Summary
Time to wrap up....
UK mortgage approvals have fallen to their lowest level since June 2020 as higher interest rates and the cost of living squeeze cooled the market. There were below 66,000 mortgage approvals in April, below the pre-pandemic average.
Rising inflation also pushed people to borrow more on credit, with credit card borrowing rising at the fastest rate since 2005.
Pushpin Singh, economist at the CEBR thinktank, explains:
With inflation accelerating rapidly and wage growth unable to match its pace, consumers’ real spending power is weakening.
Moreover, an increase in living costs is likely prompting consumers to turn to borrowing to fund their expenditure, resulting in multi-year high growth rates for credit card borrowing. Meanwhile, net mortgage borrowing saw a stark downtick in April as borrowing costs have risen in recent months
Inflationary pressures continue to build in the eurozone, where consumer prices jumped by 8.1% over the last year - the fastest on record.
#Inflation in low-growth, aging Eurozone has skyrocketed to 8.1%. This has little to do with monetary policy.
— jeroen blokland (@jsblokland) May 31, 2022
There is nothing the #ECB can do about it.
Good luck! pic.twitter.com/sdN8s8xRnw
Updated growth figures showed that France’s economy shrank in the first quarter of the year, suggesting it could be falling into recession, while Italy managed modest growth.
Switzerland’s economy was supported by decent demand for manufactured goods, while India and Canada both slowed in Q1.
China’s factory slump may have bottomed out in May, as Covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Brent crude oil has hit a new two-month high, over $124 per barrel, after EU leaders agreed a partial ban on Russian imports.
Russia has further cut off gas supplies to Europe, after state energy giant Gazprom turned off the taps to a top Dutch trader, amid an intensification of the economic battle over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Elsewhere...
Shares in consumer goods maker Unilever have jumped 8.5% after activist investor Nelson Peltz joined its board.
But discount retailer B&M have now sunk 13%, after warning profits could drop as customers struggling with the cost of living crisis opt for cheaper products.
Virgin Atlantic is to allow its cabin crew to display tattoos, the first UK airline – and leading carrier worldwide – to do so.
But chaos continues at UK airports, with TUI cancelling more than 180 flights from Manchester airport until the end of next month.
The UK government has been accused of watering down efforts to combat economic crime after putting forward proposals that could reduce transparency around small company accounts.
And Ofcom is to investigate why Royal Mail has missed its delivery targets:
The US housing market remained hot in March despite rising mortgage rates
Nationally, home prices were 20.6% higher than they were in March 2021, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index, up from 20% gain in February.
The @SPGlobal Case-Shiller Home Price Index grew 2.6% MoM and 20.6% YoY in Mar. The 10-City Composite was up 19.5% YoY (prev 18.7% YoY), and the 20-City Composite was up 21.2% YoY (prev 20.3% YoY). #houseprices #realestate https://t.co/zQXRUff8eW pic.twitter.com/szvjzuXsxy
— MTS Insights (@MTSInsights) May 31, 2022
CNN reckons buyers were keen to lock in deals before rates rose, leading to particularly high price rises in Sun Belt cities:
Prices in Tampa, Florida, were up the most, rising 34.8% from the year before; Phoenix was up 32.4% from a year ago and Miami saw a 32% increase. Seventeen of the 20 cities reported higher price increases in the year ending March 2022 versus the year ending February 2022.
We keep waiting for home prices to slow down, but all indications are that they're still going up. S&P Case Shiller says prices rose 20.6% in March y/y, up from 20% in Feb. Tampa took the top spot from Phoenix which held it for more than 30 months, with a 34.8% gain.
— Jason Brooks (@brookskcbsradio) May 31, 2022
