Market Commentary
Weekly Market Update 18/10/2024
In official data released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics, UK wage growth (excluding bonuses) was shown to have fallen to 4.9% in the three months to August, in line with analyst expectations. This is compared to 5.1% in the three months to July. Including bonuses, the latest figure was lower at 3.8%,…
Read MoreWeekly Market Update 11/10/2024
Data released on Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed US inflation fell to 2.4% in September, below the August figure of 2.5%, but above analyst expectations of 2.3%. However, the continued easing of inflation has reinforced expectations of a quarter percentage point rate cut by the Federal Reserve in November, with markets pricing…
Read MoreWeekly Market Update 04/10/2024
On Thursday, Sterling experienced its largest fall against the dollar since October last year, falling 1% off the back of comments from Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England. Bailey told the Guardian newspaper that rate-setters could be “a bit more aggressive” if inflationary pressures continue to ease. Investor expectations for two quarter percentage…
Read MoreWeekly Market Update 27/09/2024
Chinese shares had their strongest week of trading since 2008 after Beijing announced an unprecedented economic stimulus package. The announcement on Tuesday included a range of measures designed to revive flagging economic growth and help debt-laden property owners, with the People’s Bank of China cutting the reserve ratio requirement for banks, lowering interest rates and…
Read MoreThe Importance of Income Protection
Your income is the basis on which all life plans are made and as such it needs to be prioritised in terms of protecting it when making any financial planning arrangements, or just simply to maintain your lifestyle. Without an income, all other objectives will fail. Maintaining an income is the foundation of any kind…
Read MoreWeekly Market Update 20/09/2024
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point to a range of 4.75% to 5%, the central bank’s first cut in over four years. At the news conference following the decision, Fed chair Jay Powell said the move had been made to “maintain the strength of the economy and labour…
Read MoreWeekly Market Update 13/09/2024
According to official figures released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics, UK wage growth slowed in the three months to July, with the data showing growth of 5.1% compared to 5.4% in the three months to May, in line with analysts’ expectations. This came off the back of weakening payroll employment and hiring,…
Read MoreWeekly Market Update 06/09/2024
UK retail sales grew at an annual rate of 1% in August according to the data released by the British Retail Consortium on Tuesday. This is up from 0.5% in the previous month, and higher than the three-month average of 0.4%. The growth could be attributed to the warm weather, encouraging consumers to spend more…
Read MoreDoes Your Business Have These Key Protections?
When you are running a business, there are multiple issues competing for your attention at any given time. You want to make sure that your business is profitable, productive, and cost-efficient. But sometimes the unexpected can occur, throwing your business plans off-track. It’s worth taking some time to consider where your business…
Read MoreWeekly Market Update 30/08/2024
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gave a speech prior to the autumn budget warning of tax rises to fill the £22bn “black hole” left by the Conservatives. Labour has ruled out increases to income tax, VAT, and national insurance. However, Starmer did not elaborate on which taxes would be raised, and he made…
Read More