Financial markets rocked as Leave campaign gains clout June 15, 2016 Financial markets were rocked yesterday as referendum jitters wiped around £30bn off the value of the UK’s top companies and sent investors fleeing for safe havens. The FTSE 100 crashed below the 6,000 mark, ending the day at 5,923 – its lowest finish since 24 February. The blue-chip index has now lost six per cent – [...]
IMF raises fresh alarm over Chinese debt time bomb June 14, 2016 Excessive Chinese borrowing is one of the most serious threats to the world economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared, as it urged policymakers to press ahead with reforms. Concluding its annual health check of the world’s second biggest economy, the IMF said getting a grip of the debt problem — particularly in the [...]
At the close: £30bn wiped off FTSE 100 as Brexit fears mount June 14, 2016 Financial markets were plunged into turmoil today as the latest Brexit opinion polls sent investors running for the hills, wiping tens of billions off the value of the UK's leading companies. The FTSE 100 shed two per cent to end the day at 5,923.53 – its lowest close since 24 February – knocking roughly £30bn [...]
European Central Bank to do “whatever it takes” to limit turmoil following Brexit vote June 14, 2016 Europe's top central bankers are ready to announce they will do "whatever it takes" to contain the spillover of Brexit on the financial markets. The European Central Bank (ECB) is reportedly preparing to make a high-profile pledge on 24 June in the event that the UK votes to leave the EU to provide as much assistance as possible to [...]
The pound is feeling the pressure of the latest Brexit polls June 14, 2016 Sterling has continued its sharp decline this morning as another set of opinion polls showed the Leave side pulling ahead with just nine days to go until the EU referendum. The pound has lost 1.1 per cent against the US dollar so far today to stand at $1.4117 in early afternoon trading – a two-month low. It also fell against [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open June 14, 2016 Brexit fears are dragging down markets and Germany's 10-year bond yield has turned negative. Here's what you need to know before the market open at 14:30 London time. US futures are pointing down again today, suggesting the bad start to the week is going to continue. The S&P is off by 0.22 per cent. The Nasdaq is 0.26 [...]
Muted demand for extra sterling in Bank of England special auction June 14, 2016 UK lenders tapped up the Bank of England for an extra £2.5bn worth of cash in the first of a series of extra liquidity auctions ahead of the EU referendum. Threadneedle Street has added three extra rounds to its monthly bout of asset-swapping with UK banks, where it lets them get their hands on currency reserves [...]
German borrowing cost turn negative for the first ever time as investors rush to safety June 14, 2016 The latest key milestone in the new low interest rate era was breached this morning. After months of precipitous declines, yields on the German 10-year bund turned negative in the first few hours of today's trading, hitting minus 0.03 per cent, before settling at minus 0.02 per cent. That means investors are paying the German government to take [...]
European Court of Justice: UK should not have to pay EU migrants family benefits June 14, 2016 One of Europe's highest courts has backed the UK in a case brought against it over welfare benefits for EU migrants. In a judgment today, the European Court of Justice said the UK's "right to reside" test for certain family benefits was legitimate, after the European Commission brought a case against it arguing that it [...]
Inflation holds steady for another month but economists expect movement after 23 June – whatever the result June 14, 2016 Inflation remained stuck near record lows in May as cheaper clothes, food and entertainment offset the effects of rising fuel costs. Prices went up by 0.3 per cent over the year, as measured on the consumer prices index (CPI), according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this morning. That was unchanged from [...]