UK House Prices
Unsurprisingly given the 12 interest rate rises and cost of living squeeze in the UK, the housing market has seen its largest year on year fall since 2009 when everyone was suffering from the global financial crisis. In the year to April the UK housing market has dropped by 3.4% with the average property cost at just over GBP261K.
GBP/EUR 1.1640.
Jeff Bezos
Paying USD 4,000 for a bottle of Domaine Dugat-Py Chambertin Grand Cru at La Petite Maison Restaurant in Cannes, France has brought out the teenage scribblers and jealous NYC wine merchants who are all claiming that the world’s richest man was ripped off. Good years for this particular wine command a price of EUR 2,300 or USD 2,500. A mark up of 60% at a restaurant is a bargain and demonstrates that one of the world’s richest men is no mug when it comes to knowing about wine.
EUR/USD 1.0765.
BHP: World’s Largest Mining Company
Red faces in Aitch Arr no doubt at Melbourne Australia headquartered BHP on the news that miscalculations on both holiday entitlements and holiday allowances for the staff roster of 80,000 globally add up to a one off cost of USD 280 million or GBP 225 million. Difficult to bury that one(sic) since the errors have been found to go back 10 years and affect both current and former employees.
USD/AUD 1.5130.
UK Petrol
Thanks to the CMA or the Competition and Markets Authority, forecourt petrol prices have been cut by 7p by those supermarket bosses who did not fancy having to explain to the CMA just how they could justify the self-evident price gouging that they have been enjoying. Average price now GBP1.43 per litre. Further good news for the squeezed motorist is that the CMA reckon there is a further 6p of cuts that should be made. A total of a 9% cut which will help with the UK cost of living crisis.
GBP/USD 1.2525.
Canada Cigarettes
From August 1 each and every cigarette sold in Canada will carry on the filter paper a warning such as “Poison in every puff”. Canada is the first country to do this and it is part of a plan to reduce smoking to less than 5% of the population by 2035. In case you are wondering, the current smoker ratio is 10% in over 15 year olds and for vaping 17%.
USD/CAD 1.3435.
Hot Stuff
It was this day in 1979 that Donna Summer sizzled her way to the sixth of her thirteen US Top Ten hits. Phew. No-one can remember but June 2 1979 just had to have been warmer than it has been this past week. Brrrrrr.
Sittin’ here eatin’ my heart out waitin’
Waitin’ for some lover to call
Dialed about a thousand numbers lately
Almost rang the phone off the wall
Lookin’ for some hot stuff, baby, this evenin’
I need some hot stuff, baby, tonight
I want some hot stuff, baby, this evenin’
Gotta have some hot stuff
Gotta have some love tonight
Hot stuff
Baby, baby
Baby, baby (tonight)
I need hot stuff
Baby, baby
Baby, baby (tonight)
I want some hot stuff
Discussion and Analysis by Humphrey Percy, Chairman and Founder
British Pound With GBP back to where it started the year pretty much, there are some stories starting to appear along the lines that while that may be the case, GBP is still up 18% from a year ago following the Truss/Kwarteng mini Budget fall out. That comparison while of course true is not a […]
GBP While the Bank of England’s decision to pause on raising rates by the narrowest of margins with voting 5-4, that resulted in GBP being sold sharply which reflects the market’s view that while inflation at 6.7% looked better than expected yesterday, the effect of higher oil prices and petrol and diesel at the pumps […]
Bank of England It is the big week in UK markets not because there is much doubt in the minds of economists that rates will go up once again on Thursday, but rather more because the “clever” money is predicting that this increase will be the last. What could go wrong? Assuming rates go up […]