Unexpected rise in November UK retail sales
Last month in the build up to Christmas, retail sales steadily increased according to the Office for National Statistics as sales have jumped by 1.5 percent compared to 2007.
Recent surveys had revealed just how weak trading has been, though the volume of sales has increased by 0.3 percent in an unexpected boost for the high [...]
Consumer confidence – services data hurt pound
The UK pound weakened Wednesday on new data showing that consumer confidence has declined to its lowest in four years and that a key services index was down to 40.1, leaving the sector in contraction.
The pound was also hurt by a statement from Willem H. Buiter, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary [...]
Pound stronger despite house price news
The pound strengthened versus both the euro and the US dollar Monday even though Rightmove (LSE: RMV) reported that the average asking price for a house in the UK dropped 2.3 percent in December.
The online property search service said the new decline brings house prices to 10 percent below their peak in May and that [...]