AstraZeneca cancer drug drives FTSE 100 higher

Good morning.

There’s a different unwelcome reminder of the charge-of-residing crisis this early morning, as new ONS information showed genuine earnings fell at their quickest tempo for eight years in December.

Altered for inflation, ordinary wages excluding bonuses fell 1.2computer. Which is the most significant decline due to the fact 2014.

What is actually additional, the squeeze on disposable incomes is set to deepen, with higher vitality expenses, tax rises and even further desire amount increases all putting additional pressure on family budgets in the spring.

5 points to commence your day 

1) Taxman opens 20 investigations into crypto belongings: HMRC has opened more than 20 criminal investigations involving crypto assets this sort of as Bitcoin

2) Budget airline Wizz applies for transatlantic licence: The finances airline Wizz Air is setting up its first transatlantic flights, The Telegraph can expose

3) City advisers brace for sanctions on Kremlin-managed Gazprom: Bankers, legal professionals and PR consultants in the Town are contingency scheduling to slash ties with the Kremlin-controlled strength giant Gazprom amid fears it could be the focus on of sanctions 

4) Sadiq Khan hits commuters with optimum Tube fare increase in much more than a ten years: Mayor blames TfL funding crisis for 4.8pc bounce in Underground fares and 6.5computer system hike in bus fares

5) Moderna established to strike offer for British isles vaccine hub: US biotech in highly developed talks with ministers above opening a vaccine analysis and production centre in the United kingdom

What happened overnight 

Asian marketplaces largely fell once again on Tuesday, extending a world market-off fuelled by fears that Russia is about to invade Ukraine. Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Wellington and Manila slipped but Shanghai, Taipei and Jakarta edged up. Tokyo dipped as buyers brushed off info displaying Japan’s economic system rebounded in the ultimate 3 months of 2021.

Coming up today

Company: Glencore, As well as500 (entire-12 months success)

Economics: Unemployment (Uk), claimant depend transform (Uk), typical earnings (British isles), GDP (EU), ZEW economic sentiment (EU), producer rate index (US)