“Although supply chains remain severely stretched, there are at least signs that the situation is stabilising” As the new year takes root, the latest IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index has highlighted an elevated level of optimism amongst UK manufacturing firms. Although supply issues and staff shortages continue to hamper growth in the sector, production rose […]
Category archives: All
Money for new homes in the Autumn Budget
The Autumn Budget included fresh spending pledges on housing from the Chancellor, with £1.8bn set aside to assist housing supply via land regeneration. Community focus The additional funds are aimed at delivering 160,000 new homes and will be divided into two parts: £300m for councils and combined authorities to help them unlock smaller brownfield sites […]
Great expectations as a new year dawns
We could be forgiven for focusing on life’s trials and tribulations heading into 2022, given the challenges that we’ve faced over the last couple of years. Despite inflation-related concerns, new COVID variants and supply chain disruption, which may be disconcerting for investors, there are indications that the coming year will present opportunities as well as […]
Building financial resilience in 2022
The new year is the perfect time to reassess how your finances are faring and take advantage of any opportunities that may lie ahead. Household budgets are likely to be stretched in 2022, with rising inflation and tax increases already on the table. It makes sense to quantify your assets and position them appropriately to […]
Economic Review – December 2021
Bank sanctions December rate rise The Bank of England (BoE) sanctioned a 15-basis-point increase in its main interest rate on 16 December and warned that inflation is now likely to hit 6% by spring. At its latest meeting held in mid-December, the BoE’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee voted by an 8-1 majority to raise Bank […]
News in Review
‘2022 will be defined as the year of the squeeze’ As wages stagnate, and energy bills and taxes rise, the latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook released by the Resolution Foundation has warned that millions of families face a ‘year of the squeeze’ in 2022, potentially leaving the average household £1,200 worse off. The expected rise […]
Residential Property Review – December 2021
Slowing activity but demand remains high New buyer enquiries rose slightly in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) November survey, with a net balance of +13%, while new instructions fell for the eighth successive month to -18%. The end of the Stamp Duty holiday, among other factors, has contributed to a dip in housing […]
Commercial Property Market Review – December 2021
Strong performance from retail parks Retail parks remain the shining light of the retail industry, with their yields across Europe now at parity with shopping centre yields, according to Savills’ data. So far in 2021, more than €5.1bn has been invested in retail parks across nine European countries. Investment was up 46% year-on-year in the […]
News in Review
“We’re concerned about inflation in the medium term” Last week the Bank of England (BoE) became the first major central bank to raise interest rates since the onset of the pandemic. At a meeting ending on 16 December, the Bank’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee voted by an 8-1 majority to raise rates to 0.25%, an […]
Blocking out ‘noise’ for the good of your portfolio
It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by the endless barrage of negative news or ‘noise’, which can stoke anxiety about the performance of your investments and doubts over whether your investment strategy is on course. Learning to block out this noise, which may influence hasty or erratic investment decisions, is essential. By keeping a record […]