The emergence of new trends and advancements such as the advent of AI, electric vehicles and other ‘big picture’ global innovations are set to shape our future, presenting opportunities to investors interested in capturing these themes in their portfolios. The United Nations Economist Network has [...]

Inflation rate holds steady The Bank of England (BoE) Governor has described the latest batch of inflation statistics as “quite encouraging,” adding that he expects a “noticeable drop” in the headline rate when the next set of data is released later this month. Figures recently [...]

Conditions remain challenging The residential sales market continues to be challenging, according to the latest UK Residential Survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), with demand, sales, instructions, and prices remaining in negative territory. At a national level, new buyer enquiries recorded a [...]

Background and market drivers past 12 months and last quarter We think we might now be getting nearer to the end of the period of adjustment in asset prices occasioned by the sharp rise in interest rates that began in late 2021. It has taken [...]

Several months have passed since the Spring Budget, which, although not necessarily packed with good news stories, held one announcement that certainly did bring considerable cheer to higher rate taxpayers. A recent survey has revealed the dramatic impact that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s decision to scrap [...]

Rate-hike pause as inflation dips Last month, the Bank of England announced a pause in its long run of interest rate rises following an unexpected dip in the UK headline rate of inflation and ‘increasing signs’ that higher rates were starting to hurt the real [...]

Economic uncertainty weighs on the residential market The most recent UK Housing Market Update from Savills has highlighted that buyers’ budgets continue to be impacted by higher mortgage rates, and although inflation has begun to move lower, core inflation remains ‘unexpectedly sticky.’ During July, with [...]

Traditionally, people might have assessed their financial health by simply checking the balance on their bank account or totalling their amassed level of wealth. In recent years, however, a different measure has emerged which seeks to balance financial stability with emotional wellbeing. Financial empowerment This [...]