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☆ UK PM Sunak Paid More Than 500,000 Pounds in Tax Last Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Andrew MacAskill and Sachin RavikumarLONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid 508,000 pounds ($641,000) in tax in the last financial year after income from his investments dwarfed his official salary, a report by his accountants showed on Friday. The three-page published summary is the second time that Sunak has published details of his tax affairs since he became prime minister in 2022. The figures show that Sunak made 139,000 pounds from his salary as a member of parliament, finance minister and prime minister between April 2022 and March 2023, and 2.1 million pounds from investments. Of his income from investments, 1.8 million pounds came from capital gains, up from 1.6 million pounds a year earlier. About 70% of the total tax paid by Sunak was due to capital gains tax on the profit made from sales of investments such as stocks.

Persons: Andrew MacAskill, Sachin Ravikumar, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Evelyn, Piers Morgan, David Milliken Organizations: Sachin Ravikumar LONDON, British, Indian IT, Infosys, Evelyn Partners Locations: Indian, Rwanda

☆ UK's Hunt says he hopes to reverse public investment freeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt speaks at the Resolution Foundation, in London, Britain December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Monday that he hoped in future to reverse the decline in public investment which is forecast in the government's latest budget plans. "I don't think you want declining public investment. And I very much hope we'll be able to get back into a place where we don't have to do that," Hunt said at an event hosted by the Resolution Foundation think tank. In government budget forecasts published last month, British public sector net investment is forecast to fall steadily from 2.6% of gross domestic product in the current financial year to 1.8% in the 2028/29 financial year.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hollie Adams, we'll, Hunt, Keir Starmer, David Milliken, Kate Holton Organizations: REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ Bank of England should look more at money supply, lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A bus passes the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, February 14, 2017. "Climate change is the most-cited example of the expansion of the remit," committee chair George Bridges, a Conservative former Brexit minister, told Reuters. The House of Lords committee set up the inquiry in March, following a surge in inflation to a 41-year high last year. The central bank is midway through its own forecasting review led by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke. The House of Lords committee said parliament should have more opportunity to debate these changes, and should conduct in-depth reviews of the BoE's work every five years.

Persons: Hannah McKay, BoE, Mervyn King, George Bridges, Ben Bernanke, Jeremy Hunt, Bridges, David Milliken, William Schomberg Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Economic Affairs Committee, Conservative, Reuters, U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, Ukraine

☆ UK consumer confidence jumps despite lingering inflation pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Despite lingering cost-of-living pressures, GfK's headline consumer confidence index was stronger than anticipated in November, increasing to -24 from October's three-month low of -30. November's reading was above the -28 forecast in a Reuters poll of economists, and follows a sharp fall the month before. While British consumer price inflation fell significantly from a 41-year high of 11.1% just over a year ago to 4.6% in October, households are still grappling with the highest inflation rate among major rich economies. Official data published last week showed shoppers spent less in October as finances remain stretched. GfK conducted its poll of 2,000 people from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14.

Persons: GfK, Joe Staton, Andrew Bailey, Jeremy Hunt's, Staton, Suban Abdulla, David Milliken Organizations: Bank of England, Thomson

LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - British voters are set to suffer a "living standards disaster", despite Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt's new tax cut plan, because of the unprecedented fall in household incomes over the course of a parliamentary term, a think tank said on Thursday. The think tank said household disposable income per person was expected to fall 1.5% in 2024, when adjusted for Britain's still high rate of inflation. "But those challenges have also made things far more difficult for households: this is what a living standards disaster looks like." And that then means having to make some really difficult decisions when it comes to public spending but also raising revenue," he told Reuters. ($1 = 0.8025 pounds)Reporting by David Milliken and Bill Schomberg; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt's, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Torsten Bell, Gareth Davies, Davies, David Milliken, Bill Schomberg, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative, Reuters, Fiscal Studies, Treasury, Thomson

NatWest Group bank logo and decreasing stock graph are seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. "I will explore options for a NatWest retail share offer in the next 12 months subject to supportive market conditions and achieving value for money," Hunt said on Wednesday. NatWest shares dipped on Hunt's comments and were last down 1.1% at 204.7 pence, compared with a 0.2% fall in the FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index. The stock is the worst performing FTSE 100 British bank stock this year, down more than a fifth, according to Eikon data. That investment turned sour for many and shares in the renamed holding company International Distributions Service (IDSI.L) are now worth 25% less than its 330 pence offer price.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Sid, Alasdair Haynes, Nigel Farage, Alison Rose, Iain Withers, Sinead Cruise, David Milliken, Sarah Young, William James, Elaine Hardcastle, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: NatWest Group, REUTERS, Companies, NatWest, Aquis, Royal Mail, Distributions Service, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson

SummaryCompanies UK business investment has lagged since Brexit"Largest business tax cut" in modern history-HuntTax break costs 11 bln stg a yearOBR forecasts 3 bln stg a year investment boostLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt made a tax break for business investment permanent on Wednesday, aiming to kickstart growth in the country's sluggish economy. Hunt hopes that by making permanent the tax break known as "full expensing", companies will spend more on new kit and technology, lifting productivity. This is the largest business tax cut in modern British history," Hunt said in his Autumn Statement on Wednesday. BT (BT.L), a beneficiary of the tax break as it is investing billions in building a new fibre network, welcomed Hunt's move. British business investment has trailed that of other developed economies, according to research from the International Monetary Fund.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Hunt's, Philip Jansen, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Stephen Phipson, Robert Forrester, David Milliken, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Alex Richardson Organizations: LONDON, BT, Labour, Conservatives, Britain's, REUTERS Acquire, International Monetary Fund, Vertu, BBC Radio, Thomson Locations: Britain, London, British

[1/5] Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement, in London, Britain, November 22, 2023. "After a global pandemic and energy crisis, we have taken difficult decisions to put our economy back on track," Hunt told parliament on Wednesday in his Autumn Statement fiscal update. Hunt pointed to OBR forecasts showing the government would meet its targets for the public finances, leaving open the possibility of further pre-election giveaways to voters in his full budget statement expected in early 2024. Sunak this week promised "responsible" tax cuts, mindful of last year's "mini-budget" turmoil in financial markets triggered by his predecessor Liz Truss's plans for much bigger tax cuts. This time last year, the newly installed Sunak and Hunt raised taxes sharply to quell the bond market mayhem.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Stefan Rousseau, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Paul Johnson, we've, giveaways, Johnson, BoE, Philip Shaw, Liz Truss's, Muvija M, Paul Sandle, Sarah Young, William James, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, James Davey, Suban Abdulla, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Sumanta Sen, William Schomberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Labour, Labour Party, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Gross, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, Graphics, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ Britain to raise minimum wage by 9.8% to 11.44 pounds an hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Britain's minimum wage will increase by 9.8% to 11.44 pounds ($14.26) an hour from April 2024, making it one of the highest as a share of average earnings of any advanced economy. "The National Living Wage has helped halve the number of people on low pay since 2010," Hunt said on Tuesday. In 2022, the OECD estimated Britain's minimum wage was equivalent to 58% of full-time earnings, the third-highest in western Europe after Portugal and France. The Low Pay Commission, an expert panel which advises the government on minimum wage increases, said the arguments around the upcoming increase were "finely balanced". "As last year, businesses felt pressured to pass National Living Wage increases onto consumers.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Muvija, William James Our Organizations: Conservative Party, Bank of England, OECD, Pay Commission, Thomson Locations: Europe, Portugal, France

☆ ECB rates to stay unchanged for next few quarters -Villeroy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's interest rates have reached a plateau where they will likely remain for the next few quarters, ECB policymaker Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Monday, dismissing rate cut talk as premature. The ECB broke a streak of 10 consecutive hikes last month by holding rates steady, prompting investors to turn their attention to when rate cuts could come. The ECB aims to steer euro zone inflation towards its 2% target by 2025, though Villeroy insisted the number was an average and he was not fixated on hitting 2.0% precisely. Euro zone inflation has fallen quickly in recent months as the economy has slowed, though Villeroy said a recession could be avoided and a "soft landing" seemed more likely. ($1 = 0.9168 euros)Reporting by David Milliken, writing by Leigh Thomas, editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francois Villeroy de Galhau, Sarah Meyssonnier, Villeroy, David Milliken, Leigh Thomas, Christina Fincher Organizations: France, Bank of France, REUTERS, ECB, Society of Professional, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, French, London, Gaza, Israel

☆ UK's next government will find tax rises hard to avoid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But tax rises will be very hard to avoid for whichever party forms the next government, says James Smith, a former Bank of England economist who is research director at the Resolution Foundation, which focuses on issues affecting low and middle earners. For earlier governments, the main way to increase tax levels has been to raise the rate of national insurance - a payroll tax paid by employers and employees - and, in the Conservatives' case, higher value-added tax. Annual GDP growth averaged 2.0% from 2010-2019, compared with 3.0% from 1997-2007. Asked on Sunday about widespread reports of looming tax cuts, Hunt told Sky News: "Everything is on the table ... Higher-than-expected inflation has boosted tax revenue and overall GDP in cash terms, giving more leeway against fiscal targets as most public services' spending budgets are fixed.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, James Smith, Smith, Britain's, It's, Carl Emmerson, Hunt, Foundation's Smith, David Milliken, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Labour Party, Bank of England, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Britain, Conservatives, Fiscal Studies, Foundation, Reuters, Monetary Fund, Institute for Government, Sky News, British, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Ukraine

☆ BoE's Ramsden: UK interest rates to stay high for extended time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Bank of England is likely to need to keep interest rates high for an extended period, Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden said on Thursday, sticking close to the central bank's existing language on the topic. Ramsden voted with the majority on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) this month to keep interest rates on hold at a 15-year high of 5.25%. "Monetary policy is likely to need to be restrictive for an extended period of time," Ramsden said in prepared remarks for the European Systemic Risk Board's annual conference. "The MPC have communicated that monetary policy will need to be sufficiently restrictive for sufficiently long to return inflation to the 2% target sustainably in the medium term," he added. The BoE currently holds 748 billion pounds ($931 billion) of gilts, down from a peak of 875 billion pounds in December 2021, and committed to reduce its stockpile by 100 billion pounds between October 2023 and September 2024.

Persons: Dave Ramsden, Ramsden, BoE, David Milliken, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, Financial, Thomson

Annual consumer price inflation plunged to a lower-than-expected 4.6% in October from 6.7% in September, official data showed on Wednesday. The Bank of England's forecasts and the consensus from a Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a reading of 4.8%. Sterling fell slightly against the dollar after publication of the data, which showed key inflation measures watched closely by the BoE also falling by more than expected. Investors added to their bets on BoE rate cuts next year with three 25-basis-point reductions in Bank Rate fully priced in by December 2024, and a first cut fully priced for June. Reporting by Andy Bruce and David Milliken, editing by William James and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sterling, BoE, Julien Lafargue, Sunak, Huw Pill, Hugh Gimber, Andy Bruce, David Milliken, William James, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, of, ONS, Barclays Private Bank, Conservative Party, U.S ., Morgan Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Britain, Italy

The figure represented a slight slowdown in regular pay growth from 7.9% in the previous two ONS reports, the highest since the data collection began in 2001. "The labour market remains very tight and businesses are still struggling to hire the people they need," Alexandra Hall-Chen, a policy advisor at the Institute of Directors, said. Including bonuses, which are typically volatile, pay growth slowed to 7.9% from 8.2% in the three months to August. "While there is some uncertainty around the accuracy of this data release, other indicators also suggest the labour market is gradually cooling, not collapsing," Jake Finney, an economist at PwC UK, said. Hunt said his Nov. 22 update on the budget and economic count would include "plans to get people back into work and deliver growth for the UK."

Persons: Big Ben, Toby Melville, Alexandra Hall, Chen, BoE, Sterling, Jake Finney, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan, David Milliken, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, LONDON, of, Office, National Statistics, Reuters, Institute of Directors, U.S, ONS, Labour Force Survey, PwC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Bank of England central counterparty stress tests confirm resilience
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Bank of England is seen in the City of London, Britain, February 14, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The Bank of England on Wednesday said results of stress tests on central counterparties (CCPs) showed continued resilience at the businesses, which help clear and settle trades in financial instruments and commodities essential for the global economy. "The results confirm the continued resilience of UK CCPs to market stress scenarios that are of equal and greater severity than the worst-ever historical market stresses," said Sarah Breeden, the BoE's Deputy Governor for Financial Stability. The stress tests covered three central counterparties which operate in Britain, ICE Clear Europe Limited (ICE.N), LCH Limited, a part of LSEG (LSEG.L), and LME Clear Limited, owned by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (0388.HK). The BoE said it would use the findings "to support and inform its ongoing supervision and regulation of UK CCPs".

Persons: Hannah McKay, Sarah Breeden, BoE, William James, David Milliken, Sarah Young Organizations: of, City of, REUTERS, Bank of England, Financial Stability, ICE Clear Europe, LCH, LME Clear, Hong Kong Exchanges, Clearing, HK, LME, Thomson Locations: of England, City, City of London, Britain, LSEG, LME Base

☆ UK house prices rise in October for first time since March: Halifax
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - British house prices ended six months of consecutive falls in October, reflecting a lack of homes being put up for sale, but prices are still lower than a year ago, mortgage lender Halifax said on Tuesday. Halifax, part of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L), said house prices in October were 1.1% higher than the month before, the first increase since March on a seasonally adjusted basis, after a 0.3% monthly drop in September. This is likely to have strengthened prices in the short-term, rather than prices being driven by buyer demand, which remains weak overall," Kim Kinnaird, director of Halifax Mortgages, said. Compared with a year earlier, house prices in October were 3.2% lower versus a 4.5% annual decline in September, leaving the average house price at 281,974 pounds ($347,279), nearly 10,000 pounds lower than a year earlier. Halifax said it expected further falls in house prices, and a return to growth in 2025.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kim Kinnaird, Kinnaird, David Milliken, Sarah Young, Kate Holton Organizations: REUTERS, Halifax, Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Bristol, Britain, Halifax

☆ UK house prices end six-month losing streak - Halifax
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Compared with a year earlier, house prices in October were 3.2% lower versus a 4.5% annual decline in September, leaving the average house price at 281,974 pounds ($347,279), nearly 10,000 pounds lower than a year earlier. British house prices surged during the COVID-19 pandemic due to low interest rates, greater demand and temporary tax breaks. Halifax's house price index is still 18% higher than it was in February 2020, despite a 4% fall since its peak in June 2022. Halifax said it expected house prices to fall further this year, with a return to growth in 2025. "The high cost of borrowing alone is not sufficient to trigger the leg down in house prices we predicted," Capital economist Andrew Wishart said.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kim Kinnaird, Huw Pill, BoE, Kinnaird, Andrew Wishart, David Milliken, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Halifax, Lloyds Banking Group, The Bank of England, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Bristol, Britain, Halifax, British

☆ Don't confuse customers over stablecoins, Bank of England warns lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bank of England FollowLONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Bank of England told lenders on Monday that they must avoid any risk that customers might confuse new forms of e-money like 'stablecoins' with standard deposits which are guaranteed against bank failures. Stablecoins are a cryptocurrency backed by a traditional currency such as sterling or the U.S. dollar, or an asset. To the extent that systemic payment systems using stablecoins pose similar risks as other systemic payment systems, they should be subject to equivalent regulatory standards, the BoE said. There are no systemic sterling stablecoins, but Tether, issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, pegged to the U.S. dollar and backed by assets including U.S. government debt, said last year it would launch a sterling stablecoin.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, stablecoins, Sheldon Mills, David Milliken, Tom Wilson, Kylie MacLellan, Kirsten Donovan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Companies Bank of England, U.S ., Financial, European, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ UK services businesses 'skirt with recession' in Oct-PMI survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The composite PMI - which includes weak data from the smaller manufacturing sector released on Tuesday - rose to 48.7 from 48.5 in September. "Forward-looking survey indicators suggested that service providers will continue to skirt with recession," Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global, said. "A shallow downturn in UK service sector activity persisted in October as businesses struggled to make headway against a backdrop of worsening domestic economic conditions and stretched household budgets." The services PMI showed the weakest rise in businesses' input costs since February 2021, as falling raw material costs and discounting by suppliers offset continued upward pressure from rising wage bills and fuel costs. Prices charged by services companies rose by the most in three months, although the increases were smaller than in the first half of the year.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Tim Moore, BoE, David Milliken, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, P, PMI, P Global, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, September's, United States

☆ UK workers see record pay rises, but inflation eats them up
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Median weekly earnings for full-time employees fell by 1.5% on the year when adjusted for the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs, the ONS said. Average weekly pay for all men rose by 6.8%, lagging behind a 9.1% increase for women, although the difference in pay growth was smaller when only full-time employees were considered. Median weekly full-time earnings for women were 13% lower than for men. Median gross annual earnings for all full-time employees rose 5.8% to 34,963 pounds ($42,452), a slightly smaller increase than 5.9% in the 12 months to April 2022. The Bank of England is worried that the face pace of pay growth in Britain could create a wage-price spiral.

Persons: Maja Smiejkowska, ASHE, William Schomberg, David Milliken Organizations: Boxing, REUTERS, Britain's, National Statistics, The Bank of England, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Britain scraps cap on banker bonuses inherited from EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A general view of the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday scrapped a decade-old cap on banker bonuses inherited from the European Union, signalling a clear divergence in post-Brexit financial rules from the 27-country bloc it left in 2020. The BoE and Financial Conduct Authority proposed scrapping the cap in a public consultation earlier this year, and its abolition was confirmed in final policy published on Tuesday. The TUC confederation of labour unions said the decision to scrap the bonus cap was "obscene". Law firm Linklaters said scrapping the cap puts Britain back into line with the rest of the world, apart from the EU, but it would continue to apply to staff working at EU banks in London who are regulated under the bloc's rules.

Persons: Hollie Adams, BoE, Suzanne Horne, Paul Hastings, Paul Nowak, Linklaters, David Milliken, Iain Withers, Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, European Union, Financial, Authority, London, Finance, TUC, Britain, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, EU, London, New York, United States, Asia

☆ Analysis: Middle East throws central banks yet more unknowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Now, to complicate matters for a professional caste which prides itself on being data-driven, the Middle East is throwing a new set of real but unquantifiable risks into their equations. Unless the picture changes dramatically in coming days, the European Central Bank, U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England and Bank of Japan are already expected to keep their policy rates on hold in meetings over the next two weeks. ECB rate-setter Yannis Stournaras, the governor of the Greek central bank, argued that Europe had broadly managed to absorb the effects of rising energy costs triggered by the Ukraine war and hoped it could do the same if further shocks emerged. For now, the conflict remains largely confined to Israel and Gaza, something S&P Global Market Intelligence said in a study this week was already "muddying the waters" for central banks. As the Fed's Powell put it: "Our institutional role at the Federal Reserve is to monitor these developments for their economic implications, which remain highly uncertain".

Persons: Jerome Powell, David Westin, Brendan McDermid, Powell, Huw Pill, Yannis Stournaras, Tetsuya Hiroshima, Fed's Powell, Dan Burns, Balazs Koranyi, Francesco Canepa, Maria Martinez, Leika, Kevin Yao, David Milliken, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Federal, Anchor, Bloomberg, Street, Economic, of New, REUTERS, Bank of England, International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank, U.S, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Fed, ECB, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, Tokai, Toyota Motor Corp, P Global Market Intelligence, Thomson Locations: of New York, New York City, U.S, Israel, Ukraine, Iran, Hormuz, Europe, United States, Japan, Gaza, Washington, Frankfurt, Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing, London

☆ UK 30-year borrowing costs rise to highest since 1998
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A bus passes the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, February 14, 2017. Ten-year gilt yields were 2 basis point higher on the day at 4.69%, not far off a 15-year high of 4.755% set on Aug. 17. The BoE has raised its interest rate 14 times since December 2021 to 5.25%, but investors think it is now on pause, with only a 13% chance of a rate rise on Nov. 2 after its next meeting. The chances of a further quarter-point rate to 5.5% by March next year stand at around 55%. Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William JamesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hannah McKay, Liz Truss, Jerome Powell, Richard Hunter, Jeremy Hunt, BoE, David Milliken, William James Our Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, Treasury, Federal, Interactive Investor, Bank of, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain

☆ UK budget deficit undershoots forecast in Sept: ONS
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view of the financial district in London, Britain, September 23, 2023. REUTERS/Matthew Childs/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Britain recorded a smaller-than-expected budget deficit of 14.347 billion pounds ($17.37 billion) in September, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, of 18.3 billion pounds. Government borrowing between April and September, the first half of the 2023/24 financial year, totalled 81.7 billion pounds, 15.3 billion pounds more than in the first half of the previous financial year. British finance minister Jeremy Hunt is due to give a mid-year update on his budget plans alongside new borrowing forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on Nov. 22.

Persons: Matthew Childs, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, David Milliken, William James Our Organizations: REUTERS, National Statistics, Hunt's Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ UK retail sales slide in September as warm weather hurts clothing demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - British retail sales fell more than expected in September as shoppers delayed buying autumn clothing due to unseasonably warm weather, against the backdrop of broader cost of living pressures, official figures showed on Friday. "It was a poor month for clothing stores as the warm autumnal conditions reduced sales of colder weather gear. Clothing sales volumes fell 1.6%, and household goods stores saw a 2.3% drop in sales, which the ONS attributed to ongoing cost of living pressures. While retail sales volumes surged in mid 2021 when shops fully reopened in Britain after COVID-19 restrictions, purchases have steadily fallen since and for the past year sales volumes have been below pre-pandemic levels. Retail sales in the third quarter were likely to subtract 0.04 percentage points from the growth rate of gross domestic product over the period, the ONS said.

Persons: Grant Fitzner, Sterling, David Milliken, William James Our Organizations: National Statistics, ONS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Britain

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