Our Weekly Newsletter
Across Instinctif Partners’ Financial Services team, we are always keeping an eye on the key developments taking place across the sector to evaluate their impact on the many businesses we work with. Here we share our picks of the week’s most interesting news, and our expert views.
Investor sentiment is upbeat, says Barclays
Sentiment is generally upbeat among UK investors as the developed world shows signs of recovery from the pandemic, with 59% feeling optimistic markets will perform well for the rest of the year, according to the poll by Barclays Smart Investor. Just 11% of investors say they are pessimistic, and 60% are confident that the vaccine rollout will help markets. Respondents also predicted that green energy will be the top performing sector and tobacco the poorest over the next five years and beyond. (From Daily Mail, 31st August 2021)
UK launches £450m fund for energy network innovation
The UK has opened applications for a £450m innovation fund aimed at accelerating efforts to decarbonise energy networks. Ofgem and Innovate UK are pushing for companies to come forward with proposals for heating, transport, digitalisation and system integration with the objective of turning the UK into the Silicon Valley of energy. The funding, which comes from network charges on consumer bills, could be increased if enough viable proposals come forward as the country targets cutting emissions to net zero by 2050. (From Financial Times, 31st August 2021)
Britain faces £371bn savings shortfall
Yorkshire Building Society has this week said that the difference between people’s current savings and the amount they would need to feel financially secure has reached £371bn. This is despite the household savings rate in the UK doubling to 16% in 2020. While for many, the lockdown provided an opportunity to save more, this was not the case for many others who saw their hours and wages cut. (From BBC, 31st August 2021)
UK homeowners repay £1.4bn more mortgage debt in July than they borrow
Figures from the Bank of England showed that UK homeowners made a rare net repayment of mortgage debt in July. This was against the backdrop of the tapering of the Stamp Duty holiday in England and Northern Ireland which led to a decrease in housing market activity after a record busy June. (From The Guardian, 31st August)
More Covid-related pay-outs in first half of 2021 than whole of last year
According to recent research by Group Risk Development, the industry body for the group risk protection sector, there were more Covid-related group life financial pay-outs in the first half of 2021 than in the whole of 2020. The industry body said it supported 1,218 families of employees who died from Covid-19 with group life benefits. (From Money Marketing, 31st August)