Good morning and welcome to Money Minute, where we preview the day's biggest financial stories. Not much in the way of big economic news today, but the corporate calendar is busy on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the UK, we get trading statements and results from several well known FTSE 250 companies. There's a year-end update from soft drinks maker AG Barr. The company had a tough first half, partly due to the long hot summer of 2018 being hard to beat. Investors will be hoping that things improved for the Irn Bru producer in the second half.
Updates are also due from troubled financial services group Saga, challenger bank Virgin Money and retirement home specialist McCarthy & Stone.
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Over in the US, tech giant Apple is the one to watch. The company's shares soared by more than 80% last year. Investors are increasingly convinced that Apple can break its dependence on selling ever more advanced iPhones. So they'll pay close attention to revenue from services - such as selling more apps - and wearables, particularly Apple's popular earphones, when its first quarter results come out later.
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HMRC slaps pensioners with record high surprise tax bills - do you owe the taxman money?More than a million people face surprise tax bills by HMRC, including thousands of pensioners, as triple lock pushes more retirees into taxable income brackets
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Chase to launch its first ever credit card next monthChase bank has been piloting its first-ever credit card to select employees and customers since November, but will roll it out to all customers from June, MoneyWeek can reveal. While the bank has become popular for current and savings accounts, will its credit offering be just as favoured?
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Trapped in a time of zombie governmentIt’s not just companies that are eking out an existence, says Max King. The state is in the twilight zone too.
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America is in deep denial over debtThe downgrade in America’s credit rating was much criticised by the US government, says Alex Rankine. But was it a long time coming?
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Bank of England raises interest rates to 5.25%The Bank has hiked rates from 5% to 5.25%, marking the 14th increase in a row. We explain what it means for savers and homeowners - and whether more rate rises are on the horizon
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UK inflation remains at 8.7% ‒ what it means for your moneyInflation was unmoved at 8.7% in the 12 months to May. What does this ‘sticky’ rate of inflation mean for your money?
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VICE bankruptcy: how did it happen?Was the VICE bankruptcy inevitable? We look into how the once multibillion-dollar came crashing down.
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Would a food price cap actually work?Analysis The government is discussing plans to cap the prices of essentials. But could this intervention do more harm than good?
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UK inflation slides to 8.7% - what does it mean for your money?News Inflation has dropped below 10% for the first time in months, but with food prices at a 45-year high, is this good news and what does it mean for your money?
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Why the UK equity market is shrinkingAnalysis The crisis has been building for 25 years, says Max King, and it will take decades to reverse the trend.
