Octopus tops energy supplier rankings for second year in a row January 25, 2020 Challenger energy supplier Octopus cemented its hold at the top of consumer group Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey, as so-called Big Six firms languished down the rankings. The biggest six energy companies – British Gas, Eon, EDF, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE (now part of Ovo) – all finished in the lower third of the [...]
FTSE 100 leaps after WHO eases coronavirus fears January 24, 2020 The FTSE 100 stormed ahead today, more than clawing back the losses incurred yesterday as investors’ fears over the spread of the coronavirus mounted. The World Health Organisation yesterday stopped short of declaring the outbreak in China an emergency for the rest of the world. European equities gained in response today, before posting further jumps [...]
Australian Dollar to GBP – Could this be one to watch? January 24, 2020 | City Talk Singapore Dollar Fears of the coronavirus which has been spreading from China have affected global market sentiment. This week in Singapore December consumer price inflation results beat expectations; with food, transport, communication, and education costs the highlights. Beating November’s 0.6 per cent and the prediction of 0.7 per cent, December’s 0.8 per cent result is in line with the Monetary Authority of Singapore [...]
This week: Why the Pound shone over the Euro January 24, 2020 | City Talk After a poor end to last week, the pound responded with a dominant performance this week, gaining an average of 0.8 per cent against the other major currencies. Indeed, it was only the Japanese yen that it lost out to (dropping 0.2 per cent). Such a performance has helped the pound climb to the top [...]
Finablr shares plunge after owner pledges stock as collateral for Travelex debt January 24, 2020 Shares in payments firm Finablr plunged to a record low today after its owner pledged more than half the company’s stock as security for debts incurred buying foreign exchange company Travelex. In an update to the stock exchange this morning, Finablr disclosed that majority owner B. R. Shetty had pledged 392.2 million shares, over 56 [...]
Top five investment risks for 2020: What they said at Davos and how they’ve changed in a decade January 24, 2020 | City Talk As recently as ten years ago the environment didn’t register in the top risks for discussion at the World Economic Forum. Now it dominates. This has important implications for investors. This week the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) is taking place in Davos. Attendees include leaders from the worlds of politics and business who meet [...]
Rolls-Royce says mini nuclear reactors could be rolled out by 2029 January 24, 2020 Manufacturer Rolls-Royce today said that the UK could be using power generated by mini nuclear reactors by 2029. The engineering firm is currently working with a consortium of firms including Atkins, BAM Nuttall, and Wood to develop a compact power station that is manufactured in sections and then assembled on site. Speaking to the BBC, [...]
Premier Oil creditor doubles down on opposition to acquisition plan January 24, 2020 Premier Oil’s largest creditor, hedge fund Asia Research and Capital Management (ARCM), has this morning doubled down on its opposition to the North Sea explorer’s proposed acquisition plan. Earlier this month Premier Oil said it had agreed a $625m (£473.8m) deal with BP to buy two major North Sea assets, and announced a new scheme [...]
Coronavirus: China widens travel lockdown as death toll rises January 24, 2020 Fourteen people in the UK have been tested for a new strain of the coronavirus, with five testing negative as the others await results, Public Health England said today. An incident team has made a base in Scotland where five people were tested amid 830 confirmed cases of the virus across the world. The death [...]
Oil in downward spiral as surplus weighs on price January 23, 2020 Oil prices accelerated their decline today as Brent crude fell by more than 2.5 per cent for the second day in a row. The steep drop means that Brent crude is now trading at $61.49 per barrel, its lowest price in almost two months. West Texas Intermediate has been hit even harder, falling back three [...]