News And Announcements
UK shop prices rise for first time since 2019 - BRC
UK shop prices rose in November for the first time in two and a half years with increases predicted for Christmas and beyond, the retail trade body said.
Chicago PMI drops in November
Economic activity in the Chicago area deteriorated more than expected in November due to a slowdown in new orders, according to data released on Tuesday.
Scottish Power, National Grid agree to pay £158m for subsea cable delay
National Grid and Scottish Power have agreed to pay £158m in redress for delays to the Western Link power cable project following an investigation by Ofgem, the energy regulator announced on Tuesday.
Ex-Goldman president Harvey Schwartz to chair new UK clearing bank
A sixth clearing bank for the UK was launched on Tuesday, with the Bank of London claiming to be the first pre-revenue bank in history to attain a valuation of $1. 1bn.
Retailers warn over policing on mask mandates in England
UK retailers warned on Monday they did not expect to police the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing in shops in England from Tuesday over fears of abuse from customers who refuse to comply.
High Street footfall declines on Black Friday for first time in history
UK retail footfall rose 2% week-on-week in the seven days ended 27 November, however, this was driven by shopping centres and retail parks as footfall across high street destinations declined on Black Friday for the first time in history.
EU, eurozone consumer Nov sentiment falls as expected
Economic sentiment in the European union and euro zone eased fell in November, in line with consensus estimates, as rising Covid cases hit consumer optimism, official data revealed on Monday.
UK consumer credit and mortgage lending rise by less than expected in October
Lending to individuals edged higher in October even as mortgage borrowing hit a three-month low.
CMA set to block Facebook acquisition of GIF platform Giphy
Facebook’s acquisition of animated GIF platform Giphy is set to be blocked by the UK’s competition watchdog, it was reported on Monday, which would mark the first time the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) puts the brakes on a Big Tech deal.
CMA secures 'improved' pledge from Google on ad competition concerns
The Competition and Markets Authority announced on Friday that it had secured “improved commitments” from Alphabet subsidiary Google on its proposals to remove third-party cookies and other functions from its Chrome browser software.
UK car production slumps to 55-year low in October
UK car manufacturing fell 41. 4% year-on-year in October, with just 64,729 vehicles rolling off production lines, making it the industry's worst October since 1956.
EU to restrict travel from Southern Africa due to Covid variant
The European Commission is planning to activate emergency powers to ban air travel from Southern Africa in response to the new Covid variant, EC President Ursula Von der Leyen said on Friday.
Information Commissioner's Officer sets out new data protection standards
The Information Commissioner's Office set out clear data protection standards on Thursday that firms must meet in order to safeguard people's privacy online when developing new advertising technologies.
German GDP seen slowing substantially in Q4
Germany's economy grew a tad less quickly than expected in the third quarter and economists believed that a notable slowdown was on the cards for the final three months of 2021.
UK retail sales strong in November but cost pressures a concern - CBI
UK retail sales were at their strongest level for this time of year in November, according to the latest survey from the Confederation of British Industry.
UK factory orders surge in November - CBI
UK factory orders surged in November, leaving manufacturers struggling to keep up, according to the latest survey from the Confederation of British Industry.
German business confidence deteriorates in November - Ifo
German business sentiment deteriorated in November amid supply bottlenecks and rising Covid cases, according to a survey released on Wednesday by the Ifo Institute.
US to release 50m barrels from oil reserves in 'coordinated' effort
The Biden administration was preparing to release 50 million barrels of crude oil, it announced on Tuesday, in a first-time coordinated effort between countries to push gasoline prices lower.
House sales plummet as stamp duty holiday ends
The number of homes sold in the UK tumbled by more than half last month, official data showed on Tuesday.
Eurozone business activity unexpectedly jumps but outlook darkens
Business activity across the Eurozone unexpectedly strengthened in November, a closely-watched survey showed on Tuesday, but record inflationary pressures and surging Covid-19 cases weighed on the outlook.