Ollie Smith, Morningstar Journalist Profile

Articles

Will the Bank of England Cut UK Interest Rates Again in 2025?

3 days ago | morningstar.co.uk | James Gard |Ollie Smith

At 2%, the eurozone may already be close to its “terminal rate” after a succession of rate cuts, but in the UK this seems a long way off. While the European Central Bank has cut the key deposit rate in half from its 4% peak, in the UK rates are just one percentage point lower than the peak of 5.25%.
It’s AIM 30th Birthday, But Celebrations For UK Small-Cap Stocks Are Muted

5 days ago | morningstar.co.uk | Ollie Smith

A full transcript will be available shortly. The author or authors do not own shares in any securities mentioned in this article. Find out about Morningstar's editorial policies.
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates

1 week ago | morningstar.co.uk | Ollie Smith

MPC members Swati Dhingra and Alan Taylor were among the policy “doves” voting in favor of cuts. Both individuals previously voted for a bumper rate cut of 0.50% at the MPC’s May meeting and have also been vocal in the lead up to today’s decision about their support for lower rates. Today’s news means they have been joined by another voter who is in favour of cuts: Dave Ramsden.
BBB Valor Flux glasses

1 week ago | road.cc | Ollie Smith

VERDICT: 10 High-quality lens, a well-built frame and great value – but let down for me by a slightly too tight fit High-quality lens Clear lens included Premium hard case and bagVery good build quality Sustainably manufactured Stylish No adjustability Tight fit (on my big head) At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective.
UK Inflation Higher Than Forecast in May

1 week ago | morningstar.co.uk | Ollie Smith

However, a data error last month by the government means that headline inflation was actually overstated by 0.1 percentage points. However, the ONS did not issue an official revision, leaving April’s 3.5% figure intact. Core inflation, which excludes volatile elements like food and energy, rose by 3.5% in May, in line with forecasts but below April’s increase of 3.8%.
UK GDP Falls in April As Exporters Brace For Tariffs Impact

2 weeks ago | morningstar.co.uk | Ollie Smith

Global trade uncertainty resulted in a £2.7 billion fall in UK exports, the ONS said, with the decline most visible in exports to the US. The economy did still manage to grow 0.7% in the three months to April, the ONS said, thanks to overall growth in the UK’s services sector. This suggests economic activity was effectively “brought forward,” in anticipation of tariff disruption and taxation changes, making April a quieter month overall.
Crankbrothers Slider Tyre Lever Kit

2 weeks ago | road.cc | Ollie Smith

VERDICT: 10 Good set of tyre levers with the added bonus of sliders to help with particularly tough combos Good quality Everything clips together to stop small parts going missing Good value for money At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective.
The UK Moves Closer to Bitcoin ETFs, But Will Investors Benefit?

2 weeks ago | morningstar.co.uk | Valerio Baselli |Ollie Smith

“Permitting UK retail access to crypto ETPs could begin an important and timely shift in the regulatory landscape,” says Dovile Silenskyte, director of digital assets research at WisdomTree. Following the debut of 21Shares and WisdomTree in late May 2024, currently there are about 30 crypto ETPs listed on the London Stock Exchange, all limited to professional investors who can prove they have the experience and knowledge to deal in “complex financial instruments”. This is likely to change soon.
Jatkuuko eurooppalaisten puolustusosakkeiden... | Morningstar

2 weeks ago | morningstar.fi | Ollie Smith

Euroopan poliittinen kehitys on johtanut siihen, että Morningstarin analyytikot nostavat keskeisten yhtiöiden, kuten BAE Systemsin, osakkeiden käypiä arvoja, joissakin tapauksissa merkittävästi. Viime viikolla Yhdysvaltain presidentti Donald Trump varoitti, että Vladimir Putin aikoo kostaa Ukrainan salaisen lennokkioperaation, jossa tiettävästi tuhottiin miljardien dollarien arvosta venäläistä ilmailu- ja avaruuskalustoa.
UK Jobless Rate Rises to 4.6%, Wage Growth Moderates

2 weeks ago | morningstar.co.uk | Ollie Smith

The last time the jobless rate was higher was in the period from April to June 2021, at 4.7%, according to the ONS. The jobless rate was in line with FXStreet-cited consensus. The ONS said annual growth in average earnings was 5.2% for regular earnings, which exclude bonuses, and 5.3% for total earnings, which factor in bonuses. However, regular earnings growth of 5.4% was expected, and total earnings growth of 5.5% was predicted, according to FXStreet.