Savers pile into cash Isas before Budget tax raid

Group 1: Stock Market Performance - UK and US stocks have started December with declines, with the FTSE 100 down 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 0.5% to 47,457.90 [3][28] - The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8% to 23,186.74, reflecting investor caution amid a sell-off in cryptocurrencies [28][40] - The overall market sentiment is influenced by speculation regarding interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve [40][41] Group 2: Economic Developments - The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) resigned following a report labeling a Budget leak as the "worst failure" in its history [13][14] - The UK manufacturing sector has shown growth for the first time in 14 months, with the S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI rising to 50.2 in November [54][55] - Mortgage approvals fell by 600 to 65,000 in October, attributed to concerns over potential tax rises in the Budget [61] Group 3: Corporate Actions and Plans - BP is reportedly shelving plans for a major hydrogen project in Teesside, impacting net zero plans [2] - Zipcar has proposed to close its UK operations by the end of the year, pending employee consultations [19] - Harbour Energy announced plans to cut 100 jobs in the North Sea due to the Chancellor's refusal to adjust the windfall tax [35] Group 4: Cryptocurrency Market - The cryptocurrency market has seen significant declines, with Bitcoin dropping over 7% to $84,966 and Ether plunging 29% [2][40] - The overall market sentiment remains cautious, with traders noting a lack of inflows into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds [78] Group 5: Energy Sector - Diesel prices for UK drivers could rise if military action is taken in Venezuela, which is crucial for heavy sour crude oil used in diesel production [9][11] - Oil prices have been affected by OPEC+'s decision to maintain production levels, with Brent crude rising by 1.9% to over $63 per barrel [80][84]