Daily Briefing

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12 economic and business data areas — updated daily — with plain-English SME interpretation. Know what's moving, what it means for your business, and what to watch.

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AI SME Summary — Monday 23 March 2026 · Updated 07:00
Sterling strengthened slightly against the dollar overnight (+0.3%) providing modest relief on import costs. The Bank of England base rate holds at 4.75% — next MPC decision 8 May. PPI input inflation rose 0.4% month-on-month — expect supplier price increase requests in the next 60 days. Asia–UK freight rates fell 2.1% this week, the third consecutive weekly decline. Corporation Tax unchanged at 25% for profits over £250k. Employer NI rises to 15% from April 2026 — review payroll costs now.
1 — Interest Rates · Free
BoE Base Rate4.75% →
Next MPC Decision8 May 2026
Business Loan Rate (avg)7.8%
Market ExpectationHold / cut
Borrowing costs remain elevated. Factor 4.75%+ into any financing plans. A May cut would provide modest relief on variable-rate debt.
2 — Inflation (CPI/PPI) · Free
CPI Headline2.8% ↓
PPI Input Inflation+0.4% MoM ↑
Core CPI (ex food/energy)3.1%
PPI rising means supplier costs will increase in 60–90 days. Review supplier contracts now and check if your pricing has room to absorb this.
3 — Exchange Rates · Free
GBP/USD1.2847 ↑
GBP/EUR1.1623 →
GBP/CNY9.3105 ↑
GBP/INR106.42 ↑
Sterling slightly stronger vs USD — modest improvement on import costs from China and the US. Update your Import Cost Calculator FX rates before placing orders.
4 — Energy Prices · Free
Brent Crude ($/barrel)$78.42 ↓
UK Gas (p/therm)82.3p →
Electricity Wholesale£94/MWh
Oil prices easing. If your business is transport or energy-intensive, you may see some modest cost relief in the next quarter.
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Employment & Wages

UK unemployment rate, average wage growth — affects staff costs and customer spending

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Consumer Confidence

GfK Consumer Confidence Index — are your customers feeling like spending or saving?

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Business Confidence (PMI)

PMI Manufacturing & Services — above 50 = growth, below 50 = contraction

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Supply Chain & Freight

Asia–UK freight rates, shipping index — affects import costs and lead times

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Commodities

Steel, timber, plastics prices — raw material costs for manufacturers and importers

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Business News

Top 5 SME-relevant UK business headlines — updated daily

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Tax & Compliance Hub

Corporation Tax rate, Employer NI, VAT threshold, National Living Wage, MTD deadlines

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UK Economy Snapshot

GDP growth, retail sales index, insolvency statistics — is the economy your business operates in growing?

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All 12 Data Areas

The economic data that affects your business.

Every area includes: current data point, direction indicator (↑↓→), plain-English SME interpretation, and source. Areas 1–4 free. Areas 5–12 unlocked by email.

01 · Free
Interest Rates
BoE base rate, loan rates, MPC
02 · Free
Inflation
CPI headline & PPI input costs
03 · Free
Exchange Rates
GBP/USD, EUR, CNY, INR
04 · Free
Energy Prices
Oil, gas, electricity wholesale
05
Employment & Wages
Unemployment & wage growth
06
Consumer Confidence
GfK index & retail sales
07
Business Confidence
PMI manufacturing & services
08
Supply Chain
Freight rates & lead times
09
Commodities
Steel, timber, plastics
10
Business News
Top 5 SME headlines daily
11
Tax & Compliance Hub
Corp Tax, NI, VAT, NLW, MTD
12
UK Economy Snapshot
GDP, retail sales, insolvencies