Tag Archives: bank of england

Key Takeaways May’s budget deficit hit £23.3 billion, up 30% year-on-year and well above the £18.5 billion forecast. Debt interest costs jumped 54% in May, with further increases expected next month. Two-month borrowing for the fiscal year is running 24% above 2025 levels, exceeding OBR forecasts. UK 15-year bond yields …

Key Takeaways CPI steady at 2.8%: UK inflation was unchanged from April’s 13-month low — well below the 3.0% forecast by economists and the BoE’s own 3.3% projection. Sterling weakens slightly: The pound dipped against the dollar following the softer-than-expected print. Gilt yields fall: UK government bond yields dropped to …

Britain’s labor market showed fresh signs of strain in March, with unemployment rising unexpectedly and payroll figures pointing to a sharper slowdown in hiring activity as businesses face mounting cost pressures and growing geopolitical uncertainty. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday, the UK …

Key Takeaways Q1 GDP beats expectations: UK economy grew 0.6% quarter-on-quarter, accelerating from Q4 2025’s 0.2% rise. Annual growth strong: GDP rose 1.1% year-on-year in Q1 — well above the 0.8% expected. March defies forecasts: Monthly GDP rose 0.3% in March, beating expectations for a 0.1% drop despite the Iran …

Key Takeaways Headline beat: UK retail sales jumped 0.7% month-on-month in March, dramatically outperforming the 0.1% gain analysts had forecast. Annual strength: Year-on-year retail sales climbed 1.7%, comfortably above the 1.3% expected by the market. Excluding fuel: Monthly sales excluding fuel edged up 0.2%, topping predictions of no change from …

British retail sales volumes declined in February, highlighting growing pressure on consumer spending as households brace for the economic impact of rising energy prices linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. According to data released on Friday by the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes fell by 0.4% …

The UK labour market showed signs of stabilization in February, with steady unemployment and stronger-than-expected job growth, even as rising energy costs threaten to weigh on the economic outlook. Unemployment held at 5.2%, below expectations of 5.3%, while payrolls increased by 20,000, outperforming forecasts for a decline of 5,000. Employment …

U.K. private sector activity expanded at its fastest pace in nearly two years during February, driven by a strong rebound in manufacturing output and a sustained recovery in new business, according to flash PMI data released on Friday. The S&P Global Flash UK Composite Output Index rose to 53.9 in …

U.K. retail sales posted a strong start to the year in January, significantly outperforming expectations and building on December’s gains, suggesting that consumers entered the new year with a greater degree of confidence than anticipated. According to data released Friday by the Office for National Statistics, retail sales volumes rose …

The U.K. economy expanded only modestly in the final month of 2025, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of England will remain under pressure to continue easing monetary policy as the new year unfolds. Data released on Thursday showed that gross domestic product grew by just 0.1% in December, marking a …