UK Data Response Money & Credit (May) The more muted rise in unsecured borrowing in May suggests the cost of living crisis and recent plunge in consumer confidence are prompting households to exercise a bit more caution. That adds to... 1st July 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Data Response GDP (Q1 Final) The final Q1 GDP data leave households looking a bit more vulnerable to the big fall in real incomes that’s going to hit in Q2 and Q3. Although GDP and consumer spending won’t fall as far as real... 30th June 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Retail Sales (May) The fall in retail sales in May suggests that the decline in households’ real incomes from surging inflation is starting to hit consumer spending a bit harder. Even so, consumer spending appears to be... 24th June 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics S&P Global/CIPS Flash PMIs (Jun.) The fact that the composite PMI didn’t fall in June means the economy could be holding up a little better than we and the Bank of England had feared. Beneath the headline numbers, the survey also... 23rd June 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Public Finances (May) The larger-than-expected rise in public borrowing in May is an early blow for the government on a day when it is expected to lose two by-elections. What’s more, the combination of a further weakening... 23rd June 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Consumer Prices (May) The further rise in CPI inflation from 9.0% in April to a new 40-year high of 9.1% in May won’t prevent the Bank of England from raising interest rates further, but it may encourage it to opt again... 22nd June 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Labour Market (Apr./May) The tentative evidence that the recent weakening in economic activity is filtering through into a slightly looser labour market may push the Bank of England a little closer to raising interest rates... 14th June 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics GDP (Apr.) The 0.3% m/m fall in real GDP in April wasn’t as weak as it looks, but it nonetheless increases the chances that the economy is slipping into recession. While this is unlikely to prevent the Bank of... 13th June 2022 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Money & Credit (Apr.) The solid rise in unsecured borrowing in April suggests that households have turned to credit to support their spending as the cost of living squeeze has intensified. But consumers do not yet appear... 31st May 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics S&P Global/CIPS Flash PMIs (May) The flash PMI survey for May suggests that economic growth has slowed to a crawl and that the risk of a recession has not gone away. Even so, weakness in the economy doesn’t seem to be filtering into... 24th May 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Public Finances (Apr.) The economic wind that has recently been blowing the public finances to undershoot forecasts adds more pressure on the Chancellor to launch in the coming weeks a big package of measures to help... 24th May 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Retail Sales (Apr.) The unexpectedly strong rise in retail sales in April suggests the cost of living crisis hasn’t caused consumer spending to collapse and means the economy may have a little more momentum than we... 20th May 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Consumer Prices (Apr.) If the rise in CPI inflation from 7.0% to a 40-year high of 9.0% in April wasn’t bad enough, inflation will probably rise further to 10% in October and will then fall back to the 2% target only slowly... 18th May 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Labour Market (Mar./Apr.) Even though the economy contracted in March and may be on the brink of a recession, jobs growth strengthened, the unemployment rate fell to a 47-year low of 3.7% and wage growth accelerated. This... 17th May 2022 · 3 mins read
UK Economics GDP (Mar. & Q1) It now seems likely that GDP will contract in Q2. And with the full hit of the cost of living crisis yet to be felt, the chances of a recession have just risen. Even so, with price pressures still... 12th May 2022 · 5 mins read
UK Economics Money & Credit (Mar.) The decent increase in unsecured borrowing in March suggests that the plunge in consumer confidence and fall in real incomes have not caused consumer spending to collapse. This lends some support to... 4th May 2022 · 3 mins read
