U.K. Inflation Eases in Boost to Rate-Cut Chances

The U.K.’s annual rate of inflation cooled at the end of last year, making it more likely that the Bank of England will continue to lower its key interest rate, the Wall Street Journal reported. Consumer prices were 2.5% higher in December than a year earlier, down from 2.6% in November, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed Wednesday. Economists had expected annual inflation to stay unchanged, according to a poll compiled by The Wall Street Journal.
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​​Rachel Reeves Says UK Will Meet Fiscal Rules ‘at All Times’

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said the UK will meet its fiscal rules “at all times,” as she faced ongoing pressure to explain how she’ll stabilize Britain’s public finances following a recent spike in borrowing costs, Bloomberg News reported. “We remain committed to those fiscal rules,” Reeves said in the House of Commons on Tuesday, referring to her self-imposed target that day-to-day government spending be covered by tax receipts.
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UK's Starmer Says Britain Will Go its Own Way on AI Regulation

Britain will go its own way on artificial intelligence regulation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, Reuters reported. "I know there are different approaches (to AI regulation) around the world but we are now in control of our regulatory regime so we will go our own way on this," Starmer said. "We will test and understand AI before we regulate it to make sure that when we do it, it's proportionate and grounded." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/uks-starmer-says-britain-own-120425912.html
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U.K. Gilt Selloff Triggers Pension Cash Calls in First Big Test Since 2022 Crisis

Some British pension funds are being told by asset managers to come up with more cash to support their hedging positions after a recent jump in borrowing costs, but pensions advisers told Reuters this week the market was behaving in an orderly way, Reuters reported. XPS and Gallagher said some funds had been instructed to post more cash to maintain derivatives positions they hold through so-called Liability Driven Investment (LDI) strategies.
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