#interest-rates

#interest-rates

Over halfway through: In its H1 results in June Barclays highlighted the midpoint of its 3-year revamp and noted it had achieved over half (£17bn) of the c.£30bn planned UK risk weighted assets (RWAs) growth, half of the target income growth and realised two-thirds of the £2bn planned gross cost efficiency savings. Group income of £14.9bn was up 12% year-on-year, with group net interest income (NII) up 13% to £6.1bn.

Not every dividend ETF you buy needs to be boring. The vast majority of dividend ETFs you hold should certainly be ones that compound reliably over decades , but it's also worth buying up those that have significant upside potential while paying you to wait for those gains. The current environment is perfect for going shopping for such dividend ETFs.

Considering the current mortgage rate of around 6.41% in September 2025, and knowing that rates were half as much 10-15 years ago, it's becoming increasingly hard to convince anyone that buying a house right now is a good idea. This uncertainty has led individuals like this Redditor, who purchased a home with a high mortgage rate and is now deciding whether or not refinancing is a good option.

The Bank of England's decision to maintain the base interest rate at 4% until 2026 offers UK SMEs a rare opportunity amidst these ongoing economic challenges. This stability is crucial as inflation remains at 3.8%, creating a complex landscape that demands careful navigation by businesses. However, while stable interest rates can provide predictable borrowing costs - enabling SMEs to plan investments and manage cash flow - persistent inflation means that operational expenses are still rising, putting pressure on profit margins across various sectors.

Interest rate cuts make high-yield dividend stocks more attractive because they reduce competition from fixed-income investments while lowering the companies' borrowing costs, which can support both dividend sustainability and stock price appreciation. At 24/7 Wall St., we attempt to evaluate the underlying business fundamentals and dividend sustainability before recommending companies to our readers. Often, remarkably high yields can sometimes indicate financial stress rather than opportunity, as was the case with Walgreens this year.

Donald Trump has once again taken a wrecking ball to the rule of law and long-standing norms as he seeks to fire Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor, and pursue his unprecedented assault on the central bank's independence. Just as he failed to understand the huge problems his tariffs would create, Trump fails to understand the serious damage his attacks on the Federal Reserve could cause.

When pressed by reporters on why hiring has slumped, Powell responded: "That's much more about the change in immigration," He continued, "The supply of workers has obviously come way down. There's very little growth, if any, in the supply of workers. And at the same time, demand for workers has also come down quite sharply, and to the point where we see what I've called a curious balance."

European markets opened higher on Wednesday, supported by a rebound in SAP and growing investor optimism ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the day. However, the market could remain at risk as investors could remain cautious. SAP led gains in the index, advancing nearly 4% in early trading after upbeat management commentary helped allay recent concerns over its cloud segment.