Economic News

By Lorna Bourke LONDON (Citywire) - Smart property investors should look beyond the saturated urban market to the countryside. Farmland is currently undervalued but is unlikely to remain so and forestry is an extremely tax-efficient investment. The Budget changes to trust law have encouraged professionals to search around for alternative means of inheritance tax mitigation. Add to this, disillusion among many investors still suffering from losses on equities sustained in the 2000-03 bear marke ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Sterling held near the previous week's one-month highs against the euro on Monday, after a run of strong economic data rekindled expectations for a hike in interest rates perhaps as soon as next month. The week kicks off in Britain with the release of the Confederation of British Industry's distributive trades survey for July at 11 a.m. Official retail sales numbers for June,  ...

This is Money24 July 2006 A FORECASTING group gave cheer to borrowers today by claiming there was enough slack in the UK economy to allow the Bank of England to keep interest rates at 4.5%. WANT TO KNOW MORE? TABLES: Best savings rates DEAL FINDER: Great personal loans DATA: All the latest economic data POLL: What do you think will happen to interest rates this year? OTHER STORIES  ...

By Nigel Davies LONDON (Reuters) - The economy is set for steady expansion this year and next and there is almost a one-in-three chance of an August interest rate hike as both inflation and growth creep higher, a Reuters poll shows. The median forecast of 25 economists in the quarterly survey, carried out July 19-21, showed growth at 2.4 percent this year and 2.3 percent in 2007, slightly higher than a larger sample poll last month which showed 2006 growth at 2.3 percent. The UK economy expan ...

India has increased its short-term interest rate for the third time in four months in a bid to curb inflation. The country's central bank raised the rate by 0.25% to 6%, amid fears that strong global oil prices threatened financial stability. The Reserve Bank of India has also warned about rising house prices and the surge in credit growth, which it wants to see reined in. The long-term interest rate remained unchanged at 6%. India's economy grew at an annual rate of 9.3% in the three month ...

CHICAGO (Dow Jones) -- Residential real estate, a shining star of the national economy that seemed unflappable over the past couple of years, has hit a speed bump. Nationally, home price appreciation is slowing down from the rapid pace experienced by many markets over the past few years. Mortgage interest rates are on their way up. Is this any time to be thinking about investing in a home? Of c ...

Treasury prices were flat Monday with investors awaiting economic data later in the week for clues to the U.S. interest-rate outlook. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note was last down 1/32 at 100 19/32 to yield ( TNX) 5.046%, up from 5.044% at Friday's close. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. The 30-year long bond was unchanged at 91/31 with a yield (TYX) of 5.095%. The  ...

The dollar rose against major foreign-exchange counterparts early Monday, recovering ground after a sharp selloff last week. "The firmer dollar tone does not appear to reflect fresh fundamental developments or a new assessment about old macro-views," said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman. The price action " speaks to consolidative/corrective price actio ...

Treasury prices drifted slightly higher early Monday, nudging yields lower, with investors awaiting economic data later in the week for clues about the U.S. interest-rate outlook. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note was up 1/32 at 100 21/32 with a yield ( TNX) of 5.037%, down from 5.044% at Friday's close. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. The 30-year long bond was up 1/32  ...

Evening Standard24 July 2006 BRITISH retailers who made hay during the World Cup with record sales of flat-screen TVs and lager are fearing a major hangover. OTHER STORIES EDF hikes energy prices Rates prediction cheers borrowers Market report: Monday 14.00 Vodafone chief sets out defence Capital Radio takes a World Cup kicking THE EDITOR'S PICKS CAMPAIGN: 'Avoid this rip-off ...