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☆ Paris loses stock market crown to London as political upheaval looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —London’s stock market has edged ahead of its rival in Paris as fears grow over the outcome of France’s looming parliamentary elections. The first round of the French elections is scheduled for June 30, followed by a second round on July 7. Hubert de Barochez, a senior market economist at consultancy Capital Economics, said investors might be concerned that a parliament run by the National Rally would penalize banks. In contrast with the political and financial turmoil in France, UK financial markets are “relatively stable,” said Rudolph at IG Group. Credit ratings agencies are already keeping a close eye on France, one of the EU’s three most-indebted countries.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Axel Rudolph, you’ve, ”, OpinionWay, Macron, Hubert de Barochez, Rudolph, Richard Hunter, Mohit Kumar Organizations: London CNN, Bloomberg, CAC, FTSE, European Union, “, CNN, National, BNP, Credit, Capital Economics, IG Group, Labour Party, Interactive Investor, National Rally, Jefferies Locations: Paris, France, United Kingdom, Europe’s, Britain

☆ British fund manager abrdn's CEO Stephen Bird to step down
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

British fund manager abrdn said on Friday CEO Stephen Bird will step down after four years in the role, and finance chief Jason Windsor will take the helm on an interim basis. The Edinburgh-based company had named Windsor as the CFO last July. Bird, a former Citigroup executive who took over as chief executive in 2020, has sought to drive a turnaround by shedding jobs, reducing its range of funds and expanding into mass-market investing, following the takeover of online platform interactive investor in 2022. Trading and net flows so far in the second quarter have shown similar trends to the previous three-month period, abrdn said. Last month, it had reported 0.8 billion pounds ($1.02 billion) of net inflows over the January-March period, while its assets under management increased 3% to 507.7 billion pounds.

Persons: abrdn, Stephen Bird, Jason Windsor, Bird Organizations: Citigroup Locations: Edinburgh, Windsor

LONDON (AP) — Unilever, the company that makes Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Dove soaps and Vaseline, said Tuesday that it is cutting 7,500 jobs and spinning off its ice cream business to reduce costs and boost profits. London-based Unilever said its ice cream business, which also includes Magnum bars, has “distinct characteristics” from its other brands and would benefit from separate ownership to increase growth. The British consumer goods company with 128,000 employees also said it is launching a “productivity program” that is expected to lead to a reduction of about 7,500 mostly office-based jobs worldwide. The company behind Hellman’s mayonnaise, Axe fragrances and Cif household cleaners said it is targeting underlying sales growth of mid-single digits after spinning off the ice cream business. It saw sales volume drop 3.6% in 2022 after jacking up prices 13.3% on average across its brands that year.

Persons: Hein Schumacher, ”, Richard Hunter Organizations: — Unilever, Unilever, London Stock Exchange Locations: London

☆ How can foreign investors cash in on India’s growth? Here are the ETFs and stocks to buy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

India's economic prospects are shining bright, attracting global investors eager to capitalize on the country's immense growth potential. The International Monetary Fund expects India's real gross domestic product (GDP) to expand by 6.5% in 2024. However, tapping into these opportunities as a foreign investor is not as straightforward as buying shares listed on the Indian stock exchanges. This allows investors outside India to buy shares more easily. ADRs are a way for investors to own shares in a foreign company, with the shares themselves held by a U.S. bank.

Persons: Malcolm Dorson, Alex Watts, GDRs, Dorson Organizations: Monetary Fund, India Active, Franklin FTSE, Interactive, London Stock Exchange, Major, Nokia, Airtel Locations: India, Franklin FTSE India, U.S, Canada, Germany, France, Finnish, China, Europe

London-based BP reported its underlying replacement cost profit, which excludes one-time items and fluctuations in the value of inventories, down from $3.3 billion in the previous quarter. It brought in $13.8 billion for all of last year, a huge drop from the $27.7 billion it earned in 2022, when Russia's war in Ukraine sent oil and natural gas prices surging. Energy prices have since fallen as a weak global economy holds back demand for fossil fuels to power cars, planes, factories and more. Despite the drop in annual earnings, BP kept its dividend steady and said it would buy back $1.75 billion in shares as well as commit to $3.5 billion in additional share buybacks for first half of this year. It's a pressure that the energy industry is facing, with companies like BP and Shell pledging to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Persons: Murray Auchincloss, ”, Auchincloss, Bernard Looney, Looney, Joseph Evans, ” Richard Hunter Organizations: —, BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil, Institute for Public Policy Research, “ Locations: Ukraine, London, Spain, Portugal

☆ Gold prices have never been this high
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Gold prices hit an all-time high Monday, buoyed by growing expectations of interest rate cuts among investors, a weaker dollar and geopolitical tensions. “This has created a more favorable environment for gold as a non-yielding asset.”John Reade, a market strategist at the World Gold Council, an association of gold producers, told CNN that, with investors predicting several rate cuts over the next year, gold prices could “quite possibly” shoot above Monday’s record high. Since gold is priced in US dollars, the fall in the greenback’s value has made it less expensive for investors outside the United States to buy the metal, which should have boosted demand and, in turn, lifted gold prices. Gold prices have risen 10% so far this year. According to the World Gold Council, central banks in emerging markets bought 473 metric tons (521 tons) of gold a year on average between 2010 and 2021.

Persons: ebbs, Daria Efanova, ” John Reade, Jamie Dimon, ” Reade, “, Reade, ” Organizations: London CNN —, US Federal Reserve, Treasury, Sucden, World Gold Council, CNN, Interactive Investor Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, China, South China, Taiwan, Russian

☆ Reaction to Sam Altman's return as OpenAI CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Altman, CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI and ChatGPT creator speaks during a talk at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Openai LLC FollowNov 22 (Reuters) - OpenAI said on Tuesday it had reached an agreement for Sam Altman to return as CEO days after his ouster, capping frenzied discussions about the future of the startup at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. THRIVE CAPITAL, OPENAI SHAREHOLDER"OpenAI has the potential to be one of the most consequential companies in the history of computing. "Sam Altman seems awfully powerful and it is unclear that any board would be able to oversee him. Altman and (Microsoft CEO) Nadella may have pushed to allow Altman a much freer hand."

Persons: Sam Altman, Amir Cohen, OpenAI, DANNI HEWSON, BELL, Altman, DANIELA HATHORN, Altman's, Greg, Brockman, ChatGPT's, would've, SUSANNAH STREETER, HARGREAVES LANSDOWN, Sam Altman's, KELVIN WONG, MAK, Nadella, hasn't, Supantha Mukherjee, Ankika Biswas, Bansari Mayur, Aditya Soni, Miyoung Kim, Nivedita Organizations: Microsoft, Tel Aviv University, REUTERS, BANK, OpenAI, MNC, OF, UNIVERSITY OF, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE BUSINSS, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE, OpenAI, Stockholm, Bengaluru

☆ London stocks slip on sluggish GDP data, Diageo's profit warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Khushi Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. The exporter-focused FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was down 0.9% at 0932 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) dropped 2.2%, on track for the biggest one-day fall since early July. The broader beverages index (.FTNMX451010) fell 11.0%, touching the lowest levels since March 2021 and was on track for its biggest one-day decline in over 36 years. Meanwhile, data showed the British economic output failed to grow in the July-to-September period, but at least managed to avoid the start of a recession. Reporting by Khushi Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Toby Melville, Johnnie Walker, Khushi Singh, Eileen Soreng Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, FTSE, Diageo, Bank of England, Bank of, Victoria, U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, America, Caribbean, Bengaluru

☆ Ryanair’s soaring profit means regular payouts to shareholders for first time in 40 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Ryanair has returned money to investors in the past, but never on a regular basis. Between 2008 and 2020, the group paid out €6.74 billion ($7.2 billion) to shareholders via buybacks and ad hoc dividend payments, according to a spokesperson. Less competition has allowed the airline to increase ticket prices, which soared 24% on average, offsetting significantly higher fuel costs. That would be up from its previous record of €1.45 billion ($1.6 billion) earned in 2018, before the Covid-19 pandemic. Ryanair agreed to buy up to 300 Boeing 737-10 planes earlier this year in a deal worth $40 billion.

Persons: ”, Adina Vălean, we’ve, Michael O’Leary, “ I’m Organizations: London CNN, Ryanair, Lauda, Interactive Investor, Financial Times, International Air Transport Association, Boeing Locations: Austrian, Dublin, Europe, Albania

☆ Gen Z is the most financially savvy generation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Eve Upton-Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a May survey from the CFA Institute, a global trade association for investment advisors, more than half of Gen Z respondents said they were already investing, and 82% of American Gen Z investors said they began investing before they turned 21. And while there are plenty of pitfalls and missteps that could plague young people along the way, Gen Z is shaping up to be the most financially savvy generation yet. The estimated $60 billion wipeout caused many Gen Z investors to lose big. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile Gen Z may not always be drawn to the safest investment choices, it's certainly getting some hands-on learning. In many respects, Gen Z is coming of age at a good time, graduating into a booming job market with strong wage growth.

Persons: Gen, Gen Zers, Gen Xers, Zers, It's, —, they'd, stashing, Gen Z, Erin Lowry, Z, there's Venmo, Lowry, Charlie Pastor, finfluencers, Pastor, Taylor Price, Price, it's, I'm, Eve Upton, Clark Organizations: CFA Institute, Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer Finances, Transamerica Center, Retirement Studies, PayPal, YouTube, CFA, IRA, Interactive, UK Royal Mint, Barclays Smart Investor Locations: Canada, Chipotle, BlackRock

☆ 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

☆ Rolls Royce: Aircraft engine maker plans up to 2,500 job cuts worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce will slash up to 2,500 jobs worldwide in a bid to streamline its operations and tackle years of underperformance. (Rolls-Royce is a separate company from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW. The two businesses bearing the Rolls-Royce name were part of the same firm until the 1970s.) “This is another step on our multi-year transformation journey to build a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing Rolls-Royce,” Erginbilgic said. “Its transformation plan is faring well, with improving operations, the post-pandemic rebound in international flying and increased defense spending.”

Persons: Royce, Tufan Erginbilgic, Germany Nadja Wohlleben, Erginbilgic —, ”, “, Erginbilgic, Grazia Vittadini, ” Erginbilgic Organizations: London CNN — Aircraft, Boeing, Airbus, Royce, Rolls, BMW, BP, “, Victoria Scholar, Interactive Locations: Dahlewitz, Berlin, Germany, London’s

☆ Imperial Brands sticks by forecast, announces $1.3 bln share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman poses with a cigarette in front of Imperial Brands logo in this illustration taken July 26, 2022. The company also announced a share buyback of 1.1 billion pounds ($1.34 billion). Rival British American Tobacco (BATS.L) has lost more than 24% of its share value. In recent years, Imperial Brands has focused on its top five markets and expanding next-generation products deemed less harmful to health. ($1 = 0.8230 pounds)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Krishna Chandra Eluri and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, buyback, Hargreaves, Derren Nathan, Winston, blu vapes, Richard Hunter, Eva Mathews, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Michael Perry Organizations: Imperial Brands, REUTERS, FTSE, British American Tobacco, Interactive, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Abrdn’s turnaround is a work in progress
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoLONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Abrdn’s (ABDN.L) machine is firing on two of its three cylinders. The latter two units are growing, but the stock-picking arm – once Abrdn’s core business – needs more attention. The 1.5 billion pound deal, which closed last year, boosted Abrdn’s exposure to the business of managing savings. Since some of that windfall will disappear when rates fall, Bird needs to speed up his turnaround of Abrdn’s core funds business. The 3.9 billion pound company’s turnaround has a long way to go.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Stephen Bird, Hargreaves, Bird, Neil Unmack, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Interactive, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson

Most tech and growth megacaps, whose valuations come under pressure when borrowing costs rise, fell in early premarket trading, with Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Tesla (TSLA.O) down 0.7% each. Meta Platforms (META.O) rose 1.8% after attracting millions of users within hours of launching Threads on Wednesday. After a dismal 2022, big growth and technology stocks have seen outsized gains in 2023, with the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) clocking its best first-half in 40 years. ET, Dow e-minis were down 139 points, or 0.4%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 19 points, or 0.42%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 69.25 points, or 0.45%. Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen's, judge's, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Exxon, Dow, Nasdaq, Wall, Meta, Twitter, Victoria, Interactive Investor, Investors, Institute for Supply, Dow e, Qualcomm, Intel, Treasury, Exxon Mobil, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Coty, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Washington, China, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Central banks around the world just made borrowing costs more expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The central banks of the UK, Turkey, Norway, and Switzerland all raised interest rates yesterday. The Bank of England is the UK's central bank. Let's start with the Bank of England's decision to raise interest rates by 50 basis points and bring borrowing costs to 5%. Turkey's central bank, meanwhile, raised interest rates by 650 basis points to 15%, which was somehow less than markets expected. Just to cover our bases: Norway's central bank raised its core lending rate by half a percentage point, and Switzerland's policymakers hiked its benchmark rate by a quarter point.

Persons: Phil Rosen, Powell, Myron Jobson, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Spencer Platt, Jerome Powell's, Goldman Sachs, David Rosenberg, it's, Warren Buffett, Jason Ma, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: Bank of England, Bank of, Interactive, New York Stock Exchange, U.S . House, Dow, Getty, Apogee Enterprises, Homeowners, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, S3 Partners, BMO Capital Markets, Berkshire Hathaway, Gates Foundation Locations: Manhattan, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Maremagnum, Turkey's, New York City, U.S, New York, Los Angeles, London

☆ Bank of England shocks markets with jumbo interest-rate hike, escalating its fight against sticky inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Bank of England raised interest rates by 50 basis points Thursday. The rate hike comes after Thursday's Consumer Price Index showed inflation remaining at 8.7% in May, way clear of the BoE's 2% target. UK interest rates are now at their highest level since 2008 after the bank brought in its largest rate hike since February. The British pound traded level at around $1.28 after the bank announced its latest decision, while 10-year government bond yields fell by around 13 basis points. "Interest rate rises have been called a blunt instrument, but with very few tools in the box, it seems a sledgehammer is required to fight inflation," he added.

Persons: It's, —, Myron Jobson Organizations: of England, Service, Bank of, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Interactive Locations: Bank of England

☆ Vodafone and Three merger faces scrutiny from competition regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Paul Sandle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The $19 billion tie-up will be scrutinised by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority, the antitrust regulator which made global headlines in April when it blocked Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard. The long-awaited mobile deal reduces the number of networks from four to three, challenging a tenet long held by regulators that four help to keep prices low in major markets. "The government's desire to make the UK a 5G powerhouse requires a lot of investment," he said. One London-based investment banker, who declined to be named, said he put the chance of the deal receiving the green light from regulators at 50%. A major telecoms investor said the deal could be approved, but only with strong remedies, and that could risk undermining its rationale.

Persons: CK Hutchison, Activision Blizzard, Hutchison, Paolo Pescatore, Peter Broadhurst, Moring, James Gray, Sarah Cardell, Robert Finnegan, Gray, Paul Sandle, Amy, Jo Crowley, Sinead Cruise, Kate Holton, Emelia Organizations: Microsoft, Activision, Hutchison, O2, Vodafone, CK, HK, Britain's Competition, Markets Authority, Ofcom, European Commission, Foresight, Hutchison's, UK plc, Victoria, Crowell, CMA, Reuters, National Security and Investment, Britain's, Tesco Mobile, Telefonica, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Britain, Europe, China, London, Germany

☆ UK house prices post first annual drop since 2012, says Halifax
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - British house prices dropped on an annual basis in May for the first time in 11 years, and pressure on prospective buyers from higher mortgage rates could deepen the downturn, mortgage lender Halifax said on Wednesday. Kim Kinnaird, director of mortgages at Halifax, said demand was weakening and higher interest rates were likely to increase pressure on house prices. Halifax, part of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L), on Tuesday said it would raise interest rates for its fixed home loans from Wednesday. The stronger-than-expected inflation data raised markets' bets interest rates will peak at 5.5% later this year. Nationwide, another lender, last week reported a steeper 0.5% month-on-month drop in house prices in April and a 3.4% annual decline - the biggest drop since 2009.

Persons: Kim Kinnaird, Liz Truss's, Kinnaird, Myron Jobson, Suban Abdulla, Andy Bruce, Paul Sandle, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Halifax, Lloyds Banking Group, Interactive Investor, Capital Economics, Nationwide, Thomson Locations: Halifax

☆ UK to curb crypto advertising with 'cooling off' periods, risk warnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said "refer a friend" bonuses for crypto buyers would also be scrapped and that those promoting such assets would have to put in place clear risk warnings and ensure adverts were clear, fair and not misleading. But research shows many regret making a hasty decision," said Sheldon Mills, executive director at the FCA's consumers and competition division. "Consumers should still be aware that crypto remains largely unregulated and high risk," he said. FCA research shows that estimated crypto ownership has more than doubled from 2021 to 2022, with 10% of 2,000 people surveyed stating they own cryptoassets. Under the new rules, crypto firms will have to carry warnings such as: "Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Crypto, FTX, Sheldon Mills, Myron Jobson, Kirstin Ridley, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Financial Conduct Authority, FCA, Thomson Locations: Britain

The Hang Seng (HSNGY)closed 4% higher, notching its biggest one-day gain in three months. Brent crude, the benchmark for global oil prices, gained almost 1.6% to trade at $75.46 a barrel. Hang Seng reboundsIn Hong Kong, the two best-performing stocks were Chinese real estate developers Longfor Group (LNGPF) and Country Garden Services, soaring 17% and 12% respectively. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported Friday that China was working on such measures. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s Kospi index ended the day 1.3% up, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was 1.2% higher, and the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.8%.

Persons: Philip Jefferson, Joe Biden, “, ”, Richard Hunter, ” Dow, Germany’s DAX, DAX Organizations: London CNN — Global, US, Markets, Treasury, Interactive, Nasdaq, CAC, Brent, Longfor, Garden Services, Bloomberg, Nikkei Locations: Hong Kong, London, China, France, Qingdao, Asia, South, Shanghai

U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Sunday signed off on an agreement to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and cap some federal spending. ET (1900 GMT), to discuss the debt ceiling bill. Reflecting investor optimism, the cost of insuring exposure to a U.S. debt default fell further on Tuesday, while yields on longer-dated U.S. Treasuries fell. Other chipmakers including Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD.O), Marvell Technology Inc (MRVL.O) and Intel Corp (INTC.O) added about 3% each. ET, Dow e-minis were up 60 points, or 0.18%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 22.75 points, or 0.54%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 157.25 points, or 1.1%.

☆ The biggest money mistakes that could change your future — and how to get ahead of them right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Making money mistakes can be scary and seem catastrophic. A lack of planning and not having specific goals are two of the most common mistakes, experts say. "You might be more likely to maintain contributions or ride out short-term market volatility if that new home, dream trip or once-in-a-lifetime experience is clear in your mind," he added. But plenty of common money mistakes are related to losing or spending money rather than making it. Paying off debt, such as your rent and bills, should be prioritized — not doing so could have serious consequences, Myron Jobson, senior personal finance analyst at interactive investor, tells CNBC Make It.

☆ UK economy limps along as high inflation hits spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Sky-high inflation, negative real wage growth and general cost of living pressures are weighing on the consumer, and in turn the services industry which is typically a key growth engine for the UK economy,” she added in a note. The Bank of England raised interest rates for the 12th consecutive time Thursday in its battle with double-digit inflation. The central bank expects the UK economy to grow by 0.25% this year and by 0.75% in 2024 — a much more positive assessment than in February, when it forecast contractions of 0.5% and 0.25%, respectively. Inflation still highConsumer price inflation in the UK remains stubbornly high, holding above 10% in the year to March. “With inflation still in double digits, it feels depressingly like a re-run of the 1970s.”The Bank of England expects inflation to fall sharply over the coming months.

☆ ChatGPT can pick stocks better than your fund manager
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —A basket of stocks selected by ChatGPT, a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has far outperformed some of the most popular investment funds in the United Kingdom. It wouldn’t “be long until large numbers of consumers try to use [ChatGPT] for financial gain,” Jon Ostler, Finder’s CEO, said in a statement earlier this week. A typical investment fund pulls together money from multiple investors, and is overseen by a fund manager who decides how to invest that money. A survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted by Finder last week showed that 8% had already used ChatGPT for financial advice, while 19% said they would consider doing so. Nevertheless, “the democratization of AI seems to be something that will disrupt and revolutionize financial industries,” Ostler said.

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