DEBATE: Did Chinese regulators have a legitimate reason for halting the IPO of Jack Ma’s Ant Group? November 6, 2020 Did Chinese regulators have a legitimate reason for halting the IPO of Jack Ma’s Ant Group? Tim Focas, head of capital markets at Aspectus Group, says YES. For any public listing, but in particular one of this magnitude, smart and sound regulation is of paramount importance. It can’t be one rule for one firm looking [...]
US election: Stocks jump and FTSE 100 climbs amid rush into big tech November 5, 2020 Wall Street stocks jumped again and the FTSE 100 rose as investors snapped up big tech and sold government bonds and the dollar in response to the ongoing US presidential election. Prior to the election, investors had bet that a strong Joe Biden victory would lead to a big stimulus package that would encourage growth. [...]
Separatist Scots beware: A new Scottish currency would be catastrophic November 5, 2020 Some 12 out of the last 15 opinion polls on Scottish secession have shown majority support for splitting up the United Kingdom. During a period of unprecedented crisis, Scots have chosen to rally round the flag — only this time the flag is that of Scotland, not the UK. However, while polling numbers may be unnerving [...]
FTSE 100 closes higher and US stocks jump amid election uncertainty November 4, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed on a high and US stocks shot up as traders sought out the safety of recent corporate success stories in the face of a knife-edge presidential election. Wall Street’s major indices all opened higher as the race for the White House went down to the wire, despite investors remaining worried about [...]
Eyes turn to the Federal Reserve as markets await US election result November 4, 2020 As markets nervously awaited the results of today’s chaotic presidential election, investors’ eyes turned to the US Federal Reserve’s meeting tomorrow. Traders were digesting the state of play so far, and seemed to think that the most likely outcome is a president who doesn’t have control of congress. It comes after President Donald Trump fared [...]
Oil prices jump as Trump declares victory prematurely November 4, 2020 Oil prices jumped this morning after President Donald Trump falsely claimed to have won the US election with millions of ballots still to be counted. Global standard Brent crude jumped two per cent to trade at $40.50 in the aftermath of Trump’s speech this morning. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate also climbed by the same [...]
‘Markets got what they really did not want’: The City reacts to knife-edge US election November 4, 2020 Investors didn’t want this to happen. They had bet on a Joe Biden win in the US presidential election that they hoped would unleash a big stimulus, but found themselves rapidly adjusting their positions as the race became too close to call. Bonds and the dollar rose as investors sought safety. US stocks were volatile, [...]
Brexit: UK and EU clash on share trading rules November 4, 2020 Square Mile banks and asset managers can use exchanges from the European Union to trade shares from January, creating a cross-border clash in securities rules for investors.
FTSE 100 and US stocks jump ahead of presidential election November 3, 2020 The FTSE 100 jumped and US stocks rose sharply, as investors hoped that today’s US election would lead to a big stimulus package. Traders and investors around the world are preparing themselves for the culmination of a chaotic US election campaign. Polls have Democrat challenger Joe Biden well ahead, but memories of President Donald Trump’s [...]
Frankfurt boosts euro clearing incentives for banks, escalating battle with London November 3, 2020 Deutsche Boerse is increasing the incentives for banks to shift clearing of euro-denominated derivatives from London to Frankfurt, escalating a battle between the financial hubs sparked by Brexit. The exchange will strengthen Eurex Clearing’s incentive programme, designed to encourage banks to move swaps from The London Stock Exchange’s LCH unit to Frankfurt, and extend the [...]