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Related tickers and likely impact
GBP/USD
• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/20/2026 | 1.33800 |
| Change that session | +0.57% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
Related news
- DWP rules will deny 10 million state pensioners £489 triple lock hike
The state pension is on course to rise 3.9% next April, as wage growth far outpaced September’s inflation figures. Of about 13.3 million DWP state pension recipients, only three million will get the full triple-lock increase, which equals £489 for full new state pension claimants, while around 10 million will not. The 2.3 million people on reduced new state pension payouts, often due to contracted-out schemes or insufficient National Insurance contributions, will see smaller rises, and about 420,000 people living abroad will have their rates frozen. The DWP said £489 is only an example, since the actual increase depends on each person’s entitlement and National Insurance record.
- State pension tipped to increase by nearly £500 as inflation rises
- State pension tipped to increase by nearly £500 as inflation rises
- State pension tipped to increase by nearly £500 as inflation rises | Maldon and Burnham Standard
- UK inflation expected to have accelerated in September after fuel surge
Most forecasters expect UK CPI inflation to have risen to 3.4% in September from 3.1% in August, driven mainly by higher motor fuel and household energy prices linked to the Middle East energy shock. Diesel prices averaged above £2 a litre for the first time ever at the start of the month, according to RAC figures, while the end of a temporary summer VAT cut on family attractions also pushed prices up. The September rate is typically used to set benefit increases and forms part of the pension triple lock, under which state pensions are widely expected to rise 3.9% next year based on published wage growth. Deutsche Bank's Sanjay Raja noted that food price rises have been limited by supermarket competition but could pick up, and that the cost of living will rise further with Ofgem's energy price cap increase from the start of October. The ONS will publish the figures on Wednesday.
- Andy Burnham plan for state pensioners born before 1970
Andy Burnham has proposed changing the state pension 'triple lock' from 2030, a change that would affect every pensioner and those approaching retirement over the coming decade. The triple lock, introduced in 2012, guarantees annual rises in line with the highest of inflation, wage growth or 2.5%. Burnham's plan would remove the earnings element, effectively creating a double lock, so increases could be smaller and retirees could end up hundreds of pounds worse off a year over time. The Conservatives under Kemi Badenoch have said they would keep the triple lock, setting up a clear political divide before an election due before 2030. Money expert Antonia Medlicott of Investing Insiders argues a review is overdue, noting the pension is projected to cost more than National Insurance contributions by 2035 and rose 60 per cent between 2010 and 2023 while earnings rose 40 per cent.
Related markets
Latest news
- Bank Profits Surge
The 9-month 2026 results show many banks continued to grow profits, with some posting record quarterly earnings. VPBank's pre-tax profit reached nearly VND 30,000 billion, up nearly 47%, equal to its full-year 2025 result and about 72.4% of its 2026 plan; Q3 pre-tax profit topped VND 11,000 billion. Techcombank posted VND 28,900 billion (up 23.7%), while LPBank reported VND 10,421 billion (up nearly 9%). SSI forecasts pre-tax profit of its monitored banks to rise 19.5% in 2026 before slowing to 15.4% in 2027, pressured by narrowing net interest margins and rising credit risk provisions. It also expects system-wide credit growth of 16-17% in 2027 and 17.9% for the monitored banks.
- World's Largest Gold Fund Dumps Over 10 Tonnes of Gold as Prices Slide
SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold fund, continued net selling of nearly 12 tonnes of gold in the 22/10 session, bringing total sales over 2 sessions to nearly 15 tonnes and cutting its holdings to about 1,046 tonnes. Spot gold fell more than 2.8% to around USD 4,025 per ounce at the close of 22/10, and briefly dipped below USD 4,000 per ounce in the morning session of 23/10. Tensions in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices higher, raising concerns about inflation and further Fed tightening, and gold has still not attracted sustained safe-haven demand even as US Treasury yields fell. US September CPI rose 0.6% month on month and 3.7% year on year, while PPI rose 1.3% and 6.3%. Markets price about an 84% chance the Fed holds rates steady at its 27-28/10 meeting and a 16% chance of a 25 basis-point increase; September PCE data due on 29/10 is the next key factor to watch.
- Gold Prices Continue to Fall
On the morning of 23/10, domestic gold prices kept falling, with SJC bar prices varying by seller and the premium over world gold widening. Công ty TNHH Vàng bạc đá quý Sài Gòn listed SJC bars at VND 139-142 million per tael (buy-sell), down VND 300,000; Phú Quý was at VND 138-141.8 million, down VND 500,000; and Mi Hồng at VND 140-141.5 million, down VND 800,000. Gold rings also fell by varying amounts, with DOJI at VND 138-142 million and Phú Quý at VND 138-141 million per tael. World gold dropped USD 129 to around USD 3,992 per ounce, equal to about VND 125.3 million per tael, leaving SJC bars about VND 16.7 million per tael above the world price. The State Bank's central rate was set at 25,627 VND/USD, down 5 dong, while Vietcombank quoted 25,660-26,040 VND/USD (buy-sell).
- Company Linked to Billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong Announces Major Good News
VEFAC (ticker VEF), a Vingroup subsidiary, posted Q3 net revenue of nearly VND 77 billion, up 67% year on year, but a gross loss of about VND 27 billion as cost of sales from its exhibition business exceeded revenue. Q3 profit rose mainly thanks to a gross gain of about VND 65 billion from transferring some schools in a project to a partner, while financial income reached over VND 388 billion, mostly from loan and investment income. For the first nine months of 2026, after-tax profit was nearly VND 865 billion, down about 94% from VND 15,418 billion in the same period of 2025, as the prior year included large gains from transferring part of the Vinhomes Global Gate project. As of 30/9/2026, total assets stood at over VND 31,905 billion, up 36% from the start of the year, while total liabilities exceeded VND 24,364 billion, with short-term customer advances rising from VND 411 billion to over VND 8,373 billion.
- Lotte and Phat Dat Officially Break Ground on VND 60,000 Billion Mega Project in Thu Thiem 'Golden Land'
A joint venture between Lotte Group (South Korea) and Phát Đạt (HoSE: PDR) officially broke ground on 23/10 on Lotte Eco Smart City Thu Thiem in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area, HCMC, with total investment of about VND 60,000 billion. The project covers nearly 7.5 ha and will combine Grade A offices, retail, services, accommodation and housing, adjoining the central plaza and central lake of Thu Thiem. Phát Đạt holds 35% of Lotte Properties HCMC, the project developer, and will develop the housing blocks along with two towers (2-1 and 2-3) with about 219,722 m2 of floor area, while Lotte handles block 2-5. Lotte Properties HCMC paid VND 17,569 billion in land-use fees on 31/7/2026, and Phát Đạt completed its VND 7,666 billion payment to take its 35% stake. MB is funding all of Phát Đạt's capital contribution, while VietinBank and BIDV also support the project.
- International Business : Global stocks nosedive as Meta dents AI optimism
Global stocks retreated as tech earnings failed to ease concerns about the AI outlook, with MSCI's All-World index set for its largest daily fall in two weeks, down 0.4 per cent. Meta beat third-quarter revenue expectations, but its plan to issue non-voting stock revived worries about its mounting capital commitments, and a New Mexico judge ordered it to pay a $25 billion penalty in a data privacy case. Brent crude rose nearly 3% to $112 a barrel, near a five-month high, after more Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia raised supply risks. Investors moved into government bonds, pushing the US 10-year yield down to 5.05%, below France's for the first time in 13 years, while French yields have climbed above 5% amid concerns over social unrest and debt. The France-Germany 10-year spread reached 177.7 basis points, its widest since 2011, while gold fell 1.8% to $4,070 an ounce.
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