{"id":455453,"date":"2025-09-27T13:35:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T13:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/455453\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T13:35:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T13:35:13","slug":"gold-rush-continues-as-inflation-forecast-sours-reeves-gatwick-runway-boost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/455453\/","title":{"rendered":"Gold rush continues as inflation forecast sours Reeves’ Gatwick runway boost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is there no end in sight for the rally in gold (GC=F<\/a>) prices? Seemingly not, as nervousness about the state of the world \u2013 its worsening conflicts, its economic turbulence \u2013 drives growing hordes of investors to seek shelter in the preeminent safe-haven asset. The yellow metal notched a sixth straight weekly increase<\/a>, boosted by inflows into bullion-backed exchange-traded funds and a risk-off tone in broader markets.<\/p>\n

Gold has climbed more than 40% year-to-date, and banks including Goldman Sachs (GS<\/a>) see the rally continuing toward the $4,000 mark. Silver (SI=F<\/a>) is enjoying a winning spell too, threatening the hallowed $50 level.<\/p>\n

It wasn’t such a golden week for chancellor Rachel Reeves, already under huge pressure to plug a yawning hole in the public finances,<\/a> as the OECD sounded the alarm on growth and inflation. The international policy forum predicts that inflation in the UK<\/a> will average 3.5% this year, higher than any other G7 nation including the US which is grappling with the effects of Trump’s tariff regime.<\/p>\n

The OECD sees the pace of price increases easing to 2.7% next year, still well above the Bank of England\u2019s<\/a> 2% target. It also predicts higher taxes and reduced government spending will act as a drag on economic growth.<\/p>\n

There was some good news for the beleaguered chancellor though, as plans for a second runway at Gatwick Airport were given the green light. Reeves, keen to seize on any positive news ahead of her November budget, said the \u00a32.2 billion plan would create thousands of jobs and help \u201ckickstart the economy\u201d. Our readers’ poll suggested most of you agreed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at these and other stories making the financial headlines in the last few days.<\/p>\n

\"Digital Can AI revive hopes for the all-immersive metaverse? \u00b7 Eugene Mymrin via Getty Images <\/p>\n

UK braced for highest inflation in G7, says OECD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The latest projections from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development made for grim reading, with the UK seen heading for inflation of 3.5% this year as it struggles with flagging growth. That figure \u2013 75% above the Bank of England’s target \u2013 is seen easing to 2.7% in 2026.<\/p>\n

Consumer prices are being pressured by an increase in the minimum wage and employers’ national insurance contributions, as well as hikes in utility bills.<\/p>\n

The forecasts will add to the burden on Rachel Reeves ahead of her next budget, slated for 26 November, as the government sets out on a growth mission.<\/p>\n

Will AI save the metaverse?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Remember the metaverse? Or rather, the hype around a future concept that may come to be known as the metaverse? That hype has so far failed to live up to the (virtual) reality as tech companies like Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s Meta have struggled to make the digital universe profitable.<\/p>\n

However, there could be a saviour in the offing. You\u2019ve guessed it: AI. By enabling human creators to earn royalties via micropayments when generative AI recombines their work, AI could turn virtual environments into a scalable creative economy.<\/p>\n

We took a look at how the technology of the moment could breathe life into the metaverse once more.<\/p>\n

All the Amazon Fresh store closures, mapped<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not every day one of the biggest companies on the planet \u2013 a Magnificent Seven member no less \u2013 admits defeat. But earlier this week Amazon conceded that its attempt to change the face of British grocery shopping had ended in failure. The e-commerce behemoth announced it was closing or converting its Amazon Fresh stores, all of which are located in London.<\/p>\n

Danni Hewson, AJ Bell’s head of financial analysis, linked the closures to dwindling customer numbers, saying that although the stores’ till-less technology was striking, it “always felt a little awkward for a post-pandemic shopper\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"LONDON, Earlier this week Amazon conceded that its attempt to change the face of British grocery shopping had ended in failure. \u00b7 SOPA Images via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Trump signs TikTok deal. How exactly it will work is still unknown<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The president signed an order on Thursday to formally approve the spin-off of TikTok’s US operations from China’s ByteDance in a deal valued at $14 billion. The plan \u2013 as outlined by the White House \u2013 is for the new venture to receive a copy of the TikTok algorithm that will be “retrained” on US user data.<\/p>\n

But plenty of questions remain about the structure of the new entity, what the conditions of the licence will look like, and myriad technical considerations. Our US team took a deep dive into a deal steeped in potential pitfalls.<\/p>\n

Four in five FTSE leaders have considered foreign or dual listings<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A survey by a Deutsche Bank broker found 83% of FTSE leaders have toyed with moving their company listing to a foreign stock market.Amid the growing appeal of hubs like Amsterdam and Frankfurt, nearly two-thirds of the respondents had faced pressure from external stakeholders to move or seek a dual listing.<\/p>\n

However, Deutsche Numis said there’s a “renewed sense of optimism in the outlook for listings in London this year”. Nearly all respondents said they believed that the UK is an attractive market for launching an IPO or raising capital, up from 87% in 2024.<\/p>\n

Convenience often comes at a cost, and if you\u2019re wanting the convenience of an easy commute in London, that cost, it turns out, is on the high side. Research from Nationwide found Londoners typically pay \u00a342,700 more \u2013 an 8% premium \u2013 to buy a home located 500 metres away from a tube or train station. A property located 750 metres from a station typically commands a 5.6% premium and a home located 1,000 metres away attracts a 3.5% premium: <\/strong>London transport lines with the highest and lowest house prices<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In the 30 years since venture capital trusts (VCTs) were launched these tax-efficiant schemes have gone from raising \u00a3160m to \u00a3895m from investors. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the main focus of VCTs is to invest in smaller, earlier-stage companies. We took a closer look at the benefits and risks: <\/strong>What you need to know about investing in VCTs as a new season gets underway<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Find more personal finance gems <\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Consumer sentiment and broader economic health will be in focus in the coming week, with US jobs data due to be released, along with earnings from retail sector companies on both sides of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

Investors will look for any signs of a further slowdown in the US labour market when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its latest jobs report on Friday.<\/p>\n

In terms of earnings, sportswear brand Nike (NKE<\/a>) is set to report as it faces pressure from US president Donald Trump’s tariffs and competition from upstart brands.<\/p>\n

In the UK, Tesco (TSCO.L<\/a>) will report on its half-year performance, following a strong start to the year for Britain’s biggest supermarket by market share.<\/p>\n

Bakery chain Greggs (GRG.L<\/a>) will update on its performance over the third quarter, after having reported a fall in profits in the first half.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, pub chain JD Wetherspoon (JDW.L<\/a>) will report its full-year figures, having already flagged that sales had overtaken pre-pandemic levels, with sunny weather boosting trade in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Yahoo Finance UK’s Vicky McKeever has all the details: What to watch next week<\/a><\/p>\n

Ever wondered (as I have) about the story behind one of the planet’s most famous pub staples? Well, even if you haven’t, you’ll probably enjoy the gritty new Netflix drama about a certain 19th century alcoholic beverage dynasty in Dublin. Starring James Norton and created by Oscar-nominated Steven Knight, the action picks up after the death of brewery tycoon Sir Benjamin Guinness and follows the fate of his children as they attempt to steer the family ship. It’s drawn comparisons to Peaky Blinders and Succession. Cheers to that!<\/p>\n

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for <\/strong>Apple<\/strong><\/a> and <\/strong>Android<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Is there no end in sight for the rally in gold (GC=F) prices? Seemingly not, as nervousness about…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455454,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[936,748,57136,5286,393,1558,2792,4884,1144,619,712,16,15,1764],"class_list":{"0":"post-455453","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uk","8":"category-united-kingdom","9":"tag-bank-of-england","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-deutsche-bank","12":"tag-economic-growth","13":"tag-england","14":"tag-gatwick-airport","15":"tag-goldman-sachs","16":"tag-great-britain","17":"tag-northern-ireland","18":"tag-rachel-reeves","19":"tag-scotland","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom","22":"tag-wales"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115276528130624168","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455453"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455453\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}