown will be a bit more pronounced than we expected, but we remain optimistic about the second half of the year and beyond.We expect that the labor market will continue to cool gradually in the months ahead, with downside risks due to government spending uncertainty. We continue to expec...

Economics

9 d. ago China’s retaliatory tariffs on US farm goods kick in, as trade war escalates – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsChina’s stock markets have dropped today, as the double-whammy of trade war fears and deflation weighed on investors.The CSI 300 index dropped by 0.4%, while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng index slid by 1.8%.The week starts on a sharp negative note for the Chinese stocks, as the latest inflation update showed that consumer prices in China fell the most in more than a year .Overall, the week is expected to bring more tariffs the Chinese tariffs on US agricultural and some Canadian products will start today, while the US steel and aluminium tariffs will be live from Wednesday.Monday kicks off with the same old deflationary drumbeat as China’s consumer inflation took a deeper dive than expected, slipping below zero for the first time in over a year. The data only reinforces what’s been clear for months—deflationary pressures remain firmly entrenched in the world’s second-largest economy.The property sector remains stuck in the mud, ...

Economics

1 week ago US unemployment rate rises to 4.1% as economy added 151,000 new jobs in February – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, including February’s US jobs reportUS job market grows amid threats of mass federal layoffs and Trump tariffsThis has also been a rough week for the oil price.Brent crude, the international benchmark, has dropped by 4% so far this week to just over $70 per barrel.Trump paused tariffs and the market sold off. The old adage that the market hates uncertainty rings true. How the heck are you supposed to make investments or plan?The Nasdaq ended the session down 2.6%, while the S&P 500 finished 1.78% lower. Both are headed for weekly losses of around the 4% mark. Continue reading...

Society

1 week ago Euro on track for best week in 16 years as trade war fears hurt US dollar – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsChina’s foreign minister condemns US imposition of tariffs as ‘two-faced’This has also been a rough week for the oil price.Brent crude, the international benchmark, has dropped by 4% so far this week to just over $70 per barrel.Trump paused tariffs and the market sold off. The old adage that the market hates uncertainty rings true. How the heck are you supposed to make investments or plan?The Nasdaq ended the session down 2.6%, while the S&P 500 finished 1.78% lower. Both are headed for weekly losses of around the 4% mark. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago European Central Bank cuts interest rates again, by quarter point – business live

Dollar slides after US president exempts carmakers from 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico; euro and sterling reverse earlier gainsThe eurozone saw the biggest slump in construction in three months in February, according to a separate survey.There was a marked reduction in new orders while cost pressures eased, according to a monthly report from Hamburg Commercial Bank.Unpleasant signals come from the Eurozone construction sector as the HCOB eurozone construction PMI in February shows deepening weakness that does not seem likely to fade soon. The recession now encompasses all three major Eurozone economies: Germany, France, and Italy.Although the ECB, particularly executive board member Isabel Schnabel, has signalled a pause in the rate-cutting phase to await further dynamics, the construction sector makes it clear that a delay in rate cuts in interest-sensitive areas can be fatal.Sharply declining order books rippled through the UK construction sector in February, which led to accele...

Economics

1 week ago UK construction in biggest downturn since 2020; recruiters warn of tough business conditions – business live

Dollar slides after US president exempts carmakers from 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico; euro and sterling reverse earlier gainsThe eurozone saw the biggest slump in construction in three months in February, according to a separate survey.There was a marked reduction in new orders while cost pressures eased, according to a monthly report from Hamburg Commercial Bank.Unpleasant signals come from the Eurozone construction sector as the HCOB eurozone construction PMI in February shows deepening weakness that does not seem likely to fade soon. The recession now encompasses all three major Eurozone economies: Germany, France, and Italy.Although the ECB, particularly executive board member Isabel Schnabel, has signalled a pause in the rate-cutting phase to await further dynamics, the construction sector makes it clear that a delay in rate cuts in interest-sensitive areas can be fatal.Sharply declining order books rippled through the UK construction sector in February, which led to accele...

Events