House prices have ended the year 1.8% lower in the UK, according to Nationwide Building Society The Nationwide forecasts no growth or a further fall in 2024. The lender said the average house price across the UK was £257,443 in December 2023. This was flat compared to November 2023 butRead More →
This was the famous UK advertising slogan of a once famous and proud Japanese business that later fell from grace. It became a 1980’s advertising hit for Toshiba in the UK. There was a time when more than one of your TV’s, computers, laptop’s, Hi-Fi’s, speaker systems or other essentialRead More →
The UK Supreme Court has upheld earlier decisions to reject a bid to allow an artificial intelligence to be named as an inventor in a patent application. Dr Stephen Thaler (an ‘inventor’), had sought to have his AI, called Dabus, recognised as the inventor of a food container and aRead More →
And this is what it came up with… (exactly as it was written) The image was AI generated too. Merry Christmas and A happy New Year!Read More →
The UK is at risk of recession after revised figures indicate the economy shrank between July and September 2023. A recession is defined as when the economy shrinks for two three-month periods in a row. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which measures the health of the economy, contracted by 0.1% afterRead More →
Social media platform X suffered global outages for just over an hour on Thursday 21st December 2023. According to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collating status reports, more than 47,000 U.S. users encountered issues with X and X Pro. Some users in the UK were also unable to view postsRead More →
The Nasdaq and Dow hit new all-time highs in recent days and the S&P 500 is hot on their heels. After nine straight days of gains, Wall Street suddenly reversed an hour and a half before the closing bell on Wednesday 20th December 2023. The sell-off expanded into Asia overnight,Read More →
Charles M. Schultz 1922 – 2000 Charles Schulz was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, featuring his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Read More →
UK inflation fell by more than expected in November 2023, driven largely by a drop in fuel prices. Inflation dropped to 3.9% in the year to November 2023, down from 4.6% in October 2023. Other than fuel, slowing food and household items were also behind the drop. Inflation has fallenRead More →
The Nasdaq Composite index reached a new all-time intra-day of 16,764 points on Monday 18th December 2023. This was a remarkable achievement for the index, as it surpassed its previous record of 16,729 points. The Nasdaq Composite index has been on a strong uptrend since March 2020, when it bottomed out at 3,193 points amid the COVID-19Read More →
The 10-year Treasury yield slipped further on Monday 18th December 2023, as the final full trading week of 2023 gets underway. Traders are attempting to digest the ‘dovish’ tone of the U.S. Federal Reserve. The central bank held its key interest rate at 5.5% and revealed that policymakers were pencilling in at leastRead More →
In 1993, amidst the hustle and bustle of family life and work commitments, I distinctly recall contemplating that should I have any disposable income, I would invest it in these particular stocks. I worked in tech running my own business and Microsoft was one of the businesses I wondered about,Read More →
Intel’s new chip will go head-to-head with Nvidia and AMD Intel unveiled new computer microchips on Thursday 14th December 2023, including Gaudi3, a chip for generative AI software. Intel also announced Core Ultra chips, designed for Windows laptops and PCs, and new fifth-generation Xeon server chips. Intel’s server and PCRead More →
Norman Vincent Peale 1898 – 1993 Norman Vincent Peale was an American Protestant clergyman and an author best known for popularizing the concept of positive thinking, especially through his best-selling book The Power of Positive ThinkingRead More →
Deflation is an economic phenomenon characterized by a general decline in prices for goods and services. It occurs when the inflation rate falls below 0%, resulting in a negative inflation rate. This means that the purchasing power of currency increases over time, allowing you to buy more with the same amount of money. ItRead More →
UK interest rates have been held at 5.25%. This is the third time in a row the Bank of England has opted to hold rates the same. The decision, which was widely expected by financial markets, means borrowing costs will remain at their highest level for 15 years. the BankRead More →
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) hit a new all-time high, on 13th December 2023. It closed at 36799 surpassing its previous record of 36585points that it had set on 4th January 2022. This was the fourth consecutive record close for the index. Record high The Dow’s record high was driven primarily by theRead More →
Fed holds U.S. rates at 5.5%, indicates three cuts coming in 2024 The Federal Reserve on Wednesday 13th December 2023 held its key interest rate steady for the third time in a row and set the scene for multiple rate cuts in 2024 and 2025. With inflation easing and theRead More →
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus’s reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Though Rudolph initially receives ridicule for his bright red nose, the brightness is so powerful that itRead More →
A Downgrade Amidst Economic Slowdown In a significant development that has raised concerns among investors and policymakers worldwide, China’s debt outlook has been downgraded as the country grapples with a slowing economy. This move reflects growing apprehensions about the sustainability of China’s economic growth and its ability to manage itsRead More →
The economy fell by 0.3% October, after growth of 0.2% in September 2023. UK GDP is 0.0% The UK economy shrank more than expected in October 2023, as higher interest rates hit consumers. The bad weather didn’t help either. Household spending has been dented by rate rises as the BankRead More →
Prices across a wide spectrum of goods and services moved slightly higher in November 2023 but were mostly in line with expectations, thus further easing pressure on the Federal Reserve. The consumer price index, a closely watched inflation gauge, increased 0.1% in November, and was up 3.1% from a yearRead More →
European Union officials have reached a provisional deal on the world’s first comprehensive laws to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The EU agreed guidelines around AI in systems like ChatGPT and facial recognition. The European Parliament will vote on the AI Act proposals early next year, but anyRead More →
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: (1807 – 1882) was an American poet and educator. He was a beloved American poet of the 19th century, known for his lyrical and narrative poems.Read More →
A $5000 fall in 24 hours. Bitcoin fell 7% Monday 11th December 2023 after touching $45,000 demonstrating its aptitude for volatility. A $5000 fall in 24 hours. The move comes after a 12% tear for Bitcoin in December 2023 as expectations grew that the U.S. could soon approve its first spotRead More →
World Gold Council The two most significant events for gold demand in 2023 were the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the Hamas attack on Israel, the World Gold Council (WGC) said, estimating that geopolitics added between 3% and 6% to gold’s performance over the year. The WGC estimated thatRead More →