FTSE hits 2015 low as China stocks plummet after sharp contraction in manufacturing August 21, 2015 The FTSE 100 hit a new intraday low for 2015 this morning, falling as low as 6,328 points, after shock manufacturing figures from China pushed markets across the world lower. Figures published overnight showed Chinese factories contracted at their fastest pace in six and a half years in August. The Caixin/Markit purchasing managers' index for [...]
Public sector borrowing: Government finances show a July surplus for the first time since 2012 – these five charts show the state the UK’s finances are in August 21, 2015 Figures published this morning showed the government's finances moved into surplus for the first July since 2012, with public sector net borrowing showing a surplus of just under £1.3bn, a fall in borrowing of £1.4bn compared with the same period last year. That's partly down to tax receipts, which rose to £7.8bn in July, £1.2bn [...]
Unlimited upsides? Check. Too big to fail? Check. History tells us careful investors could be about to make millions in China August 21, 2015 The Chinese government could be forgiven if it now feels rather pleased with itself. After interventions including banning negative reporting on markets, threatening to prosecute short-sellers, and ordering companies to engage in share buybacks, it has succeeded in arresting a stock market crash – albeit with a few bumps along the way. Not many governments [...]
Disney stocks tumble: ‘Frozen’ film maker feels the cold from Bernstein note August 21, 2015 Disney has had its stock downgraded for the second time this week by a major Wall Street research firm on concerns of declining television subscriptions. Bernstein analyst Todd Juenger downgraded Disney to “Market Perform” from “Outperform”, saying the US television industry is entering a period of “prolonged structural decline”.
Greek debt crisis: Fears resurface over bailout deal as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigns August 21, 2015 Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned last night, triggering another round of elections in Greece and calling into question the stability of the country’s latest bailout. Tsipras stepped down after just seven months in office, in which he battled with Greece’s creditors – including their Eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – [...]
UK house prices: No respite in sight for the housing market August 21, 2015 The housing market shows no sign of easing up this summer with prices climbing and mortgage lending seeing its strongest month for seven years. City level house prices are seeing their fastest growth for over a decade, property market analysts Hometrack said today. It said asking prices had increased 4.3 per cent in the [...]
Isis fight sends Iraq to debt markets August 21, 2015 Baghdad plans to raise $6bn as ongoing battles with militants have decimated infrastructure. Iraq is heading to the bond markets with hopes of raising billions, as low oil prices and the fight against Isis eat into state finances. Deputy governor of Iraq’s central bank, Zuhair Ali Akbar, confirmed the country will issue $6bn [...]
Global markets have had an awful day: FTSE, Dow, S&P and others close down on economic growth worries August 20, 2015 It's been an awful day for markets around the world. US stocks suffered their worst losses of 2015 while the FTSE 100 entered official correction territory caused by fears surrounding economic growth, particularly a slowdown in China, the world's second-largest economy. Markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen were down more than three per cent, while in [...]
Manufacturers and home sales buoy US outlook August 20, 2015 Manufacturers in the Philadelphia region are growing strongly this month, according to survey figures released yesterday, easing fears over the sector’s health. Meanwhile, US existing house purchases rose to an eight-year high last month, showing that consumer spending was in fine fettle. The Philadelphia Federal Index ticked up to a score of 8.3 this month from [...]
CBI industrial trends survey: Manufacturing orders unexpectedly improve in August August 20, 2015 A widely watched industry survey has shown manufacturer's order books unexpectedly improved this month. The CBI's industrial trends survey showed monthly total order book balance increased to -1 from -10 in July. Economists had expected it to remain stagnant. Output continued to grow at a steady pace in the three months to August, and this should continue [...]