Financial markets are betting this week that the Bank of England will not cut its key interest rates but leave them on hold at 4.75%. The market consensus from Trading Economics is that the 9-strong committee on Thursday, the 19th, will vote 8:1 to leave the UK Bank rate at 4.75%. That is despite annual …
Immediate reaction to the October Budget, 2024
This is the first Labour Budget since 2010, and the first by a woman in UK history. It is aimed at raising economic growth in the long run, funded by tax rises and increased borrowing in the short term. The tax rises mainly came from employers’ National Insurance contributions and employers’ contributions to pensions, which …
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A tale of two interest rate decisions
The US Federal Reserve or Fed, and the UK Central Bank or the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC,) both made the decision on whether to cut interest rates on the same day, although, given the time difference, it happened at different points. The US Fed cut interest rates by ½% to a range of 4.75% to …