FTSE 100 bucks the trend as global stocks fall on US-China tensions May 4, 2020 The FTSE 100 has climbed into the green in afternoon trading, faring better than European and US stocks which fell after the Trump administration stoked tensions with China over coronavirus. Britain’s FTSE 100 index was up 0.1 per cent just after 3pm at 5,770 points. London trading was choppy but helped by a fall in [...]
Eurozone investors deeply pessimistic in May amid coronavirus May 4, 2020 Eurozone investors remained deeply gloomy at the start of May, a survey has shown, although there was a minor improvement as countries such as Germany and Austria start to ease coronavirus lockdowns. The Sentix Eurozone investor sentiment index came in at minus 41.8 in May. This was below expectations of a pick up to minus [...]
Oil prices slip on fears of renewed US-China trade war May 4, 2020 Oil prices dropped this morning after last week’s gains amid fears that heightening tensions between the US and China could impair global economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. After their first week of gains in over a month last week, both worldwide benchmark Brent crude and US standard West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped back. Having [...]
Diversified Gas and Oil sticks with dividend as firm prepares for main market move May 4, 2020 Diversified Gas and Oil today confirmed it would stick with its dividend despite unprecedented volatility in global oil markets as it prepares for its move to the main market of the London Stock Exchange later this month. In an update on its first quarter performance, the US-based firm said it had maintained production levels in [...]
Asian stocks slip as Donald Trump blames virus on China May 4, 2020 Asian stocks slipped this morning as renewed tensions between the US and China over the origin of coronavirus stunted optimism about the lifting of lockdown measures. With China and Japan on holiday, other Asia-Pacific shares fell 2.5 per cent, according to an MSCI index. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng returned from a two-session holiday to suffer [...]
FTSE 100 extends losses after worst daily drop in a month May 1, 2020 The FTSE 100 extended its losses today after suffering its worst daily drop in a month yesterday as dire economic reports and weak earnings weighed on traders. London’s blue-chip index was down roughly 2.3 per cent at 5,762 points by around 10.20am today. By the mid-afternoon the FTSE 100 had trimmed its drop to just [...]
Stocks sink as US manufacturing shrinks at ‘unprecedented rate’ May 1, 2020 US markets fell as trading opened today as manufacturing slumped at an unprecedented rate in April due to economic shutdowns caused by coronavirus. The S&P 500 fell 1.9 per cent to 2,856.14 points, the Dow Jones dropped 1.8 per cent to 23,901.77, and the Nasdaq fell 2.1 per cent to 2852.28. US factories saw output [...]
Octopus becomes ‘unicorn’ after £300m deal with Australian firm Origin May 1, 2020 Challenger energy firm Octopus has today achieved unicorn status – a valuation of over £1bn – after agreeing a new partnership with Australian energy firm Origin. The agreement will see Origin put £300m into Octopus in return for 20 per cent of the company and license the UK firm’s Kraken technology platform to transform its [...]
FTSE 100 ends April in a slump as coronavirus batters Shell and Lloyds April 30, 2020 The FTSE 100 fell dramatically today after oil giant Shell slashed its dividend in response to the plunge in demand for oil amid the coronavirus pandemic and Lloyds profits slumped. The sell-off gathered speed throughout the day, with the FTSE 100 index ending 3.5 per cent lower at 5,901 points. It came after a dramatic [...]
Shell chief: Economic recovery from Covid-19 could speed up energy transition April 30, 2020 Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden said that economic recovery coronavirus pandemic might accelerate the shift to a low-carbon economy as the oil major released its first quarter results amid a decimated oil and gas industry. As a result of collapsed demand for fuel, the firm has elected to cut its capital spending from $25bn [...]