At 6.8% in the year to November, US inflation is as high as it has ever been for almost 40 years. That should be enough of a warning for the Bank of England as those with longer memories will know that what happens in the USA subsequently reaches the UK. Positively that roll call of US innovations includes the domestic electric refrigerator which was a novelty to most UK households when they arrived in the early 1960’s.
Less positively that US inflation back in the early 1980’s tore through the economies of both the USA and the UK before it was brought under control.
GBP/USD 1.3260.
When Amazon Web Services went down last week it did not only affect Amazon type services like Alexa and Ring but also the following : Netflix, Tinder, Disney+, Roku, Sweetgreen and McDonalds. Such is our connected world these days. Thankfully all now reconnected…until the next time!
That’s what McDonalds are being accused of in the wake of their launching the first net zero carbon UK restaurant in Market Drayton, Shropshire. Powered by solar panels plus wind turbines, insulated with British sheep’s wool, clad with recycled IT equipment and assisted by carbon offsets, McDonalds are throwing the eco kitchen sink at this demonstration of their right on 2021 credentials. Hence those green cynics.
Air quality or rather a lack of air quality in Delhi is routinely ranked as being at or near the top of the table when it comes to pollution. Levels of PM 2.5 which are the tiny particles that damage the lungs, kill 1 million people annually in India and Delhi is the worst offender of India’s 22 most polluted cities. However what is a shock is that indoor pollution across a wide selection of offices and homes in Delhi in all socio economic classes has been measured in November this year as being worse than external air quality. This study has been carried out by EPIC-the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago which estimates that 7 million die of poor air quality globally each year which is more than the number that die of smoking. USD/INR at 75.61 the low of the year.
Discussion and Analysis by Humphrey Percy, Chairman and Founder
Click Here to Subscribe to the SGM-FX Newsletter
Related Insights
Daily Brief – UK Borrowing
Humphrey Percy
Wed 21 May 2025
UK Borrowing Another one for the pub quiz in case it comes up: UK government borrowing stands at £2.8 trillion or £2800 billion. While you digest that number over the chicken in the basket if indeed you are already in the pub, it will have increased by the time you get to the end of this […]
Daily Brief – USD 2 Trillion Trade Deals
Humphrey Percy
Fri 23 May 2025
USD 2 Trillion Trade Deals That is the total trade deal bag that POTUS Trump is credited admittedly by himself with snagging in his whirlwind Gulf trip this week. Many are puzzled and a few have attempted to tot up the value of the Saudi, UAE and Qatari deals, but no-one has succeeded in getting […]
Daily Brief – POTUS in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Humphrey Percy
Wed 14 May 2025
POTUS in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia As one of POTUS’ travelling companions on this week’s visit, Larry Fink of Blackrock represents everything that a US President might want to burnish his credentials in the desert kingdom: head of the largest asset manager on the planet, hugely influential and totally credible. Just a shame that he […]
