UK - Slowdown realities should be taken seriously

The deteriorating economic environment shows little sign of perking up. The April RICS UK housing market survey was the most pessimistic since 1978, with consumer confidence at its lowest since the early 1990s, while the latest inflation numbers were higher than market expectations. This scenario of stuttering growth and higher inflation makes the Bank of England's balancing act even more difficult. This is not echoed in the UK stockmarket, which remains buoyant. However, the risk of serious economic slowdown, and its effect on many companies, is underappreciated. As such, I continue to...