UK Economics Rapid Response UK Consumer Prices (Oct. 2023) The fall in CPI inflation from 6.7% in September to 4.6% in October is a bit bigger than expected, brings inflation a bit closer to the rates in the US and the euro-zone, all-but confirms the Prime... 15th November 2023 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Labour Market (Sep./Oct. 2023) With wage growth continuing to ease and signs that a further loosening in the labour market lies ahead, higher interest rates appear to be gradually working. But our view that wage growth will ease... 14th November 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK GDP (Sep./Q3 2023) The Q3 GDP data will spark a big debate about whether or not the economy is in recession (the published growth rate was 0.0% q/q, but GDP declined by 0.03% or £173m). But the key point is that the... 10th November 2023 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response Bank of England Policy Announcement (2nd Nov. 2023) The Bank’s decision to leave interest rates at 5.25% for the second time in a row and to double down on the message that rates cuts are far away supports our view that rates will stay at 5.25% until... 2nd November 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Money & Credit (Sep. 2023) The further easing in bank lending in September will continue to weigh on activity, particularly in the housing market. This is consistent with our view that a mild recession may already be underway... 30th October 2023 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Flash PMIs (Oct. 2023) The composite activity PMI inched up from 48.5 in September to 48.6 in October after five months of declines. But that still leaves the PMI at a level that, historically, has been consistent with a... 24th October 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Labour Market (Aug. 2023) The labour market appeared not to loosen as much as we thought in August based on the Office for National Statistics’ new experimental data. But this is unlikely to sway the Bank of England ahead of... 24th October 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Retail Sales (Sep. 2023) The 0.9% m/m fall in retail sales volumes in September meant sales volumes fell 0.8% q/q in Q3 and suggests that after the 18-month-long retail recession came to an end in Q1, the sector may already... 20th October 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Public Finances (Sep. 2023) September's public finances figures continued the recent run of better-than-expected news on the fiscal position, bringing some consolation to the government on a day when it has lost two by-elections... 20th October 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Consumer Prices (Sep. 2023) The failure of CPI inflation to fall in September from August’s rate of 6.7% will be a bit of a disappointment to most. But at 6.7% it is still below the 6.9% rate the Bank of England projected back... 18th October 2023 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Labour Market (Aug./Sep. 2023) Cooling labour market conditions appeared to start feeding through into an easing in wage growth in August. That supports our view that interest rates have peaked at 5.25%. But as we suspect wage... 17th October 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Monthly GDP (Aug. 2023) The 0.2% m/m rise in real GDP in August followed July’s 0.6% m/m contraction and will raise hopes that the economy has escaped a recession this year. But the timelier measures of activity point to a... 12th October 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Money & Credit (Aug. 2023) The drag from higher interest rates on bank lending grew further in August, particularly in the housing market. Although interest rates have probably peaked at 5.25%, this effect will intensify as the... 29th September 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK GDP (Q2 2023 Final) The final Q2 2023 GDP data release shows that the economy was a bit more resilient in the first half of this year than we previously thought. But other indicators suggest this is now fading. We still... 29th September 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK S&P Global/CIPS Flash PMIs (Sep. 2023) The fall in the activity PMI further below the boom-bust level of 50.0 in September suggests the economy may already be in recession. And with weaker activity weighing more heavily on price pressures... 22nd September 2023 · 3 mins read
UK Economics Rapid Response UK Retail Sales (Aug. 2023) The 0.4% m/m rebound in retail sales volumes in August isn’t as good as it looks as it partly reflected a pickup in sales after the unusually wet weather in July. And while the worst of the falls in... 22nd September 2023 · 3 mins read