UK Data Response Credit Conditions Survey (Q4) & Productivity (Q3) The Bank of England’s latest Credit Conditions Survey provided further evidence that the positive impact of the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) is building. What’s more, the beneficial effects are... 3rd January 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Manufacturing (Dec.) The further improvement in the CIPS manufacturing survey in December tentatively suggests that output in the industrial sector stabilised at the very end of last year. But 2013 still looks set to be... 2nd January 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response National Accounts (Q3) & Public Finances (Nov.) GDP is still estimated to have risen strongly in Q3, but we already have plenty of evidence to suggest that the economy may have contracted in the fourth quarter. Indeed, the UK could already be in a... 21st December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response GfK/NOP Consumer Confidence (Dec.) December’s sharp drop in consumer confidence suggested that November’s unexpectedly big rise was yet another false dawn. Along with the evidence from Wednesday’s CBI Distributive Trades survey of a... 21st December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Retail Sales (Nov.) The unchanged level of retail sales volumes in November suggested that consumers are keeping their purse strings fairly tightly fastened in the run-up to Christmas. 20th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CBI Distributive Trades Survey (Dec.) December’s CBI Distributive Trades Survey suggested that activity in the festive shopping period is proceeding at a pretty modest pace. Retailers will be hoping that the last few shopping days before... 19th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response MPC Minutes (Dec.) December’s MPC minutes had something of an “end of term” feel and simply confirmed that the Committee is in wait and see mode. Perhaps the most notable aspect was further evidence of the MPC’s growing... 19th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Consumer Prices & Producer Prices (Nov.) Continued high inflation is maintaining the squeeze on consumers’ spending power in the run-up to Christmas. Although we still expect inflation to fall back eventually, the prospect of further utility... 18th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CBI Industrial Trends Survey (Dec.) The small improvement in the CBI Industrial Trends Survey in December suggested that manufacturing output might have stabilised towards the end of the year. Nonetheless, other indicators have been... 13th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Labour Market Data (Oct./Nov. 12) The latest labour market figures provided further evidence that the recent strength of employment growth is fading. And real pay is still falling quite sharply. 12th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Industrial Prod. (Oct.) & Inflation Attitudes Survey (Q4) The further drop in industrial production in October to its lowest level in two decades raises the chances of a triple dip recession in the wider economy. 7th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Trade (Oct.) Following last week’s generally disappointing activity surveys, October’s trade data provided another indication that the economy has got off to a weak start to Q4. 6th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Services (Nov.) The further deterioration in the CIPS/Markit report on services suggested that the recovery in the biggest part of the economy has completely fizzled out. A renewed contraction in GDP is looking... 5th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response BRC Retail Sales Monitor (Nov.) November’s BRC Retail Sales Monitor supported other evidence suggesting that the start of last month saw strong retail sales growth. But with that growth petering out over the rest of November... 4th December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Manuf. (Nov.) & FLS usage (Q3) The small improvement in the UK CIPS/Markit manufacturing survey in November did little to change the fundamental picture of a struggling industrial sector. Meanwhile, the first data on the usage of... 3rd December 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response GfK/NOP Consumer Confidence (Nov.) November’s surprise pick-up in consumer confidence supported yesterday’s CBI Distributive Trades survey in suggesting that consumers have perked up a bit. But the foundations for a sustained... 30th November 2012 · 1 min read