Weekly UK wages before bonuses grew by 5.9 per cent in the three months to February, slightly behind forecasts of 6 per cent growth, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.
The Bank of England has been keeping a close eye on wage growth and the impact on total inflation as it considers the outlook for interest rates.
Among the companies with reports and trading updates today are De La Rue, Frasers, B&M and Halfords Group. Read the Tuesday 15 April Business Live blog below.
Just before close, the FTSE 100 was 1.48% up at 8,254.55.
Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 was 1.39% higher at 19,241.52.
Major lenders relax rules giving borrowers a £38,000 mortgage boost
Lloyds Banking Group has relaxed its mortgage rules, meaning the typical household could potentially borrow £38,000 more.
The changes could boost borrowers’ budgets when taking a mortgage with any of the banks in the group: Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and BM Solutions.
B&M lifts guidance as new stores and cost cutting boost retailer
B&M expects annual profits to exceed the mid-range of guidance following new store openings and bumper trading in France.
The discount retailer, which will name its new chief executive ‘in the coming weeks’, now expects to post adjusted earnings before nasties of between £605million and £625million for the 52 weeks ending 29 March.
Tramline Trader, 85, is charged by the FCA over £1M investment scam
An 85-year-old alleged fraudster has been charged by the Financial Conduct Authority, accused of fleecing investors through a bogus scheme.
John Burford, whose investment activity was investigated by our columnist Tony Hetherington, is suspected to have generated more than £1million from fraudulent practices.
Wall Street inches higher at the open
US stocks are trading marginally higher at the open in the US as investors mull the possibility of tariff relief for the auto sector after President Donald Trump floated the idea of more exemptions
The Dow is flat, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are up roughly 0.1 per cent each.
Halfords shares rise as retailer hires former gambling boss
Third of public think DEI policies in workplaces have gone too far – poll
(PA) – Just over a third of Britons think that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in the workplace have gone too far, new polling suggests.
An Ipsos poll for PA Mediapoint surveyed 1,200 British adults aged 15 to 75 about DEI in the workplace between March 28 and April 2.
It comes as businesses on both sides of the Atlantic continue to respond to the major pushback against DEI policies since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.
The PA poll found that 36% of respondents believe current policies in UK workplaces have gone too far.
While 31% of respondents said DEI policies are currently “about right” and 19% say they have not gone far enough.
Respondents over the age of 55 were much more likely to say these policies had gone too far – at 47%, it found.
Reacting to the US administration’s actions to restrict DEI, just over a quarter of respondents said they approve of the move at 27%.
Wood Group shares top FTSE 350 fallers
PPHE Hotel Group shares top FTSE 350 risers
Leading recruitment boss warns tariffs will hit Britain’s jobs market
Donald Trump’s emerging trade war is another blow to the jobs market after a slowdown over the last year, the chief executive of recruiter Robert Walters has warned.
Toby Fowlston told investors on Tuesday tariffs will likely impact client and candidate confidence in the short term and were restricting his firm’s ‘visibility on the outlook for the balance of the year’.
It came as the recruiter revealed a large slump in revenues for the first quarter, as a continued global hiring slowdown drove double-digit declines in fees in every region.
FirstGroup will ‘double’ private rail operations to counter Government’s nationalisation push
Posh cinema brand eyes ‘measured’ expansion after Bridget Jones boost
Everyman Media Group was boosted by the release of the latest Bridget Jones film at the start of the year, the upmarket cinema brand said on Tuesday.
The group told shareholders ‘Mad about the Boy’, which reportedly surpassed £100million on the international box office at the end of February with almost half coming from the UK, was the driver of ‘positive momentum’ in the first quarter.
Ford’s Puma Gen-E review: Britain’s best selling car has gone…