Economics

US

GOSLING'S GROUSE

George Osborne is potentially facing a £20bn black hole in the public purse when he delivers the next Budget, according to a recreation of government models put together by the Financial Times.

The Bank of England will not hike interest rates until well in to 2015 at the earliest, according to Hawksmoor Investment Management's head of research, Jim Wood-Smith.

Japan is the "most interesting place" to take equity market risk thanks to Abenomics, according to the managers of the Ruffer investment trust.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management's chief markets strategist - former BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders - forecasts better times ahead for global markets in 2014.

Economic thinktank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has forecast the economy will grow by 1.4% this year.

The UK will be the fastest-growing Western economy next year, according to a survey by accountancy firm Grant Thornton.

Fidelity Worldwide Investments' global CIO for equities, Dominic Rossi, has predicted the FTSE 100 will test a new high as accommodative central banks keep monetary policy loose and rates low into 2014.

The future of the UK economy may not be as bright as some have predicted, with the weakest recovery in 'industrial history' limiting annual growth to 1% in the longer term, according to a thinktank.