UK Economics Update Household Borrowing Monitor (Jan.) January’s household borrowing figures will only have added to mounting concerns regarding rapid unsecured credit growth and the sustainability of the consumer recovery. However, at this stage we do... 29th February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Sterling to fall further – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing Sterling remains the main casualty of Brexit uncertainty and we expect the pound to fall further as the referendum nears. However, this should not be viewed as an entirely negative development, as the... 23rd February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update EU deal soon should pave way for a Brexit referendum in June The deal which looks likely to be sewn up at this week’s EU Council meeting should pave the way for David Cameron to announce a date for the EU referendum soon and officially launch his campaign to... 19th February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Lower interest rates to save Osborne’s bacon again While most developments since November’s Autumn Statement bode poorly for the public finances, lower interest rates should provide an offset. However, the Chancellor would be unwise to spend this... 18th February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update No need for the UK to join the negative rate club Talk of a UK interest rate cut has resurfaced in recent weeks, following the deterioration in global market sentiment and the moves by other central banks to cut rates. There is certainly scope for... 17th February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Deflation Watch: Oil price falls won’t prevent inflation pick-up January’s consumer prices figures should show a continuing movement away from deflation. While falling oil prices are being passed through to lower fuel prices at the pump, fuel price deflation will... 12th February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Dovish message from MPC, but 2016 rate hike still likely Today’s “Super Thursday” announcements were generally dovish but, true to form, Governor Carney gave mixed messages, striking a more hawkish tone at the press conference. While market expectations... 4th February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update How much will workers gain from the recovery? While we are positive about the prospects for productivity growth, we don’t think workers will fully benefit from this and the gains will only partially feed through to higher wage growth. This means... 3rd February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update EU draft deal leaves Brexit in the balance Today’s publication of a draft deal on the UK’s EU negotiations is another step towards a referendum as soon as June. The modest proposed reforms will probably leave the vote very close. If the UK did... 2nd February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Household Borrowing Monitor (Dec.) On the face of it, December’s household borrowing figures will not have eased mounting concerns regarding rapid unsecured credit growth and the sustainability of the consumer recovery. However, we do... 1st February 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Consumer credit not a concern yet The pick-up in unsecured borrowing growth is starting to ring alarm bells, but we do not think that this poses a major threat – at least not yet. 27th January 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Why has deficit reduction slowed? The recent slowdown in the pace of deficit reduction seems to reflect both timing effects and a weaker economic performance than anticipated. Although progress may remain slow in the near term, we... 21st January 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Why has wage growth slowed? The latest labour market figures showed that pay growth is still weaker than it was a few months ago. Given falling unemployment and the prospect of a rebound in inflation, this should be temporary... 20th January 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Why has wage growth slowed? The latest labour market figures showed that pay growth is still weaker than it was a few months ago. Given falling unemployment and the prospect of a rebound in inflation, this should be temporary... 20th January 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Deflation Watch: Lower oil prices won’t reverse inflation’s return December’s consumer prices figures should confirm that the UK’s brief period of deflation is over, by showing the second consecutive month of positive CPI inflation. What’s more, the recent further... 15th January 2016 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Lower inflation outlook to keep the MPC on hold for a while The MPC’s decision to leave interest rates on hold at 0.5% today, for the 82nd month in a row, was unsurprising given the recent fall-back in the oil price and renewed market concerns about the health... 14th January 2016 · 1 min read
