A rising dollar is positive for US small capitalisation shares May 21, 2018 | City Talk The dollar has started to rise following a period of weakness. This is positive for dollar dividend payers and US smaller companies. Movements in the dollar can have a significant impact on your investments. This is especially true for investors based in the UK, as many of Britain’s largest companies are significant foreign currency earners [...]
Government cracking down on Russian investor tier one visas May 21, 2018 The government is clamping down on rules for Russian oligarchs who want to stay in the UK, Downing Street has confirmed. A first set of action was taken in 2014-15, including the introduction of powers to refuse applications “where there are reasonable grounds to believe funds have been obtained unlawfully”, which resulted in an 84 [...]
Boris Johnson tells Brexiters not to fear ‘betrayal’ over customs backstop May 21, 2018 Brexiters should not fear a “betrayal” over the UK’s customs relationship with the EU, Boris Johnson has said. The foreign secretary, who is currently visiting South America, urged his fellow Leavers to stop sniping at the Prime Minister over the so-called Irish backstop and give her “time and space” to strike the right deal. After [...]
Cheeky: Nando’s denies it will give Conservative Party members a discount May 21, 2018 Restaurant chain Nando’s has denied reports that members of the Conservative party will be able to enjoy its peri peri chicken meals at a reduced price. Reports emerged last week indicating that the Tories are trying to attract new members by striking deals for lower prices at popular shops and eateries. But Nando’s has distanced [...]
FTSE 100 hits record high as fears of Donald Trump’s trade war with China wane May 21, 2018 The FTSE 100 has hit record highs this morning, blowing past 7,800 to trade at 7,849, levels not seen since before the financial crisis. The market’s rally comes after news over the weekend that the US and China had reached an agreement in order to avoid an all-out trade war. The trade agreement has also [...]
Ryanair (RYA) share price rises as profits soar but airline gives pessimistic forecast on higher costs as Brexit shareholder shake-up takes off May 21, 2018 Low-cost carrier Ryanair has reported soaring annual profits this morning, but has warned its earnings will fall back in the next year due to higher costs and flat fares. It has also given more insight into its Brexit preparations, with the airline saying it remains concerned at the “likely impact” of a hard Brexit. It [...]
Global dividend payouts climb 10 per cent to reach record heights in first quarter May 21, 2018 Booming corporate profits have pushed global dividends to record heights in the first quarter, according to the Janus Henderson Global Dividend index. Dividends jumped up 10.2 per cent on a headline basis to $244.7bn in the first few months of 2018 – setting a new record for first quarter payouts. The index, which is being [...]
City analysts say there’s more M&A activity on the horizon May 21, 2018 Equity markets nearing all-time record highs, interest rates still low and a weak pound have created a cauldron for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that analysts anticipate continuing while current market conditions persist. Two FTSE 100 companies have already been acquired this year, a third looks set to go and with two more facing bids, 2018 [...]
EY, KPMG, PwC, Deloitte: After Carillion, breaking up the Big Four accountancy firms is not the answer May 21, 2018 Breaking up, as Neil Sedaka has said on more than one occasion, is hard to do. Saying you want to break up, though? Well, that’s a heck of a lot easier. When delivering their findings into Carillion’s demise last week, MPs realised that bayoneting the dead firm’s carcass was hardly a valuable exercise. Instead, they [...]
Don’t turn off the UK’s gas supplies, embrace shale May 21, 2018 For far too long we have debated what our energy mix should look like, all the while crucially missing the most important point: the UK has become a nation that imports its energy, reducing its energy security, shunning UK job opportunities and missing out on tax revenue, as other countries reap those rewards. We have [...]