Recruiters are good bellwethers for the health of economies and next week’s updates from Hays PLC (LSE:HAS) and PageGroup will give a good indication of where the real world stands at present.
Surveys suggest the mood among UK employers is not optimistic but it is now only a modest part of Hays and Page’s business, so while a good indicator of what’s happening in Britain, it is mainland Europe, Asia and the US that matter more.
Economists at Goldman Sachs have added their sixpenny worth to the gloomy headlines around the health of the UK's finances.
Following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax raid, the Wall Street titan now sees the UK economy growing by 0.9% this year, compared to the official forecast of 2%.
Persimmon PLC (LSE:PSN) was one of the best of the risers as UBS upgraded to 'Buy' ahead of a trading update next week.
Housebuilder shares have been under pressure recently due to worries about the impact of the rise in gilt yields on mortgage costs with Persimmon shedding 35% of its value since November.