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☆ UK government to deliver crucial pre-election budget announcements with economy in recession
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Economists expect Hunt to use a small modest windfall to deliver tax cuts as he looks to woo the electorate, with the main opposition Labour Party leading by more than 20 points across all national polls. Yet the chancellor is navigating the constraints of fragile public finances and a stagnant economy that entered a shallow technical recession at the end of 2023. Inflation has fallen faster than anticipated and market expectations for interest rates are well below where they were prior to Hunt's Autumn Statement in November, but many British households are still feeling the cost of living squeeze, while public services remain extremely stretched. The Treasury pre-announced plans over the weekend to deliver up to £1.8 billion ($2.3 billion) worth of benefits by boosting public sector productivity, including releasing police time for more frontline work. Hunt is under pressure from within his own party to deliver tax cuts, a move the International Monetary Fund warned against in January, given the country's spending needs on public services.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt Organizations: LONDON, Finance, Budget, Conservative Party, Labour Party, National Insurance, Treasury, International Monetary Fund Locations: London

☆ 'Last chance saloon': UK finance minister expected to pledge pre-election tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said earlier this month the U.K. would not enter a recession this year. LONDON — Economists expect U.K. Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt to use a small fiscal windfall to deliver a modest package of tax cuts at his Spring Budget on Wednesday. However, the big questions over tax cuts remain heading into Wednesday's statement. Raja suggested the finance minister will err on the side of caution in loosening fiscal policy, favoring supply side support over boosting demand. "Therefore, tax cuts to national insurance contributions (NICs) and changes to child benefits are more likely to come in the Spring Budget (in contrast to earlier expectations of income tax cuts)."

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Sanjay Raja, Raja Organizations: British, LONDON, Finance, Budget, Conservative, Labour Party, Treasury, Independent, Deutsche Bank, Bank of England

☆ The proper reading order for TikTok-famous author Sarah J. Maas' 16 books, from 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' to 'The Assassin's Blade'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Samantha Grindell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

BookTok can't get enough of Sarah J. Maas' fantasy series, especially "A Court of Thorns and Roses." Here's the reading order I'd recommend as an avid fan of Maas' books. However, I don't think reading the "Throne of Glass" books in the order they were published offers the best narrative experience. After her two longer series, Maas readers will be ready for the 'Crescent City' booksHalf-fae Bryce Quinlan is at a crossroads when the "Crescent City" series begins, grieving the murder of her best friends by a demon. BloomsburyI would absolutely leave "Crescent City" as your third Maas series for a few reasons.

Persons: BookTok, Sarah J, Maas, —, she's, ahem, Feyre Archeron, Frost, Celaena, Adarlan, fae Bryce Quinlan, Bryce, Hunt Athalar, — they're, I'd, Bryce Quinlan's Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Marvel, Hulu, Wings, Silver Flames, Bloomsbury Locations: TikTok, Maas, Bloomsbury, Adarlan, Crescent, Crescent City

In fact, football wasn't even on her radar when Norma Hunt returned from Ireland, where she had spent a year on a Rotary Club scholarship. Norma Hunt was never going to be the passive wife of a sports tycoon, though. Lamar Hunt died in 2006 at the age of 74, and Clark Hunt took over the leadership of the Chiefs franchise. Norma Hunt became an astute businesswoman, every bit as savvy as her husband, the son of an oil magnate. “You know, they both loved the game," Clark Hunt said, ”and my dad obviously had such a huge impact on the game in so many different ways.

Persons: HENDERSON, Clark Hunt, Lamar Hunt, —, Norma Hunt, Clark, I'm, “ It's, ” Hunt, “, Norma Hunt's, Norma, Roger Goodell, Michael Jordan, ”, Andy Reid, Ford, Mark Donovan, ‘ Norma, it's, Donovan, Daniel —, FC Dallas —, ” Clark Hunt, Hunt, Pete Rozelle Organizations: Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Super, Kansas City, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, AFC, NFL, Rotary Club, Dallas Texans, AFL, Chicago Bulls, NBA, Ford, Arrowhead, MLS, FC Dallas, T, FIFA Locations: Nev, Miami, Arizona, Ireland, Innsbruck, Austria, lockstep, North America, Bidwell, California, Sonoma County, Kansas City, ”, Kansas, Arrowhead, Dallas

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: iRobot, Super Micro Computer, PPG Industries and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The lower end of PPG's range for full-year earnings guidance was also well below what analysts called for. On the other hand, the company's earning and revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 topped what analysts had anticipated. Super Micro Computer — Shares of the information technology firm gained 6% after Super Micro Computer reported preliminary second-quarter adjusted earnings of between $5.40 and $5.55 per share, higher than its previous guidance of between $4.40 to $4.88 per share. Super Micro also reported a preliminary revenue of between $3.6 billion to $3.65 billion, topping its prior guidance of $2.7 billion to $2.9 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that the European Union's antitrust watchdog anticipates blocking Amazon's acquisition of iRobot.

Persons: Hunt, Kirk Tanner, Todd Penegor, iRobot Organizations: PPG Industries, Micro Computer, Micro, Hunt Transport, LSEG, Wendy's, PepsiCo, Blackwells, Street Journal

☆ 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

☆ Morning Bid: Watching what the ECB giveth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Vidya Ranganathan. The forward-looking flash November PMIs due out globally should help investors assess recession risks and how quickly rate cuts will begin. Interest rate futures show the market is pricing in rate cuts by April and more aggressively so in June . Later on Thursday, Sweden's central bank will announce its latest policy decision in what is expected to be a very close call on whether to hike again. A Reuters poll showed 10 of 19 economists looked for a rise, while market pricing is leaning against a move.

Persons: Vidya Ranganathan, haven't, Mario Centeno, Joachim Nagel's, Christine Lagarde's, Jeremy Hunt's, Van Haaren, ECB's Isabel Schnabel, Robert Holzmann, Francois Villeroy de, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Vidya, European Central, PMI, ECB, Reuters, Ubezpieczen SA, Virgin Money, Bank of France, Thomson Locations: Japan, United States, Britain, U.S, Sweden's

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

☆ UK's Autumn Statement laid bare how much economic damage Conservatives have caused: James Murray
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUK's Autumn Statement laid bare how much economic damage Conservatives have caused: James MurrayJames Murray, the U.K.'s shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, discusses Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement and the country's economic outlook.

Persons: James Murray James Murray, Jeremy Hunt's Organizations: Treasury

☆ Why the UK government's tax cuts still leave workers worse off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt that the U.K. economy would not enter a technical recession in 2023, while announcing the government's spring Budget. The U.K. National Insurance is a tax on workers' income and employers' profits to pay for state social security benefits, including the state pension. Touted by the Conservative party as the "largest ever tax cut for workers," the move nevertheless does not shield taxpayers from the effect of frozen tax thresholds that tip more of their income into higher tax brackets, as nominal wages rise. In March 2021, then-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the personal allowance (PA) and higher-rate thresholds (HRT) of income tax would be frozen for four years until April 2026. Alongside extending the freezes, Hunt in November 2022 froze the upper earnings limit for NI contributions and lowered the additional rate hold from £150,000 to £125,140 from April 2023.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Dan Kitwood, Rishi Sunak's, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Torsten Bell, Paul Johnson Organizations: British, Getty, Finance, National Insurance, Labour Party, Rishi Sunak's Conservative, Insurance, Conservative, Treasury, Institute for Fiscal Studies

Investors cautioned that tax breaks would not be sufficient to raise business investment while UK interest rates stayed high. But Wednesday, equity markets focused on Hunt's business boosts, such as a move to make full expensing on investment permanent. UK stock markets have underperformed their European and U.S. peers in 2023. The FTSE 100 index 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio is around 10.7, about half that of U.S. stocks, with Hunt's budget unlikely to move the dial too far. Reuters GraphicsSTERLING SOGGYThe pound struggled to gain any traction on the back of Hunt's budget.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kwasi Kwarteng, Leigh Himsworth, Simon Harvey, Philip Shaw, Thomas McGarrity, Fuller, Smith, Turner, Oli Creasey, It's, BoE, GILTS, Craig Erlam, Goldman Sachs, Naomi Rovnick, Samuel Indyk, Lucy Raitano, Amanda Cooper, Harry Robertson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Traders, Investors, Fidelity International, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, BT, Investec, RBC Wealth Management, Reuters, BREWERS, Debt Management, Reuters Graphics STERLING, Thomson Locations: U.S, Cheviot, gilts, London

☆ Morning Bid: AI buzzes but market shrugs at Nvidia beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly before the closing bell as the market takes a significant dip in New York, U.S., February 25, 2020. Remarkably, Nvidia managed to vault the sky-high bar for quarterly earnings, revenue and projections yet again in its latest update overnight. Bond volatility (.MOVE) has also fallen to two-month lows, while currency market 'vol' (.DBCVIX) is plumbing 20-month lows. CONCERN OVER HOME SALES, HOLIDAY SEASON SALESNews of a drop in U.S. existing home sales last month to a 13-year low was perhaps as important as the Fed minutes - as was warnings from more major U.S. retailers, this time Best Buy and Nordstrom, about sticky holiday season sales and the need for discounting. The dollar (.DXY) was a touch higher on Wednesday, meantime, with most overseas stock markets firmer too.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Mike Dolan, thrall, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Changpeng Zhao, October's, Jeremy Hunt's, underperformed, Jeremy Hunt, Bernadette Baum Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, Nvidia, Federal, Nordstrom, University of Michigan, Bank of Canada, Treasury, Deere, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New York, U.S, Gaza, China, yearend, York, Beijing

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Conservative government will try to win favor with voters by cutting taxes but avoiding worsening inflation in a budget statement Wednesday, coming ahead of a likely national election next year that opinion polls suggest it will lose. Sunak said Monday that his government would “cut tax and reward hard work” but would “avoid doing anything that puts at risk our progress in controlling inflation." Political Cartoons View All 1262 Images“Now that inflation is halved and our growth is stronger — meaning revenues are higher — we can begin the next phase and turn our attention to cutting tax,” he said. The election must be held by January 2025, with speculation focusing on May or sometime next fall. Arguably, cutting personal taxes will make that “journey” more difficult because it would likely raise consumer spending, thereby ratcheting up price pressures.

Persons: —, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Jeremy Hunt's, ”, “, ” Sunak, Liz Truss, Hunt, There's, hasn't, “ Hunt, Kallum Pickering, Andrew Bailey Organizations: Conservative, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Bank of, Bank of England Locations: Ukraine, Berenberg

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

☆ British tax cut spells trouble in store for next government
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt's big tax cut surprise could help the ruling Conservatives recover some favour among voters, but it threatens to store up budget problems for whichever party wins power after the expected 2024 election. Combined with his decision to make permanent the incentives for business investment announced earlier this year, Hunt's package of tax cuts would be worth about 20 billion pounds ($25 billion)a year by the 2028/29 tax year. "The giveaways announced today are funded by handing whoever wins the next election implausibly large spending cuts," Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said. Hunt is likely to remain under pressure from within his party to go further with more tax cuts in a final pre-election budget statement expected in March. "There's a material risk that those plans prove undeliverable and today's tax cuts will not prove to be sustainable," Johnson said.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Jeremy Hunt's, Hunt, Liz, Rishi Sunak, Labour Party's, Rachel Reeves, Torsten Bell, Investec, David Jones, Paul Johnson, Johnson, William Schomberg, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Wednesday, Labour, Conservative, Bank of England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

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

"We do want to bring down the tax burden but we will only do so responsibly," Hunt told Sky News. "The one thing we won't do is any kind of tax cut that fuels inflation." OPTIONS LIMITED AFTER HEAVY SPENDINGLabour's finance spokesperson Rachel Reeves said cutting inheritance tax would be the wrong priority in a cost-of-living crisis. "Lower taxes on working people - if the government can explain where the money is coming from - is something I would support," Reeves told Sky News. "We want to show people there is a path to lower taxes but we also want to be honest with people this is not going to happen overnight."

Persons: Hunt, Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Rachel Reeves, Reeves, Kylie MacLellan, Andy Bruce, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Sunday Times, Labour, Sky News, Times Radio, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Britain, Thomson Locations: British

☆ UK's Hunt offers incentives, penalties to get more people into work
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt during Britain's Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2023. The "Back to Work" plan, billed as a way to help people "stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work", will form part of the Autumn Statement that Hunt will present next Wednesday. Anyone choosing to coast on the hard work of taxpayers will lose their benefits," Hunt said of the "Back to Work" plan. "This sort of language just pushes people away – alienating those who could benefit from support, alienating employers and alienating partners like GPs and voluntary services," Wilson said. Labour said Hunt's plan was "more of the same".

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Toby Melville, Hunt, Tony Wilson, Wilson, Hunt's, Liz Kendall, Andy Bruce, Susan Fenton Organizations: Britain's Conservative, REUTERS, Institute for Employment Studies, Labour Party, Conservative, IES, Labour, Tories, Confederation, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, British

☆ Jury awards $7.1 million to a burn victim who alleged that a can of cooking spray 'exploded into a fireball'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tammy Reese was badly burned when a can of commercial-brand cooking spray ignited, a lawsuit alleged. A jury has ordered Conagra Brands to pay $7.1 million in compensatory and punitive damages. "We continue to stand by our cooking spray products, which are safe and effective when used correctly, as instructed. Consumers can check if their cooking spray cans are vented by looking at whether the bottom of the can has four small U-shaped slits, Smith said. "In a commercial kitchen, that's a sort of normal place where people leave their cooking spray cans when they're actually using them.

Persons: Tammy Reese, Conagra, —, Pam, Reese, Craig Smith, Marie Callender's, Chef Boyardee, Slim Jim, Smith, Peter Flowers Organizations: Brands, Service, Conagra, Swiss Miss Locations: Illinois, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Shippensburg , Pennsylvania, Cook, Swiss

☆ NFL roundup: Patriots shock Bills for Bill Belichick's 300th win
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The Ravens racked up 355 yards before the break, including 255 passing yards by Jackson. Mark Andrews caught a pair of touchdown passes for Baltimore (5-2). Giants 14, Commanders 7Tyrod Taylor tossed two touchdown passes and the defense held firm as New York earned a win over Washington in East Rutherford, N.J. Seahawks 20, Cardinals 10Geno Smith threw touchdown passes to rookies Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo in the first half and Seattle held on to defeat visiting Arizona. Justin Herbert completed 17 of 30 passes for 259 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Chargers (2-4).

Persons: Bill Belichick, Bob DeChiara, Mac Jones, Jones, Mike Gesicki, Belichick, Don Shula, George Halas, Josh Allen, Allen, Stefon Diggs, Kareem Hunt's, Walker, Hunt, Deshaun Watson, Watson, Kevin Stefanski, Koo, Desmond Ridder, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Baker Mayfield, Chase, Lamar Jackson, Jackson, Mark Andrews, Gus Edwards, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Amon, Ra St, Brown, D'Onta Foreman, Tyson Bagent, NCAA Division II Shepherd, QBs, Bagent, Foreman, Brian Hoyer, Davante Adams, Tyrod Taylor, Daniel Jones, Taylor, Leonard Williams, Darren Waller, Saquon Barkley, Sam Howell, Kenny Pickett, Jaylen Warren, Najee Harris, Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Nacua, Royce Freeman, Geno Smith, Jaxon Smith, Jake Bobo, Smith, Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf, Arizona's Joshua Dobbs, Emari Demercado, Wil Lutz, Locke, Russell Wilson, Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams, Jordan Love, Jayden Reed, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Marquez Valdes, Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco, Justin Herbert, Joshua Kelley Organizations: New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Gillette, New, Buffalo, Bills, Browns, Colts, Indianapolis, The Browns, Cleveland, Seattle Seahawks, Falcons, Buccaneers, Atlanta, Tampa, Ravens, Lions, Baltimore, Bears, Raiders, NFL, Chicago, Las Vegas, NCAA Division II, Giants, New York, Washington, Steelers, Rams, Pittsburgh, Los, Seahawks, Cardinals, Seattle, Arizona, The Seahawks, Broncos, Packers, Denver, Chiefs, Chargers, Kansas City, Thomson Locations: Foxborough , Massachusetts, USA, Foxborough, New England, Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore, Chicago, New, East Rutherford, N.J, New York, Los Angeles, Inglewood , Calif, Seattle, Green, P.J, Denver, Green Bay, Kansas

☆ 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

☆ Britain's finance minister to announce higher minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANCHESTER, England, Oct 1 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday will announce a rise in the minimum wage in his annual Conservative party conference speech, where he is expected to ignore a growing clamour for tax cuts within his party. On Monday Hunt will announce that the living wage, the minimum wage for workers over 23 years old, will rise to at least 11 pounds ($13.42) an hour from 10.42 pounds. Prior to Hunt's speech, former Prime Minister Liz Truss will put pressure on the government to lower taxes in her only expected intervention at this year's conference. A year ago as prime minister, she had to scale back her tax-cutting plans in a U-turn at conference, and the market turmoil she sparked forced her resignation in October. However, since then she has stuck to her message that lower tax, especially for businesses, is part of what Britain needs to spark growth.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Michael Gove, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Liz Truss, Alistair Smout, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Conservative, Bank of England, Low, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Rights MANCHESTER, England, British

A Cleveland-area native, Hunt spent four seasons with the Browns before the team decided not to re-sign him this offseason. Hunt visited several teams over the summer but stayed in the area and was available. Hunt visited the Browns on Tuesday and the sides quickly worked out a deal. Hunt and Chubb once gave the Browns the top 1-2 running back tandem in the NFL. Hunt had a turbulent 2022 season with the Browns.

Persons: — Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb, Hunt, Jerome Ford, Chubb, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Bowler, ___ Organizations: Browns, Associated Press, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh, Georgia, NFL, Cleveland, Kansas City Locations: BEREA , Ohio, Cleveland

☆ UK finance minister Hunt says inflation is on track to come down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Saturday inflation was on track to halve by the end of 2023, vowing to focus on the goal as he laid out his priorities ahead of the reopening of parliament after the summer break. Britain's inflation rate is forecast to fall to about 5% by the end of the year - half January's level - and meeting the target would mean one of the five key pledges Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made to voters for 2023 would be met. Hunt said in a statement issued on Saturday that pressure on household budgets would start to ease as inflation cools. "We are on track to halve inflation this year and by sticking to our plan we will ease the pressure on families and businesses alike," Hunt said, ahead of lawmakers returning to parliament on Monday. For July, Britain's annual consumer price inflation rate cooled to 6.8% - still the highest rate among the Group of Seven economies.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Mairead McGuinness, Yves Herman, Rishi Sunak, Hunt, Sunak, Sarah Young, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Financial Stability, Financial Services, Capital Markets, REUTERS, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, British

☆ UK homebuilders under pressure as lofty mortgages deter first-time buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Ajose Koilparambil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Midcap firms Bellway (BWY.L) and Crest Nicholson (CRST.L) have also pointed to high mortgage rates hampering demand from first-time buyers. Even a potential revival of the government's 'Help to Buy' scheme, which offered incentives to first-time buyers, will not be enough to improve affordability, analysts have said. Persimmon (PSN.L), one of Britain's biggest homebuilders heavily exposed to first-time buyers compared to its FTSE 100 peers, has offered new customers a "10 months mortgage free" deal. Still, the housing sector faces an uncertain path to recovery, given the ultra-elevated mortgage rate levels. Meanwhile, investors will look out for updates on demand when a couple of high-profile homebuilders report half-year results next month.

Persons: Barratt, BDEV.L, Nicholson, Steve Turner, Bellway, Peel Hunt, Sam Cullen, housebuilders, Cullen, Persimmon, Rob Perrins, Jeremy Hunt, Aynsley Lammin, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Sweta Singh, Saumyadeb Organizations: Berkeley, Reuters, Home Builders Federation, Bank of, Times, Housing, Thomson Locations: Berkeley, England, Wales, Bank of England, Bengaluru

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