UK airline stocks plunge as Italy reports fourth coronavirus death February 24, 2020 UK airline stocks plummeted in early trading today as the FTSE 100 plunged two per cent after Italy reported a dramatic rise in its number of coronavirus cases. Easyjet’s share price sank 11.6 per cent while British Airways owner IAG suffered an eight per cent drop in its market cap. Tour operator Tui also shed [...]
IG’s June Felix: Shorter trading hours would make London ‘less competitive’ February 23, 2020 The head of one of Britain’s largest trading platforms has become one of the most senior industry figures to speak out against proposals to cut trading hours in London, saying it would not be “helpful” for the City and could make it “less competitive globally”. June Felix, whose company IG Group offers 24-hour trading to [...]
Coronavirus and climate change impact Asian currencies February 21, 2020 | City Talk SGD: Comments from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) which suggested that the Singapore dollar may depreciate has put pressure on the currency. The news came alongside confirmation that the coronavirus had reached Singapore, a factor which MAS believes will have an impact on growth, stalling the recovery after a challenging 2019 which saw the [...]
PMI data picks up the pound February 21, 2020 | City Talk Manufacturing output grew at its fastest pace for 10 months, giving sterling a boost against other major currencies this morning. Recovering losses against EUR & USD, the latest flash Purchasing Manufacturing Index (PMI) data today announced that UK output rose 51.9, up from 50.0 in January. The question for many investors is whether the post-election [...]
Escalating coronavirus cases drag down European stocks February 21, 2020 The FTSE 100 fell today as European stocks slipped into the red on news that coronavirus cases outside of mainland China are escalating. London’s blue-chip index dropped 0.63 per cent in early trading to leave the FTSE 100 at 7,390 points. European stocks also retreated into the red. Germany’s Dax dipped 0.2 per cent while [...]
Kaz Minerals posts profit and revenue boost in 2019 February 20, 2020 Kaz Minerals boosted both its profit and its revenue in 2019 as higher production rates and sales volumes offset a decline in copper prices. Shares in the mining company rose almost a per cent today. The figures Operating profit increased eight per cent in 2019, up to $923m (£717.2m) from $851m the year before. Revenue [...]
New £20 note enters circulation: Everything you need to know February 20, 2020 The Bank of England’s new polymer £20 note enters circulation for the first time today. The note, which was first unveiled in October, features British painter JMW Turner, will start appearing at ATMs and tills throughout the country today. The BoE said it expects half of ATMS across Britain to be dispensing polymer £20 notes [...]
How will the pound perform in 2020? February 19, 2020 | City Talk Brexit cast a long shadow over the pound in 2019, but what will 2020 have in store for sterling? Caution from the Bank of England and faltering economic results were all seen through the lens of Brexit. Now while the focus may move slightly from the challenges of uncertainty due to a political impasse, the [...]
FTSE 100 climbs back after Apple’s coronavirus blow February 19, 2020 The FTSE 100 staged a recovery from yesterday’s two-week low today as traders welcomed a smaller increase in the number of new coronavirus cases. The number of Covid-19 cases rose to 75,000 today but China reported a second consecutive low number of new infections at 1,749. The death toll also climbed to 2,004 but the [...]
Follow the yellow brick road: the investment case for gold February 19, 2020 Investing can often feel like a rollercoaster, with the value of stock investments rising and falling sharply based on breaking news and geopolitical events. Certainly, the last few months may have felt bumpy. From the build-up to the UK General Election in December, to the tit-for-tat missile volleys between the US and Iran, to the outbreak [...]