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☆ World stocks scale 2-month high boosted by rate cuts bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Danilo Masoni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, July 20, 2023. The British consumer price index rose by 4.6% in the 12 months to October, slowing from September's 6.7% increase, the Office for National Statistics said. He sees a "more complicated" process ahead, where stock market exuberance eventually collides with bond market expectations that an economic slowdown will drive rate cuts. The dollar index , which measures the currency against a basket of peers, stood at 104.17, not far from Tuesday's two-month low of 103.98. Interest rate futures swung to price in an interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve as early as May, with a 30% chance it could come even sooner, in March.

Persons: May MILAN, Carlo Franchini, Naka, Russell, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Sterling, Danilo Masoni, Tom Westbrook, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Bank of England, Banca Ifigest, National Statistics, CPI, Nasdaq, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bloomberg News, Golden, HSBC, Brent, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, United States, Europe, Asia, China, Milan, Ukraine, Italy, France, Tokyo, San Francisco, London, CHINA, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Sterling eases after cooler British inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

British Pound and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Sterling eased on Wednesday after data showed British inflation cooled more than forecast in October, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of England (BoE) will be cutting interest rates by the middle of next year. Sterling was last down 0.2% on the day at $1.2471 by 0724 GMT, compared with $1.2487 shortly before the data. The figures reinforced the view that the U.S. Federal Reserve has probably also finished raising interest rates. Money markets show traders believe there is a good chance the BoE could start cutting rates by May next year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sterling, BoE, Richard Garland, Rishi Sunak, we’ve, Huw Pill, Amanda Cooper, Alun John, Robert Birsel Organizations: Pound, U.S, REUTERS, Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, Omnis Investments, government's Treasury, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: September's, Britain

LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. dropped sharply in October to its lowest level in two years largely because last year’s steep rise in domestic energy bills dropped out of the annual comparison, official figures showed Wednesday. The decline means Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to halve inflation this year has been met. Sunak made the pledge soon after becoming prime minister when inflation was more than 10%. Political Cartoons View All 1247 ImagesEarlier this month, the bank kept its main interest rate unchanged at the 15-year high of 5.25% and indicated that borrowing costs will likely remain at these sort of elevated levels for a while. Higher interest rates — which cool the economy by making it more expensive to borrow, thereby bearing down on spending — have contributed to bringing down inflation worldwide.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, “, ” Organizations: National Statistics, Bank of England Locations: Ukraine

☆ UK inflation falls by more than expected in October to 4.6%, lowest in two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Food and non-alcoholic beverages also contributed to the easing of inflation, with the annual rate falling to its lowest since June 2022. The largest downward contribution came from housing and household services, the Office for National Statistics revealed, where the annual rate for CPI hit the lowest since records began in January 1950. Core CPI — which excludes volatile food, energy, alcohol and tobacco prices — fell to an annual 5.7% in October from 6.1% in September. LONDON — U.K. inflation fell sharply in October to 4.6% from 6.7% the previous month, hitting a two-year low. The drop was welcome news for Downing Street after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak committed to halving U.K. inflation back in January, when the annual CPI rate was running above 10%.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Lindsay James Organizations: National Statistics, CPI, Reuters, LONDON, Bank of England, Downing, Bank of England's, Quilter Investors, Monetary

☆ UK inflation has halved this year but economic growth remains elusive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —UK inflation plunged to its lowest level in two years in October, allowing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to declare victory on his pledge to halve the rate of price increases this year. Services inflation fell but remained high, at 6.6%. “The UK economy is still very much facing stagflation and, in our view, the road ahead will likely continue to be bumpy,” said Julien Lafargue, chief market strategist at Barclays Private Bank. Stagflation refers to a toxic mix of high inflation and low, or no, economic growth. There is also evidence that higher interest rates are placing an increasing strain on the economy.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, “, ” Sunak, Gary Smith, GMB, ”, Andrew Bailey, Alex Veitch, Sunak’s, —, Julien Lafargue, ” Ewan Mackay, Jeremy Hunt, Veitch Organizations: London CNN —, National Statistics, Bank of England, Chambers of Commerce, “, Barclays Private Bank, NatWest, Accenture, P, British Chambers of Commerce Locations: United Kingdom, Ireland, British

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

☆ The Fed is terrified Americans could get used to high inflation. It may already be happening.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Fed officials don’t expect inflation to reach 2% until 2026, according to their latest economic projections released in September. If there’s one thing that would make the Fed quake in its boots, it would be worsening inflation expectations. The keyword there is “timely.”Sticky inflation could possibly “un-anchor” inflation expectations or elicit a consistent deterioration in Americans’ perception on inflation. “The Fed really just wants people to not expect inflation will run at 4% forever.”So what’s kept inflation expectations in check this long? For individuals and married people filing separately, the new federal standard deduction will increase to $14,600, up from $13,850 this year.

Persons: we’ve, Raphael Bostic, “, ” Luke Tilley, ”, Jerome Powell, presser, Powell, Michelle Bowman, Tilley, ” Drew Matus, what’s, Matus, “ They’re, Jeanne Sahadi, Lisa Cook, Phillip Jefferson, Michael Barr, Loretta Mester, Austan Goolsbee, John Williams, Christopher Waller, Mary Daly Organizations: DC CNN, Federal Reserve, Fed, University of Michigan’s, Atlanta Fed, Bloomberg, Investment Advisors, CNN, ”, New York Bankers Association, New York Fed, MetLife Investment Management, IRS, Tyson Foods, Depot, US Labor Department, National Federation of Independent Business, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Target, National Statistics, US Commerce Department, Walmart, National Association of Home Builders, San Francisco Fed Locations: Washington, Wilmington, Palm Beach , Florida

☆ UK economy fails to grow in Q3 but sidesteps start of a recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People walk over London Bridge looking at a view of Tower Bridge in the City of London financial district in London, Britain, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/ Susannah Ireland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Britain's sluggish economy failed to grow in the July-to-September period but at least managed to avoid the start of a recession, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday. In the month of September on its own, the economy grew by 0.2% from August when growth was revised down to 0.1% from 0.2%. "But the key point is that the economy is not weak enough to reduce core inflation and wage growth quickly," Dales said. In the three months to September, output in Britain's huge services sector fell by 0.1%, industrial production was broadly flat and construction grew by 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics said.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Paul Dales, BoE, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, William Schomberg, Andy Bruce, Sarah Young Organizations: REUTERS, Office, National Statistics, Reuters, Capital Economics, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: City, London, Britain, Germany, United States

☆ UK economy flatlines as real estate activity drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Britain’s economy stagnated in the third quarter — its weakest performance in a year — as activity in the real estate sector fell, weighed down by high interest rates. The real estate sector — which accounts for 13% of UK economic output and is particularly sensitive to higher borrowing costs — has taken a knock this year. The data — which measures how efficiently the economy is making use of labor and capital — showed that UK productivity had barely improved since 2007. “Britain is a stagnation nation that has struggled to secure sustained economic growth since the financial crisis,” James Smith, research director at the Resolution Foundation, a think tank, wrote in a note Friday. UK finance minister Jeremy Hunt is due to outline the government’s plans to boost economic growth later this month.

Persons: —, Paul Dales, ”, ” James Smith, Jeremy Hunt Organizations: London CNN, National Statistics, Bank of England, Capital Economics Locations: Halifax, Britain

LONDON (AP) — The British economy flatlined in the third quarter of the year, official figures showed Friday ahead of a budget statement from the government later this month. Despite the uninspiring headline figure, the quarterly outcome was slightly ahead of analysts' expectations for a modest decline in output. The British economy, like many others particularly in the world, is struggling to grow in the face of higher interest rates, which are aimed at taming inflation. Higher interest rates — which cool the economy by making it more expensive to borrow, thereby bearing down on spending — have contributed to bringing down inflation worldwide. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt said a budget statement he will deliver on Nov. 22 will focus on how to “get the economy growing healthily again by unlocking investment.”

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, “, ” Organizations: National Statistics, Bank of England, Bank of, Conservative Party, Treasury Locations: Ukraine

☆ Mexico inflation still easing but rate cuts seen only next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man buys vegetables at a stall in an outdoor market in downtown of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico July 27, 2023. Consumer prices rose 0.38% in October, according to non-seasonally adjusted figures, mainly driven by core inflation including higher food, beverage and service costs. The annual headline inflation reading came in slightly below economist forecasts in a Reuters poll, which stood at 4.28%. The closely monitored core index, which strips out some volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.39% during the month, while annual core inflation came in at 5.5%, in line with market expectations. "This report strengthens our view that headline inflation will remain under control over the coming months," said Pantheon Macroeconomics chief Latin America economist Andres Abadia, but "admittedly services inflation is still a bit sticky.

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Jason Tuvey, Banxico, Andres Abadia, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of, Capital, Sao Paulo, Thomson Locations: Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Bank of Mexico, Banxico, America, Sao

☆ Mexico's automotive production, exports rise in October
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Newly assembled vehicles are parked at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Baja California, Tijuana, Mexico May 31, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Duenes/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 7 (Reuters) - Mexico's automotive production and exports rose in October from a year earlier, data from national statistics agency INEGI showed on Tuesday. Production increased by 35.77% to 378,129 vehicles and auto exports by 18.11% to 316,421 vehicles, according to the data. Reporting by Natalia SiniawskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jorge Duenes, Natalia Siniawski Organizations: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Baja California, Tijuana, Mexico

☆ Stocks week ahead: Here’s how America’s economy could begin to weaken
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The job market or spending? The spending argument: But there have been instances in which spending weakened before the job market. “I think it starts with the perception of the labor market,” Drew Matus, chief market strategist at MetLife Investment Management, told CNN. The ticket-industry giant said it has sold a record 140 million tickets so far this year, up 17% year-over-year and has already surpassed the 121 million tickets sold in all of 2022. In the third quarter, Ticketmaster sales surged 57% to $833 million and 90 million fee-bearing tickets were sold in the period.

Persons: can’t, ” Shannon Seery, “ It’s, ” Seery, Luke Tilley, ” Tilley, Jerome Powell, ” Drew Matus, ”, Taylor Swift, Parija Kavilanz, Swifties, Taylor, Michael Rapino, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Bunny, Jonas Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Lisa Cook, Michael Barr, Jeffrey Schmid, Christopher Waller, John Williams, Lorie Logan, Ralph Lauren, Steve Madden, Phillip Jefferson, Raphael Bostic, Tom Barkin, Christine Lagarde Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, CNN, Employers, Investment Advisors, Companies, National Bureau of Economic Research, CNN Wednesday, Federal, MetLife Investment Management, Ticketmaster, Ryanair, Goodyear, Fed, Reserve Bank of Australia, Uber, Occidental Petroleum, KKR, The Carlyle Group, US Commerce Department, Biogen, Warner Bros, Teva Pharma, The New York Times Company, Armour, SeaWorld, MGM Resorts, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Sony Group, Astrazeneca, Tapestry, News Corp, US Labor Department, Soho House, National Statistics, European Central Bank, University of Michigan Locations: Washington, Wells, Wilmington, Lyft, Brookfield, Soho

☆ Bank of England downgrades UK economic forecasts, holds interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —The Bank of England downgraded its forecasts for UK economic growth Thursday and kept interest rates unchanged, even as it warned that the Israel-Hamas war could push up energy prices and inflation won’t return to target for another two years. “There are increasing signs that higher interest rates are weighing on economic activity and we see that in weaker activity data and in a range of business surveys,” Governor Andrew Bailey told reporters. Inflation is still too high,” Bailey said, also pointing to the risk that the Israel-Hamas war could lift energy prices. “We will keep interest rates high enough for long enough to make sure we get inflation all the way back to the 2% target,” he added. Inflation still a concernThe Bank of England expects inflation to continue easing, but warned of risks to that outlook.

Persons: Andrew Bailey, ” Bailey, “, Rishi Sunak, Bailey, ”, Martin Beck Organizations: London CNN —, Bank of England, The, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, of England, Office, National Statistics, The Bank of England, UK Locations: Israel, United Kingdom

☆ 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

☆ Fall in UK jobs postings shows labour market is cooling, Adzuna says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Online job adverts fell by 1.6% in September from August, bucking the usual end-of-summer bounce in job postings, and advertised salaries fell by the same amount, Adzuna said. "September traditionally sees a surge in job market activity but the figures we're seeing this year could signal a cooling off of the job market, which had shown signs of resilience earlier in the year," Adzuna co-founder Andrew Hunter said. The Office for National Statistics said earlier this month its measure of job vacancies fell to a two-year low of 988,000 in the three months to September. Separately on Monday, a survey showed small businesses recovering a bit of their lost confidence but the overall mood remained negative. Martin McTague, FSB's national chair, said the survey showed signs of stabilisation after 18 months of surging costs.

Persons: Adzuna, Andrew Hunter, BoE, Martin McTague, McTague, Suban Abdulla, William Schomberg, Andy Bruce Organizations: Bank of England, National Statistics, Federation of Small, Hospitality, Thomson

☆ Births in Italy heading for new record low in 2023 - stats office
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rome, Italy, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Births in Italy are heading for a new record low this year, according to preliminary data that points to a deepening of the country's long-standing demographic crisis. Between January and June there were 3,500 fewer births than in the same period of 2022, the data from national statistics bureau ISTAT showed. In 2022 as a whole, births fell 1.7% to 393,000, a 14th consecutive drop and the lowest number since the country's unification in 1861. The rate is bolstered by immigrants, while among women of Italian nationality it stood at just 1.18 in 2022.

Persons: Leonardo, Viviana Valente, Remo Casilli, Giorgia, women's, Antonella Cinelli, Gavin Jones, John Stonestreet Organizations: Santo Spirito Hospital, UN, REUTERS, Rights, for Economic Cooperation, Development, ISTAT, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

The BoE is monitoring the labour market closely as it considers whether it needs to resume raising interest rates, having kept them on hold in September after 14 hikes in a row. Under the previous methodology, the unemployment rate had been reported as 4.3% for the three months to July rather than 4.2%. Still, the new data showed more slack in the labour market than the BoE had predicted in August, when it forecast an unemployment rate of 4.1% for the third quarter as a whole. "It is probably only a matter of time before the recent loosening of the labour market feeds through into significantly slower wage growth," Pugh said. The latest ONS estimate showed employment fell by 133,000 in the three months to July, compared with 207,000 in its previous estimate.

Persons: BoE, Thomas Pugh, Pugh, Tony Wilson, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg, Paul Sandle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Office, National Statistics, Bank of England, Labour Force Survey, RSM, ONS, Financial, Institute for Employment Studies, Thomson

☆ DeSantis vs. Newsom on Violent Crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Gavin Newsom isn’t running for president in 2024, at least not yet, but he has agreed to a televised Fox News debate next month with Florida Gov. One worthy topic will be their respective economic records, but they should also spend some time on public safety. The Federal Bureau of Investigation this week released national statistics on 2022, and the headline was that violent crime fell 1.7%, dipping back to the same level as before the pandemic. In California violent crime is still up 13% since 2019. The rate of violent crime in Mr. Newsom’s state last year, 499.5 per 100,000 people, was nearly double that in Mr. DeSantis’s domain, 258.9 per 100,000.

Persons: Mark Kelly California, Gavin Newsom isn’t, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Getty, Mark Kelly California Gov, Fox, Florida Gov, Federal Bureau of Locations: Iran, California, Florida, Newsom’s

☆ 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

☆ Sterling at weakest vs euro in five months as retail sales weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The pound was at its weakest against the euro in five months on Friday and was also under pressure versus the dollar as weak retail sales data reinforced fears about the health of the British economy. The euro climbed as far as 87.40 pence, its highest since May, with the European common currency also set for its best week against the pound in a month. Friday's moves were also driven by data that showed British retail sales fell more than expected in September, against a backdrop of broader cost of living pressures that could see the economy shrink overall in the third quarter. Weak retail sales and a noticeable drop in consumer confidence, though both are among the most volatile UK data releases," said Francesco Pesole, FX strategist at ING in a morning note. The pound has also been suffering against safe haven currencies and is trading at 1.0819 Swiss francs, its weakest since September 2022.

Persons: Francesco Pesole, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: National Statistics, ING, Thomson

It means that the U.K.'s inflation rate remains more than three times higher than the Bank of England's target rate of 2%. The bank, though, is not expected to raise interest rates at its next policy meeting in early November, opting instead to keep its main borrowing rate unchanged at the 15-year high of 5.25%. Last month, the bank brought an end to nearly two years of interest rate rises as inflation fell from multi-decade highs above 11%. Higher interest rates, which cool the economy by making it more expensive to borrow and bearing down on spending, have contributed to bringing down inflation worldwide. The U.K. has the highest inflation rate among the Group of Seven leading industrial economies — the U.S.'s rate for example is 3.7%.

Persons: James Smith Organizations: Office, National Statistics, Bank of, Bank of England, Conservative Party, European Union Locations: Ukraine, U.S, Britain

☆ UK inflation holds steady for September after Bank of England pauses rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — U.K. inflation came in at 6.7% in September, slightly ahead of expectations and unchanged from the previous month. For August, the U.K. consumer price index surprised with a dip to 6.7%, below expectations, which sparked the Bank of England to end a run of 14 straight interest rate hikes. The bank had been hiking rates consistently since December 2021 in a bid to rein in inflation, taking its main policy rate from 0.1% to a 15-year high of 5.25% in August. The market is pricing around a 77% chance that the Bank holds rates steady again at its next meeting on November 2nd. For now, the higher for longer interest rate narrative will continue to persist," he said Wednesday in an emailed note.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Marcus Brookes, Brookes, Hetal Mehta, BoE Organizations: LONDON, Reuters, National Statistics, Chancellor, Bank of, Bank, Quilter Investors, Bank of England's, Bank of England Locations: Canary, London, Bank of England, British, James's

These showed that a rise in fuel prices between August and September put upward pressure on the annual CPI rate, which economists had expected to drop to 6.6%. "Progress in bringing inflation down is proving slow, with the UK generating higher levels of inflation than any other major industrialised nation," said Ian Stewart, chief economist at accountancy firm Deloitte. "The persistence of underlying inflation, and service price pressures, suggests that interest rates are likely to stay close to current levels for much of the next year," he added. Services price inflation - another CPI component the BoE studies - rose to 6.9% in September from 6.8%. British consumer price inflation remains the highest in the Group of Seven advanced nations, with France and Italy the nearest with rates of 5.7% and 5.6% respectively for September.

Persons: Ian Stewart, BoE, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Bernadette Baum, Toby Chopra Organizations: Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, Deloitte, Seven, Thomson Locations: British, August's, Ukraine, France, Italy

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