The International Monetary Fund is worried. Yes, it’s true that it always is, but this time we should be, too — or at least, those of us living in Britain.
Tag Archives: UK recovery
European companies whose earnings will beat expectations
OK, let’s set Greece to the side for the moment and turn our attention to second-quarter and first-half earnings. The reporting season kicks off towards the end of this month, and analysts say there may be some nice surprises in Europe.
The British pound is 10% overvalued against the euro
If you’re going on holiday to Europe and haven’t yet bought any euros, maybe you should hurry. Unless Greece really exits the eurozone (and that can still happen), the pound’s advance versus the euro seems limited from here on.
UK budget: don’t mistake luck for skill
Ever since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, austerity has dominated the UK budget. It was a policy introduced to reduce the yawning budget deficit, which made the country vulnerable to attacks from the bond vigilantes.
Don’t let the FTSE record high scare you: strategist
The FTSE 100 closed at a new record high, exceeding the previous record high it had set on December 30, 1999. And suddenly, taxi drivers in London can be heard once again saying that they’re thinking about investing in shares.
The risks of plunging your pension into buy-to-let
Many players in the UK housing market are anticipating with glee the moment in April when pensioners will be allowed to cash in their pension pots and buy property to let it on.
Already in a bubble, this will mean UK home prices will rise even further.
UKIP is doing Britain more harm than good
With the UK election getting close, it is becoming more and more obvious that the extremist UKIP party is doing the country more harm than good, especially from a business point of view.
Lower oil prices, the doom and the boom
Oil prices have always had a big political component, but it seems that increasingly they also have a financial, speculative one. And if this means oil stays cheaper for longer, we may be in for a very strong economic boom.
The best contrarian trades of the month
The fall in oil prices has pushed the energy sector to a record underweight, a recent survey among fund managers by Bank of America Merrill Lynch showed.
Why household debt needs to be written off
By Antonia Oprita
The story on the need to bail out households just like we bailed out the banks has sparked some controversy. To some extent, this was to be expected – but the truth is that forgiving household debt is the only real way out of the crisis.