U.S. financial markets experienced a volatile week, largely influenced by geopolitical developments in the Middle East and fluctuations in energy prices. Investor sentiment was driven primarily by external events rather than domestic fundamentals.
The US dollar returned to the upside as geopolitical fears rebounded after US President Trump's address to the nation. The rhetoric fuelled risk aversion and flows toward the dollar while oil prices surged.
Ginsburg stated that treating builder business as a core pillar rather than a side channel reflects a broader industry shift. He believes a healthy balance of builders should be around 15% to 20% of the overall retail book of business.
The UK property market continues to evolve, with increasing demand for speed, certainty and flexibility driving growth in the fast house sale sector. House buying companies have become a significant part of the market, offering homeowners an alternative to traditional estate agent sales.
The main upward pressure on inflation in February came from clothing and footwear, where prices rose by 0.9% over the year. This marked a reversal from the previous month, when clothing prices had shown no increase.