Economy news

• Burnham compromises on council homes plan

  24-08-2026 23:30 via ft.com
  Prime minister opts not to rip up programme drawn up under Sir Keir Starmer that mostly relies on housing associations
  
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• FirstFT: Shein targets $27bn valuation in Hong Kong IPO

  25-08-2026 00:00 via ft.com
  Also in this newsletter: US-Canada trade war erupts and Singapore’s effort to boost birth rates
  
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• Scott Bessent warns Iran’s partners of sanctions but offers no timeline

  24-08-2026 21:12 via ft.com
  US Treasury secretary had billed announcement as ‘D Day’ for Tehran but stopped short of sweeping action
  
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• Scott Bessent threatens Iran’s economic partners with more sanctions

  24-08-2026 21:12 via ft.com
  US Treasury secretary had billed announcement as ‘D Day’ for Tehran but stopped short of sweeping action
  
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• Scott Bessent threatens more US sanctions on Iran’s economic partners

  24-08-2026 20:21 via ft.com
  Treasury secretary’s announcement stops short of sweeping immediate action on China and other countries
  
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• Scott Bessent threatens wider US sanctions on Iran’s economic partners

  24-08-2026 19:30 via ft.com
  Treasury secretary warns of further measures in bid to increase pressure on Tehran
  
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• Burnham rules out early election as he admits UK faces ‘challenging’ financial outlook

  24-08-2026 19:24 via ft.com
  Prime minister stops short of ruling out tax increases in October’s Budget, saying his policies will be ‘funded’
  
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• Canadian businesses fear ‘vortex of downward pressures’ from Trump’s tariffs

  24-08-2026 17:05 via ft.com
  Renewed trade war has inflicted pain and uncertainty on companies that deal with US
  
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• Do you pay tax on cryptoassets? How to report and pay it

  24-08-2026 15:59 via moneyweek.com
  
  Almost one in 10 people in the UK own cryptoassets, but HMRC suspects tens of thousands are failing to pay tax on them properly.According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 8% of UK adults held cryptoassets in 2025, up from 4% in 2021.However, there’s concern some crypto investors don’t understand the tax implications of receiving, holding and selling these assets.HMRC sent out 81,000 warning letters to crypto investors it suspected of underpaying tax in 2025/26, according to
  
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• Trump says US to increase tariffs on Canadian cars to 50%

  24-08-2026 15:55 via ft.com
  Move marks further escalation of Washington’s trade war with Ottawa
  
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• Is value investing over?

  24-08-2026 14:23 via moneyweek.com
  
  It’s a difficult time for value investors. The theory goes that value stocks – those trading at a lower price relative to their fundamentals than others – ought to outperform the rest of the market over the long term.That’s not how it’s playing out. In the 10 years to 31 July 2026, the MSCI World Value Index generated an annualised return of 11.0%, compared to 13.3% for the MSCI World Index. The former index is based on the latter, with a tilt towards value stocks.
  
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• High asset prices, not low interest rates, are driving inflation

  24-08-2026 14:00 via ft.com
  Wealth distribution in the US has rendered the Federal Reserve’s usual tools less effective
  
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• French finance minister warns tax on big businesses may be extended

  24-08-2026 13:49 via ft.com
  Roland Lescure says it would be ‘difficult’ to scrap unpopular surcharge on country’s largest firms
  
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• Harry Potter and the risk of geopolitics

  24-08-2026 13:33 via ft.com
  European banks write fan fiction
  
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• An offer Canada could only refuse

  24-08-2026 13:31 via ft.com
  Saint Mark Carney’s canonisation owes much to Donald Trump’s inept bullying
  
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• FirstFT: An economic D-Day is coming for Iran

  24-08-2026 12:33 via ft.com
  Also in this newsletter: UK pledge to Ukraine and German public-private partnerships
  
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• South American trade bloc mounts dealmaking push to hedge geopolitical risks

  24-08-2026 12:00 via ft.com
  EU deal heralds renewed engagement for historically insular Mercosur group despite regional divisions
  
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• South American trade bloc mounts dealmaking push

  24-08-2026 12:00 via ft.com
  EU deal heralds renewed engagement for historically insular Mercosur group despite regional divisions
  
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• PensionBee looks profitable – should you buy in?

  24-08-2026 09:00 via moneyweek.com
  
  UK fintech PensionBee (LSE: PBEE) has carved out a successful niche for itself, to become the UK's most recognised pension consolidator with the UK pensions sectorundergoing a major transformation over the last ten years.Following the introduction of the Auto Enrolment scheme in 2012, assets in defined-contribution (DC) schemes have exploded, and the pensions industry has rapidly had to adapt to this new norm. The DC pension market has two main segments: workplace schemes and personal or individ
  
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• Three undervalued Hong Kong stocks that are thriving

  24-08-2026 08:00 via moneyweek.com
  
  Fidelity China Special Situations is an actively managed investment vehicle providing broad access to China's growth opportunities – from established technology leaders to entrepreneurial businesses that have yet to float on the stock market. In the year to date, Chinese and Hong Kong stocks have experienced greater volatility as geopolitical tensions, higher energy prices and concern over inflation weighed on sentiment, although China's diversified economy provides some resilience against
  
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• FirstFT: Europe trails as AI drives US investment

  24-08-2026 07:15 via ft.com
  Also in this newsletter: UK pledge to Ukraine and German public-private partnerships
  
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• Analysts’ views: forecasters continue to see Fed and Bank of England on hold this year

  24-08-2026 06:29 via ft.com
  Fed and BoE will remain on hold, with rate rises from ECB and Bank of Japan to come this year, according to our August survey
  
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• US widens AI-driven investment gap with Europe

  24-08-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  The bloc struggles to keep up with US spending on high-tech equipment and facilities
  
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• How climate is driving new geostrategy

  24-08-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Environmental changes are reshaping trade, commerce, logistics and geopolitics
  
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• Climate is driving new geostrategy

  24-08-2026 06:00 via ft.com
  Environmental changes are reshaping trade, commerce, logistics and geopolitics
  
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• Treasury brings in expert to review business rates for UK pubs and hotels

  24-08-2026 01:01 via ft.com
  Jerry Schurder will consult industry and report in time for recommendations to be implemented at next revaluation in 2029
  
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• Treasury asks ‘guru’ to review pubs and hotels’ claims of unfair taxes

  24-08-2026 01:01 via ft.com
  Jerry Schurder will consult industry and report in time for recommendations to be implemented at next revaluation in 2029
  
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• FirstFT: Kevin Warsh seeks to calm investors’ nerves as signs of economic strain grow

  23-08-2026 23:27 via ft.com
  Also in this newsletter: Alibaba announces $10.2bn share placement and Anthropic’s best AI model struggles to attract users
  
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• Trump accused of risking more pain for Americans with Canada trade war

  23-08-2026 19:28 via ft.com
  Collapse of talks threatens to raise prices even higher months before midterm election
  
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• A week of keynote speeches

  23-08-2026 19:15 via ft.com
  Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Ukrainian nation, the Fed’s Kevin Warsh talks monetary policy at Jackson Hole and investors await Nvidia earnings call
  
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