US stock markets fall with Donald Trump ‘not ready’ for deal with China August 9, 2019 US stock markets have fallen today after President Donald Trump said his administration was “not ready to make a deal” with China. Read more: Italian markets in turmoil as government edges closer to collapse The tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index had fallen 1.2 per cent, the S&P 500 had dropped one per cent, and the Dow [...]
Cable drops as UK economy contracts August 9, 2019 | City Talk The UK economy contracted by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of the year, its worst performance since 2012. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the surprise contraction, which was significantly lower than the flatline economists expected. It also follows strong growth of 1.8 per cent seen in Q1. “PMI data had [...]
Sterling spirals to near $1.20 as UK economy comes close to recession August 9, 2019 Sterling has tumbled to fresh two-year lows after official figures showed Britain’s economy contracted in the second quarter, raising fears of a recession and adding to no-deal Brexit worries. Read more: Sterling to tumble further as no-deal Brexit worries intensify The pound had fallen 0.6 per cent against the dollar by 1.45pm to buy $1.207, [...]
Navigating the “Recession Moment” August 9, 2019 | City Talk “When is a recession going to come?” That’s the question Geraldine Sundstrom keeps getting from clients as a managing director and portfolio manager at PIMCO. But Sundstrom, who focuses on asset allocation strategies, doesn’t believe we are at the end of the economic cycle just yet. We are late in the game though, she explained at the 72nd CFA [...]
Italy’s political crisis triggers bond sell-off and shakes European markets August 9, 2019 Traders have sold off Italian government bonds and European stock markets are in the red after League party leader Matteo Salvini called for a snap election, saying his ruling coalition was unworkable. Read more: Investor confidence in Eurozone hits five-year low Yields on two-year Italian government had risen 18 basis points (0.18 percentage points) to [...]
Trump: Fed interest rates harming US exporters August 8, 2019 US President lashed out at the Federal Reserve today, saying a high dollar, which he blames on Fed policy, is hitting US exporting giants. The President, not a stranger to Fed-bashing said that he was not “thrilled” by the strength of the currency. Read more: A belligerent President has an effect on us all “The [...]
Listed litigation funders scramble to avoid Burford contagion August 8, 2019 Listed litigation funders have distanced themselves from Burford Capital today, after a short seller attack yesterday sent Burford’s shares on a rollercoaster ride. Manolete Partners and Litigation Capital Management (LCM) today pointed out how their models differ to Burford’s after their shares fell steeply yesterday in reaction to the short-seller attack on Burford. Activist Muddy [...]
Evraz hails ‘healthy’ results despite massive drop in profit August 8, 2019 Miner Evraz released a set of “rather healthy results” today even as net profit dropped by more than two thirds in the first half of the year. Lower prices for vanadium and coking coal took a 22 per cent chunk off the company’s earnings before interest, tax appreciation and amortisation (ebitda). Read more: Sterling falls [...]
FCA: Ballooning exchange-traded fund sector no threat to financial stability August 8, 2019 Britain’s financial watchdog has said the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) market is not a threat to financial stability and can cope with the sort of liquidity issues that damaged Neil Woodford’s flagship fund. Read more: New business down at Hargreaves Lansdown as Woodford scandal bites The wider world of funds has come under scrutiny after Woodford’s [...]
UK GDP preview: Banks down, sterling ready to break out? August 8, 2019 | City Talk Ahead of the UK Q2 GDP print on Friday, gilts and UK bank stocks betray concerns about the economy that the official figures are likely to back up. Meanwhile GBPUSD is nearing the end of a narrowing wedge that could signal it’s ready to move out of its August range on whatever the GDP point [...]