One of the oddities about the narrative on the direction of interest rates is the argument that, because consumer price inflation is still above the 2% target, the Bank of England cannot cut interest rates. That suggests that interest rate policy changes immediately impact the current inflation rate in the short term. However, this view …
An election Budget that does not address UK challenges
It’s hard to find anything to like in the Autumn Statement delivered by Jeremy Hunt. While on the surface, the 2% cut in National Insurance contributions seems like a good idea, it looks worse the more you examine what it means and its implications. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) references to the ‘headroom’ to …
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Economic data show a turning point has been reached in the cycle
With inflation falling sharply in the US, the eurozone, and the UK, there is no longer a debate about whether the peak in interest rates has been reached. Instead, there is a consensus about rate cuts being the next move, not rate rises and about when that will happen, not if. Financial markets are now …
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