Socially responsible investing and performance: a long-term winner September 14, 2021 | City Talk Companies with stronger ESG ratings outperform, particularly in times of crisis, as we witnessed during 2020, says Coline Pavot, La Financière de l’Echiquier (LFDE)’s head of responsible investment research. Companies that rank well according to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria tend to outperform the average and have greater resistance to crises. This was confirmed [...]
Oil prices push back as effects of Hurricane Ida hit supply September 10, 2021 Global oil prices pushed past the $73 mark this morning as crude supplies tightened on the back of Hurricane Ida. Worldwide standard Brent crude rose 2.2 per cent to $73.02, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 2.4 per cent to $69.80. Since Ida made landfall in the US at the end of August, causing [...]
Mishcon de Reya partners back IPO plans as firm edges closer to listing September 10, 2021 Mishcon de Reya partners approved the law firm’s plans to go public on the London Stock Exchange, according to reports. Mishcon de Reya officials confirmed that at least three quarters of the partnership voted in favour of the planned initial public offering (IPO) of the firm, according to The Times. The law firm will be [...]
Which companies can help Europe achieve its “Fit for 55” plans? September 10, 2021 | City Talk Last month, the European Commission released its “Fit for 55” proposals. These set out how the European Union should reach its legally-binding target to cut net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 55% below 1990 levels by 2030. That target will be an important milestone on the road to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The [...]
FTSE 100 slides after ECB reins in stimulus September 9, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 slid to its lowest level in almost a month during opening exchanges this morning, before paring back losses in the afternoon session as investors digested news the European Central Bank (ECB) will tighten policy soon. The capital’s premier index sank 0.84 per cent to 7,036.05 points. The ECB announced today it will [...]
London markets dragged down by tax hikes as City mulls impact on portfolios September 8, 2021 The wave of tax hikes launched by prime minister Boris Johnson weighed on London markets today as investors mulled the implications of higher dividend taxes on their portfolios. The capital’s premier index dropped 0.75 per cent to close at 7,095.53 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 slid 1.03 per cent to 23,848.89 points. Markets were [...]
Tax hikes pull London markets down September 7, 2021 Sliding financial stocks pulled London markets down today after prime minister Boris Johnson announced a hike to dividend taxes and national insurance. The capital’s premier index fell, the FTSE 100, slipped 0.48 per cent to 7,152.75 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 had 0.62 per cent shaved off its value to fall to 24,097.48 points. [...]
Brokers and investment platforms plummet on dividend tax hike September 7, 2021 Shares in investment platforms and brokers plummeted today after prime minister Boris Johnson announced a hike to dividend taxes. Broker, TP Icap, had 9.14 per cent shaved off its share price, plummeting to 179.04p from a day high of 196.60p. Investment platforms AJ Bell and Hargreaves Lansdown both suffered heavy losses, down 2.07 per cent [...]
Revisiting Beta: How well has Beta predicted returns? September 7, 2021 | City Talk After the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) was developed in the 1960s and 1970s, financial researchers started to test how well this theoretical model actually worked in the real world. Amid expanding computing power and greater data access, the 1980s became a critical era for gauging CAPM’s validity as analysts explored beta’s effectiveness in anticipating [...]
Shell and BP: why we’re hopeful for a sensible transition to renewables September 6, 2021 | City Talk The devastating effects of unchecked global warming were laid bare by this week’s landmark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). UN secretary-general António Guterres described the report’s findings as “a code red for humanity”. The world’s major energy companies were already on the front line of the climate change battle, but following this [...]