UK Anti-Trust Regulator to Launch Two Probes Under New Digital Markets Powers

Britain's anti-trust regulator said it would begin two investigations this month using its new powers over the biggest tech firms, which are aimed at stimulating investment, innovation and growth, Reuters reported. The CMA will designate firms as having "Strategic Market Status" (SMS) in relation to a particular digital activity before they can be investigated. The bar for SMS status is high, with only the largest, most influential tech firms affected.
United Kingdom
Read more

German Inflation Up More Than Expected, Backing ECB Caution

German inflation accelerated more than anticipated last month, backing the European Central Bank’s plans to keep cutting interest rates only gradually, Bloomberg News reported. Consumer prices rose 2.9% from a year ago in December, up from 2.4% in the previous month. The acceleration was driven by energy and food costs, the statistics office said. German short-term yields pushed higher after the release. The yield on two-year debt was up four basis points at 2.2%, while traders trimmed ECB rate-cut bets slightly.
Germany
Read more

UK’s Borrowing Costs Near Highest Since 1998 on Auction Angst

UK long-term borrowing costs are nearing the highest levels in more than a quarter of a century as traders brace for a raft of bond sales this week, Bloomberg News reported. The yield on 30-year gilts rose as much as four basis points to 5.19%, nearing the 5.21% high seen in 2023. US Treasuries are also feeling the heat of impending bond sales, with the equivalent yield earlier rising to a 14-month high as investors prepare for three-, 10- and 30-year securities this week.
United Kingdom
Read more

U.K. House Prices Rise Close to Record High at End of 2024

U.K. house prices climbed to within touching distance of a record high at the end of last year, according to industry figures from Nationwide Building Society, suggesting the resilient property market gathered more momentum, Bloomberg News reported. The lender said prices rose 0.7% month-on-month to an average of £269,426 ($338,000), a fraction below the record high of £273,751 ($343,000) set in the summer of 2022.
United Kingdom
Read more

Bank of England Allots Second-Highest Amount on Record at Short-Term Repo

The Bank of England said on Thursday it had allotted 46.180 billion pounds ($57.49 billion) at its first short-term repo of 2025, the second-highest amount on record and up from 38.075 billion pounds at a repo on Dec. 19, Reuters reported. The short-term repo allows banks to borrow money from the BoE - usually for a seven-day period - in exchange for high-quality collateral and is designed by the BoE to keep interbank lending rates close to its policy interest rate. The highest amount allotted in the repo was 46.743 billion pounds on Oct.
United Kingdom
Read more