Oil analysts predict price spikes for Brent crude as early as 2016 August 27, 2015 The price of oil cannot stay at its current sub-$50 levels beyond next year, energy analysts have warned. Due to a lack of growth in North American shale production and increased decline in mature fields, a Brent price as low as $50 per barrel is not sustainable beyond 2016, according to research from Rystad [...]
UK manufacturers to government: Green burden and environment legislation is out of control August 27, 2015 An overwhelming majority of British manufacturers want the government to scrap environmental legislation, according to a new report out today from the EEF. The report found that seven in 10 manufacturers said eliminating so-called “green” red tape is important to their business. Four in 10 said that the government had not done enough [...]
China’s economic crisis and the global market turmoil spooks central bankers August 27, 2015 Traders on red alert for a prolonged period of cheap money (Source: Getty) Global market turbulence is causing central bankers on both sides of the pond to shy away from any tightening of monetary conditions – putting traders on red alert for a prolonged period of cheap money. American rate-setter Bill Dudley [...]
US stocks rise sharply as investors recover from China panic August 26, 2015 US stocks surged upwards today, bringing an end to six consecutive days of declines. Read more: US markets rise but FTSE closes lower as China uncertainty continues At close, the S&P 500 was up 3.9 per cent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq ended the day 3.96 per cent higher and 4.24 per [...]
September interest rate hike looks “less compelling” in light of China slowdown, says Fed policymaker William Dudley August 26, 2015 A September interest rate rise by the Federal Reserve is now “less compelling”, according to William Dudley, President of the central bank's New York office. "From my perspective, at this moment, the decision to begin the normalization process at the September FOMC meeting seems less compelling to me than it was a few weeks [...]
UK housing market: Remortgaging spurred on by Bank of England interest rate hike threat August 26, 2015 Remortgaging has surged as the prospect of an interest rate rise leads homeowners to lock in better deals. The number of people switching to lower rates was 29 per cent higher in July than in the some month last year, figures released yesterday by the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) showed. “Savvy homeowners are snapping up [...]
The Globe of Economic Complexity: Compare all the world’s economies on this digital map August 26, 2015 A map created by Harvard University researchers visualises the trillions of dollars worth of trade exchanged between all the world's economies. Read more: UK named world's fifth biggest economy thanks to sex and drugs boost Called the Global Map of Economic Complexity, it uses illuminated dots to represent each export from a given country. [...]
NY Federal Reserve’s Bill Dudley: Interest rate hike in September is now less compelling August 26, 2015 To hike or not to hike? That is the question. Bill Dudley, chair of the New York Federal Reserve, has suggested the interest rate rise we all thought was coming in September is now "less compelling", thanks to the market volatility which has caused equities to swing wildly over the past few days. Read more: US [...]
As global markets selloff continues, here’s what seven analysts think of today’s market turmoil August 26, 2015 Market turmoil is widespread today, with gains being wiped off indices in Asia, European markets opening lower, and the FTSE 100 edging towards 6,000. What do analysts make of the developments? Here's a round-up: 1. "The news propped up a malaise in markets" – Bernard Yaros, Moody’s Analytics The release of the weakest Chinese manufacturing [...]
Why the finance sector is still the place for bonuses – despite a decline in payouts August 26, 2015 Finance sector workers are being paid billions less in bonuses than they were before the 2008 financial crisis, figures by the Office for National Statistics showed this morning. Total bonus payments in finance and insurance reached £13.6bn in the year to April, £5bn less than their pre-recession peak. Economy wide bonuses are just 0.1 per cent [...]