Oil prices post 5 per cent gains for the week as US-China trade talks progress October 26, 2019 Oil prices ended Friday up and registered the strongest weekly gains in more than a month. Brent crude rose by 0.6 per cent to finish on $62.02 per barrel with a weekly gain of 4.0 per cent. Read more: Is oil’s relationship with energy stocks slipping? WTI crude futures finished the day 0.8 per cent [...]
Which stock markets are “cheap” entering the final quarter of 2019? October 25, 2019 | City Talk There are plenty of reasons why investors could justifiably feel pessimistic about the future, but stock market valuations are not one of them. In 2019 the global economy has gone into a marked slowdown. US-China relations have remained tense. Drones have attacked oil infrastructure in the Middle East. Global corporate earnings growth has collapsed towards [...]
Offshore windfall? Industry could be worth $1 trillion by 2040 October 25, 2019 Offshore wind could become a $1 trillion (£779bn) industry by 2040, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Although electricity generated through offshore wind farms currently accounts for 0.3 per cent of the world’s power, a combination of falling costs and supportive government policies will see capacity increase 15-fold over the [...]
Vivo Energy announces record third quarter growth October 25, 2019 African fuel company Vivo Energy this morning announced another record quarter of growth, with a 13 per cent rise in gross cash profit for the third quarter. Vivo, which operates as a Shell licensee across 23 African countries, made a total cash profit of $189m (£147m), up from $167 million a year earlier, propped up [...]
Short sellers take a bite out of Beyond Meat as shares slump October 24, 2019 Short sellers have sunk their teeth into Beyond Meat as shares in the plant-based meat substitute company come off the gas following its hugely successful US listing earlier this year. Shares in Beyond Meat had surged past $200 in July, having debuted at $25 in May, but have gone steadily downhill since then. Now short [...]
Energy industry questions Labour’s ‘exceedingly ambitious’ zero-carbon plan October 24, 2019 Senior figures in the UK energy industry have cast doubt upon a Labour party-backed report setting out the “most radical feasible pathway” to reach zero-carbon by 2030. The report, commissioned on the back of this year’s Labour party conference, said the move would require £150bn in up-front capital, followed by investment of 2% GDP each [...]
Equinor forecast steady despite gas sales fall October 24, 2019 Equinor, the Norwegian oil company, today reiterated flat forecasts for 2019 production, despite a significant decline in the volume of natural gas sold to Europe. Commenting on the third-quarter update, chief executive Eldar Saetre said: “We maintain strong cost and capital discipline, but our results are affected by lower commodity prices in the quarter.” Read [...]
Half a million UK homes face £114 energy bill hike October 24, 2019 Half a million households will be hit with a £114 rise in energy bills if they do not switch provider over the next three months. New research by price comparison website comparethemarket.com shows that there are 213 fixed energy tariffs ending this year. Read more: Competition watchdog to examine £500m Ovo Energy SSE deal If [...]
Schroders to take charge of Woodford Patient Capital Trust October 24, 2019 Schroders will take charge of the embattled Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) after former star stockpicker Neil Woodford’s abrupt departure last week. Shares in WPCT surged over 28 per cent in morning trading following the news. Read more: DEBATE: Can Neil Woodford’s reputation ever recover? Woodford’s fall from grace was cemented last week when he [...]
FTSE 100 and European stocks climb higher amid Brexit limbo October 24, 2019 The FTSE 100 pushed upwards on today’s open, after European stocks rallied while the Brexit process got stuck in limbo. London’s main market climbed 0.58 per cent to 7,303 points today after a weak pound boosted the blue-chip index’s exporters yesterday. Read more: Brexit latest: Liberal Democrats reveal second referendum plan Boris Johnson’s cabinet is [...]