Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsTop hedge funds make record $67bn in profits for 2023More than 47,000 UK businesses on ‘brink of collapse’, warn insolvency expertsUK economic growth to rebound in late 2024, leading forecaster saysThe value of farmland in England and Wales grew twice as fast as blue-chip shares on the London stock market last year, new research shows.Knight Frank’s Farmland Index, released this morning, shows that the value of bare land in England and Wales rose by 7% in 2023, trading over £9,000/acre on average for the first time.“The absence of forced sellers has certainly created a unique market dynamic. A persistent low supply makes it challenging to envision farmland trading at levels below those we’ve witnessed. The robust demand and intense competition among affluent buyers frequently pushes values to £10,000 per acre, and large blocks can even exceed £15,000 per acre.” Continue reading...