UK Data Response CBI Distributive Trades Survey (Nov.) November’s CBI Distributive Trades Survey suggests that the festive period has got off to a good start on the high street. But with pay growth likely to remain weak and unemployment set to rise... 29th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Nov. 12) & Mortgage Lending (Oct. 12) Mortgage approvals are continuing to rise, helped by a further marginal fall in mortgage rates. But they remain far too low to kick-start a sustained recovery in house prices. 29th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response GDP: Second Estimate & Expenditure Breakdown (Q3) GDP is still estimated to have risen by a solid 1% in Q3, but this primarily reflected temporary factors. Evidence is building that activity in Q4 has relapsed. 27th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Public finances (Oct.) & MPC Minutes (Nov.) October’s public finance figures – the last before the Autumn Statement in a fortnight’s time – suggested that there is still a significant risk that the Chancellor will break his fiscal rules unless... 21st November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Retail Sales (Oct. 12) October’s official retail sales figures support the timelier surveys in suggesting that the recovery on the high street is losing momentum ahead of the crucial Christmas shopping season. 15th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Bank of England Inflation Report (Nov.) Although the Bank of England’s latest Inflation Report showed inflation projected to be broadly at its 2% target at the two year policy horizon, Mervyn King’s comments at the press conference... 14th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Labour Market Data (Sep/Oct. 12) The latest labour market figures revealed that while employment has continued to grow, the pace of expansion is slowing. And timelier indicators suggest that the labour market’s recent resilience may... 14th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Consumer Prices & Producer Prices (Oct.) October’s rise in CPI inflation from 2.2% to 2.7% provided another explanation for why the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which would have seen the headline figures, held back from providing more... 13th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Trade (Sep.) The trade deficit narrowed in September, but the balance has recently been volatile and the underlying picture is one of little improvement. However, there were more encouraging signs in today’s... 9th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Industrial Production (Sep.) September’s industrial production figures supported the latest CIPS/Markit activity surveys in suggesting that the economic recovery is quickly losing momentum again. 6th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response BRC Retail Sales Monitor (Oct.) October’s BRC Retail Sales Monitor provided evidence that, following Q3’s generally positive news from the high street, a retail recovery seems to be fizzling out. 6th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Services (Oct.) October’s CIPS/Markit report on services was something of a reality check to the generally positive economic news of recent weeks. Alongside last week’s disappointing manufacturing survey, it suggests... 5th November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Manufacturing (Oct.) The deterioration in October’s CIPS/Markit report on manufacturing provided more evidence that the industrial sector is struggling and suggested that the rebound in the official measure of... 1st November 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response GfK/NOP Consumer Confidence (Oct.) Against the run of positive economic data in recent weeks, October’s decline in consumer confidence was particularly disappointing. Although GfK’s survey was undertaken before the news that the... 31st October 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CBI Distributive Trades Survey (Oct.) September’s CBI Distributive Trades Survey continued the run of favourable economic data seen in recent weeks. But given that real incomes will soon start to be squeezed by rising utility prices, this... 30th October 2012 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Provisional GDP (Q3 12) Not only did the UK pull out of its double-dip in Q3, but the 1% quarterly rise in GDP was a fair bit better than expected. However, it is hard to tell how much of this was due to temporary factors... 25th October 2012 · 1 min read