DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ European Central Bank’s Knot says monetary policy to ease ‘gradually,' as markets brace for June rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Klaas Knot, president of De Nederlandsche Bank NV, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G-20) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Gandhinagar, India, on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — European Central Bank Governing Council member Klaas Knot said it would "soon" be time to ease monetary policy in the region, but cautioned that the process would need to be done slowly to keep inflation in check. "It can soon be appropriate to ease the currently restrictive monetary policy stance and gradually take our foot off the brake ... policy rates will slowly but gradually move into less restrictive levels," Knot, head of the central bank of the Netherlands, said at the Barclays-CEPR International Monetary Policy Forum in London Tuesday. In a Reuters poll of 82 economists this week, all said they expected a June cut. Knot, usually known for his more hawkish stance, said Tuesday there had been "clear disinflation" since the peak above 10% in late 2022, particularly in goods inflation.

Persons: Klaas Knot Organizations: De Nederlandsche Bank, Bloomberg, Getty, Central Bank Governing, Barclays, CEPR, Monetary, ECB, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Reuters Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Netherlands, London

☆ Fed's Kashkari wants to see 'many more months' of positive inflation data before a rate cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — The Federal Reserve should wait for significant progress on inflation before cutting interest rates, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari told CNBC Tuesday. Asked what conditions were needed for the Fed to cut rates once or twice this year, Kashkari said: "Many more months of positive inflation data, I think, to give me confidence that it's appropriate to dial back." He said the central bank could potentially even hike rates if inflation fails to come down further. He noted that the central bank may consider raising its target rate in the future, but said it was not appropriate to "move the goal posts" at this stage. The Bank of England is also broadly expected to cut rates this summer.

Persons: Neel Kashkari, Kashkari Organizations: Minneapolis Federal, CNBC, Fed, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of England Locations: U.S

☆ More than 100 business leaders including Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales sign open letter backing Britain's center-left opposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Labour's Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves gives a speech on the British economy ahead of the Bank of England monetary policy release on May 07, 2024 in London, England. LONDON — More than 100 business leaders on Tuesday voiced their support for the U.K.'s center-left opposition Labour Party, nearly five weeks before the country heads to the polls. The group, which includes Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and former vice-chairman of JP Morgan Cazenove Charles Harman, said in an open letter to The Times newspaper: "We, as leaders and investors in British business, believe it is time for a change." The writers of the letter claim that the U.K. economy has suffered from a decade of stagnation amid a lack of both political stability and a long-term, consistent economic strategy. The Labour Party has "shown it has changed and wants to work with business to achieve the UK's full economic potential," they said.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, Jimmy Wales, JP Morgan, Charles Harman, Karen Blackett, Andrew Higginson Organizations: Bank of, Labour Party, The Times, WPP, JD Sports, British Retail, Tesco Bank, Heathrow Airport Locations: Bank of England, London, England

☆ British retail sales plunge 2.3% in April, missing estimates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People walk in the rain over the London Bridge in central London on March 12, 2024. Lucy North - Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty ImagesLONDON — U.K. retail sales volumes dropped 2.3% in April as wet weather deterred shoppers, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. "Sales volumes fell across most sectors, with clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores doing badly as poor weather reduced footfall," the ONS said. Sales were up 0.7% across the three months to April compared to the previous three months following a weak December and holiday season, but were down 0.8% year on year. watch nowKris Hamer, director of insight at the British Retail Consortium, pointed to bright spots in the data in cosmetics and computer sales.

Persons: Lucy North, Kris Hamer, Hamer, GfK Organizations: National Statistics, Reuters, British Retail Consortium, Bank of England's Locations: London

☆ Walmart and Target are slashing prices. What does that mean for inflation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That doesn’t mean the battle against inflation is won. Walmart saw first-quarter sales at stores open at least a year climb 3.8% from the prior year, in part thanks to its ability to keep prices low even as inflation remains sticky. “Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating” with consumers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a call with analysts. Investors will get more inflation data next week from the Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million).

Persons: Doug McMillon, Price, we’re, ”, Preston Caldwell, Scarlett Johansson, Will Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI, Johansson, OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, Brian Fung, OpenAI didn’t, Anna Cooban, “ Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Walmart, Ikea, Aldi, Morningstar Research Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Investors, Citi, Citigroup, Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England’s Prudential, Authority, CNN Locations: New York, United States

☆ Shock summer election in Britain predicted to deliver 'historic' result
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement in the rain outside 10 Downing Street, announcing the UK general election will take place on 4 July in London, United Kingdom on May 22, 2024. News of the vote came as a surprise to the public, the media and much of Sunak's own party. 'As good as it gets'Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House think tank, said the election date had shocked many Conservatives who thought it would be held nearer to the U.S. election in November. Market bets on an interest rate cut in the summer fell as a result, and it now looks unlikely the central bank will cut on June 20, its last meeting before the election. So if that translates to a general election as well, then that Labour landslide is looking much less certain."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Price, Bronwen Maddox, I'm, Maddox, Rachel Reeves, Sir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner, Leon Neal, James, Hannah Bunting, CNBC's, Tony Blair, John Major, Bunting, we've Organizations: British, Anadolu, Getty, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Downing, Bank of England, Chatham House, CNBC, Bank of England's, Labour, Centre, University of Exeter Locations: London, United Kingdom, U.K, Europe, Gaza, Rwanda, Purfleet

☆ Dollar hovers near highest in a week after hawkish Fed minutes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen l anguished just above a three-week low despite the continued threat of intervention by Japanese officials. The dollar index, which tracks the currency against six major rivals including the euro , sterling and yen, was little changed at 104.89 after gaining 0.28% overnight. The dollar was little changed at 156.77 yen after rising to 156.85 overnight, the highest since May 1. Traders and analysts suspect Japan's Ministry of Finance intervened several times to support the yen following its plunge to a 34-year low of 160.245 per dollar on April 29. Bigger rival bitcoin was little changed at $69,491 after reaching $71,957 on Tuesday for the first time since April 9.

Persons: Sterling, Ether, James Kniveton, Japan's, Rishi Sunak, bitcoin Organizations: Bank of Japan, Reserve, Federal, Traders, of Finance, Bank of England, Conservatives, Labour Party, Labour, Securities

☆ European markets head for higher open ahead of UK inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

European stocks are heading for a higher open Wednesday as regional markets continue to see-saw over the inflation outlook and trajectory of interest rates. Investors in the U.K. will be keeping a close eye on the latest U.K. inflation figures out Wednesday. Economists are forecasting a sharp fall in the April print, driven by lower household energy costs, that could take the headline rate close to, or even below, the Bank of England's 2% target.

Organizations: Bank of England's

☆ Citi fined $78 million after a European trader's fat-finger trade caused a flash crash in stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A trading mistake at Citigroup in 2022 has led to a $78 million fine against the bank. The "fat-finger" trade caused a brief flash crash in European stocks in May 2022. The brief flash crash caused by the mistaken trade briefly wiped out $322 billion in market value. A trader in Citigroup's London unit entered one too many zeros in a trade in May 2022, sparking a short-lived flash crash in European stocks. AdvertisementThe $78 million fine from UK regulators is in addition to about $50 million Citigroup lost on the trade, bringing the total cost of the fat-finger trade to about $130 million.

Persons: — Organizations: Citigroup, Service, Bloomberg, Bank of England's Prudential Regulatory Authority Locations: Citigroup's London, Stockholm

☆ UK inflation comes in hotter than expected, slashing June rate cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.K. inflation came in hotter than expected with a drop to 2.3% in April, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday, prompting traders to pull back from bets on a June interest rate cut from the British central bank. Core inflation, excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, dipped to 3.9% in April from 4.2% in March. A dramatic drop in the headline rate was widely expected because of the year-on-year decline in energy prices. Investors were instead set to focus on core and services inflation, after BOE policymakers indicated they would be willing to cut interest rates some time in the summer, but stressed that the timing would depend on fresh data. Following the print, money markets slashed the probability of a June rate cut to just 15%, down from 50% earlier in the day.

Persons: BOE Organizations: National Statistics, Bank of England's, Reuters Locations: Russia, Ukraine, British, U.K

☆ U.K. Inflation Falls to 2.3 Percent, Lowest in Three Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s inflation rate slowed last month to its lowest level in about three years, approaching the Bank of England’s 2 percent target. Consumer prices rose 2.3 percent in April from a year earlier, down from 3.2 percent in March, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday. The rate, which declined slightly less than economists expected, was the lowest since July 2021. Food inflation also slowed to 2.9 percent, from 4 percent. The steep decline in headline inflation, closing in on the central bank’s target, signals a new phase in British policymakers’ battle against inflation.

Organizations: Bank of England’s, National Statistics Locations: Ukraine

☆ Citigroup fined for almost dumping $189 billion into European markets by accident
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —UK regulators slapped a combined £62 million ($79 million) fine on Citigroup Wednesday for failures in its trading systems that almost resulted in stocks worth $189 billion being dumped onto European markets. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million). The Bank of England highlighted an incident in May 2022 when one of the bank’s “experienced” traders sold $1.4 billion worth of stocks on European exchanges in error. Citigroup’s systems blocked $255 billion of that, meaning that $189 billion was sent to its trading platform for sale “over the rest of the day.” In total, $1.4 billion worth of stocks was sold before the trader canceled the transaction. Following the incident, Citigroup has taken steps to “improve and strengthen” the security of its trading systems, the central bank said.

Persons: ”, Sam Woods Organizations: London CNN —, Citigroup, Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England’s Prudential, Authority, Bank of England, FCA, “ Locations: ”

☆ Learning how to use AI could boost your pay by 25%, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Jobs that require artificial intelligence skills offer significantly higher wages than those that don’t, according to new research published Tuesday. Consultancy PwC studied advertisements, posted last year, for a range of jobs, including app programmers, lawyers and accountants. It found that wages for AI-related roles were on average 25% higher in the United States than for comparable jobs in the same field that did not require those skills. Between 2012 and 2023, the number of jobs requiring AI skills grew 3.5 times faster than the total of all jobs across the countries studied, according to the report. “AI could be the missing piece of the UK’s productivity puzzle, bringing a boost to the economy, wages, and living standards,” said Sahneh at PwC.

Persons: PwC, ” Mehdi Sahneh, Barret Kupelian, ”, ” Randall Kroszner Organizations: London CNN, PwC, Bank of Locations: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, North America, Europe, Asia, PwC

☆ Britain's inflation rate could be about to drop below the Bank of England's 2% target
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — U.K. inflation could be about to hit a major milestone, with some forecasting that a sharp fall in the April print will take the headline rate below the Bank of England's 2% target. That would represent a plunge from the current level of 3.2% and could "make or break" a June interest rate cut, economists say. Ashley Webb, U.K. economist at Capital Economics, said that if the headline rate does fall below 2% in April, as he expects, it would be "momentous." "This will be crucial in determining whether the first interest rate cut from 5.25% will happen in June (as we expect) or in August. We think inflation will fall further, perhaps even to 1.0% later this year," Webb said in a Friday note.

Persons: Ashley Webb, What's, Webb, —, BOE Governor Andrew Bailey, BOE, Ben Broadbent, James Smith, ING's Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Bank of England's, Capital Economics, Bank of England, European Central Bank, ING Locations: Kingston, London, U.K

☆ Dollar calm as traders await clues on U.S. rate path
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this photo illustration, a person seen holding a 100 US dollar bill in his hand. The dollar was broadly steady on Monday as investors awaited further clues to help chart the U.S. interest rate path in the wake of cautious comments from Federal Reserve officials, even as inflation shows signs of cooling. The Japanese yen was flat at 155.74 per dollar, with traders on alert for any signs of government intervention. That has prompted traders to trim the amount of easing expected this year to about 46 bps, with only a rate cut in November fully priced in. In other currencies, sterling touched a two-month high of $1.2711 ahead of the crucial UK inflation report due on Wednesday.

Persons: Brian Jacobsen, Powell, Jackson, Flash PMIs, Paul Mackel, BoE, Charu Chanana Organizations: Federal Reserve, Annex Wealth Management, ANZ, European Central Bank, Bank of England, HSBC, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Saxo Locations: Tokyo, Germany, U.S, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Gen Z is getting hit hard by inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For Gen Z, it was the Covid-19 pandemic. Why are we seeing that Gen Z is tapping into their credit more than their Millennial counterparts 10 years ago? Most Gen Z consumers are not homeowners. And so I think that’s been a big cause of what’s been driving a lot of that financial strain that Gen Z consumers have seen. The key is to not use the personal loans to pay off credit card debt and then run your credit card bills right back up after you do that.

Persons: TransUnion, Zers, Millennials, Gen Zers, Bell, Charlie Wise, we’ve, haven’t, You’re, Rishi Sunak, Hanna Ziady, Anna Cooban, Philip Jefferson, Loretta Mester, Jack, Neel Kashkari Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Gross, Office, National Statistics, Bank of England, P, Federal, Cleveland Fed, Depot, US Labor Department, Cisco Systems, US Commerce Department, National Association of Home Builders, Index, Minneapolis, Walmart, Applied, Co, Baidu, Board Locations: New York, Kingdom, Wells Fargo

☆ Why you should buy stocks ahead of next week's inflation report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Investors should buy stocks ahead of next week's release of the April CPI report, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee. An in-line CPI report or better would increase the chances of three interest rate cuts this year, Lee said. AdvertisementInvestors should buy stocks ahead of next week's release of the April CPI report, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee. Sweden's Riskbank cut interest rates for the first time since 2016 on Wednesday, and the Bank of England signaled that interest rate cuts are imminent. And next week, we expect incoming data to show overall softening of the key components of inflation," Lee said.

Persons: Tom Lee, Lee, — Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, Bank of England

☆ Dollar nurses losses after another set of soft jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar was trading at 155.39 yen , down from highs of 155.95 hit in the previous session. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, was flat at 105.25. "We note jobless claims are weekly data that can be very volatile from week to week," Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Joseph Capurso, said in a note. "The BoE's urgency and willingness to cut ahead of the Fed will continue to weigh on the currency," Goh said. Being added to the list makes it harder for U.S. suppliers to ship to the targeted entities.

Persons: Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Joseph Capurso, Shunichi Suzuki, Rong Ren Goh, Sterling, BoE, Goh Organizations: U.S, Federal Reserve, dovish Bank of England, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's, Tokyo, Japan's Finance, Eastspring Investments, Bank of England, Monetary, Committee, Fed, Treasury, Traders, PPI, Federal Locations: U.S, United States

☆ 'Beaten up' UK homebuilders could get the biggest boost from interest rate cuts, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | 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 Email'Beaten up' UK homebuilders could get the biggest boost from interest rate cuts, strategist saysMichael Field, European equity market strategist at Morningstar, discusses the outlook for European sectors and says homebuilders, particularly in the U.K., could see the biggest boost should the Bank of England start cutting interest rates.

Persons: Michael Field Organizations: Morningstar, Bank of England

☆ UK GDP growth: Country exits recession as services bounce back
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The increase follows falls of 0.3% in the fourth quarter and 0.1% in the third quarter of last year. The Bank of England now expects UK GDP to expand by 0.5% this year, double the pace forecast in February, according to projections published Thursday. A growing economy could, however, delay the interest rate cuts widely expected this year. “Stronger GDP growth raises the risk of stronger demand pressures on inflation,” analysts at Nomura wrote in a note, adding that Friday’s GDP release “casts doubt” over a cut in June. Annual UK inflation came in at 3.2% last month, a sharp slowdown from a rate above 10% about a year ago.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Nomura, ”, Andrew Bailey, Bailey Organizations: London CNN, Gross, Office, National Statistics, Conservative Party, Labour Party, The Bank of England, P Global . Service, Bank of England Locations: United Kingdom

☆ UK economy emerges from recession with 0.6% growth in first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.K. economy has emerged from recession as gross domestic product rose 0.6% in the first quarter, official figures showed Friday, beating expectations. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast growth of 0.4% on the previous three months of the year. The U.K. entered a shallow recession in the second half of 2023, as persistent inflation continued to hurt the economy. Although there is no official definition of a recession, two straight quarters of negative growth is widely considered a technical recession. The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee on Thursday warned that indicators of persistent inflation "remain elevated," and voted to keep its main interest rate at 5.25%.

Organizations: Reuters, of England's

☆ Treasury yields pause for breath as traders digest strong jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Katrina Bishop | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The 2-year Treasury yield, meanwhile, was marginally higher at 4.819%. U.S. Treasury yields were broadly flat early Friday as traders digested the jump in weekly jobless claims and what this could mean for interest rates. Relief at the auction outcome means traders are now firmly focused — once again — on the interest rate trajectory of the Federal Reserve. Weekly initial jobless claims, released Thursday, hit their highest level since August 2023, coming in at 231,000. It comes after the Bank of England on Thursday held interest rates as expected, but raised expectations of a cut in June.

Persons: —, Henry Allen, Treasurys, Dallas, Lorie Logan, Neel Kashkari, Goolsbee, Michelle Bowman Organizations: Treasury, U.S, Federal Reserve, Deutsche Bank, Bank of England Locations: U.S, Minneapolis

☆ Traders reassess Bank of England rate cuts as UK grows at fastest rate in nearly 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey attends the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, on May 9, 2024. Markets on Friday were pricing in an around 48% chance of a rate cut in June according to LSEG data, slightly higher than Thursday's 45% probability. "The broader message and the tone of the MPC were more dovish than we had anticipated," they said in a note published following the BOE's latest interest rate decision. The central bank on Thursday said it would leave interest rates unchanged for now, and stressed that a June rate cut was in no way guaranteed. Two members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted to cut rates, one more than at the central bank's previous meeting.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, Yui Mok, YUI MOK, BOE Organizations: England, Bank of England, The Bank of England, Getty, Swiss Bank UBS, MPC, Monetary Locations: London

☆ Dollar holds its ground as key inflation data looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. one hundred dollar bills are being shown in this picture illustration taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 15, 2023. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar slowly inched up after it fell more than 3% last week, its biggest weekly percentage drop since early December 2022. Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda on Thursday reiterated a warning that Tokyo is ready to take action in the currency market. The dollar index rose to 0.05% to 105.55, while the Japanese yen was mostly flat at 155.59 per greenback. The BOE is likely to take another step towards its first interest rate cut in four years as inflation falls.

Persons: Masafumi Yamamoto, Masato Kanda, Susan Collins, Sterling, BOE, bitcoin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of, Mizuho Securities, Traders, PPI, Fed Bank of Boston, European Central Bank Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Japan, U.S, United States, Tokyo, —

☆ Bank of England set to hold rates as Europe's central banks diverge from Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Variegated tulips planted in flower beds opposite the Bank of England in the City of London on 7th May 2024 in London, United Kingdom. =LONDON — The Bank of England is set to hold interest rates steady at its Thursday meeting, with traders expected to pore over the details of Governor Andrew Bailey's statement as anticipation builds for a potential summer rate cut. The BOE's Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to keep the Bank Rate at 5.25%, with an announcement due at midday. The latest March meeting saw eight votes to keep rates steady and one to cut. It's going to reach target pretty soon, and that will put the Bank under a lot of pressure to start normalizing policy."

Persons: Andrew Bailey's, Bailey, Francesco Garzarelli, Garzarelli, CNBC's, There's Organizations: Bank of England, Eisler Capital, Bank Locations: City of London, London, United Kingdom

Search resuls for: "Bank of England"

25 mentions found