FTSE 100 and sterling climb on Brexit delay possibility and US-China trade tensions easing December 12, 2018 The FTSE 100 is up one per cent today despite blue-on-blue infighting in the Tory party seeing Prime Minister Theresa May face a threat of a no confidence vote this evening. Conservatives will vote in a secret ballot tonight on whether they wish May to remain leader or whether she should stand down, after she [...]
Chinese streaming giant Tencent Music raises $1.1bn in IPO December 12, 2018 Chinese tech giant Tencent will raise roughly $1.1bn (£877m) in the US initial public offering (IPO) of its music streaming division. Tencent Music priced its shares at $13 each, at the low end of its $13-$15 range, and will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange today. The share price puts Tencent Music’s value [...]
Sterling volatile ahead of no confidence vote on Theresa May December 12, 2018 The pound has been on a rollercoaster ride this morning as it reacts to a series of political shocks. Reports that the Conservative party were set to trigger a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Theresa May – confirmed this morning – sent the pound to a fresh 20-month low against the dollar yesterday. [...]
Wood Group says 2018 performance in line with expectations but warns of future oil market volatility December 12, 2018 Ftse 250 oil field services company Wood Group said today that its 2018 performance has been in line with expectations, but warned of future market volatility. The company said it expects full-year revenue to be more than 10 per cent up on 2017, in the region of $10.9bn (£8.7bn) to $11.1bn. It said it expects [...]
Brussels to finally ease post-Brexit clearing fears with equivalence agreement December 11, 2018 Brussels is preparing to unveil concrete plans to grant EU financial institutions access to London's clearing houses in the event of a no deal Brexit, prompting relief in the City and among businesses across the continent. The draft proposals could be published as early as tomorrow. It comes after the Bank of England, trade bodies, and clearing [...]
UK fintech startup Weswap pulls the plug on 2018 London IPO plans December 11, 2018 Peer-to-peer currency exchange platform Weswap has scrapped plans to list on London’s Alternative Investment Market (Aim) this month, after investor interest fell flat. Sources told City A.M. that the initial public offering, which had been mooted for a December launch, had failed to garner sufficient attention in what was promised to be a relatively small [...]
Brent Crude price rises as protesters stop production at Libya field December 11, 2018 Oil ticked higher today as a protest at one of Libya’s biggest oil fields hit the country’s output. A local tribe demanding more development in their community shut down the 315,000 barrels-a-day El Sharara oilfield in the south west of the country. Plant authorities declared a so-called force majeure, saying they were unable to fulfil [...]
FTSE and sterling rebound from lows caused by Brexit deal vote delay December 11, 2018 The FTSE 100 has rebounded this morning after yesterday's decision to delay the Brexit deal vote sent the index tumbling. The blue chip index has risen 1.2 per cent this morning to 6,800 points – as high as it was before the vote was delayed – as markets began to stabilise after a tumultuous start [...]
Can Interserve clean up its mess, or is it destined for the same fate as its failed rival Carillion? December 11, 2018 It feels like we’ve been here before, doesn’t it? It was almost a year ago when outsourcing giant Carillion collapsed, and now there are some worrying signs that rival FTSE firm Interserve could wind up suffering the same fate, serving a huge blow to UK businesses and the livelihoods of its 75,000 employees. On Sunday [...]
EU urged to provide clarity over clearing as patience wears thin ahead of Brexit December 10, 2018 UK clearing houses and industry groups are growing increasingly impatient with the EU over the future of trillions of pounds worth of derivative contracts after Brexit. Trade groups have written to the European Commission “urgently requesting” legal certainty that EU-based firms will still be able to use London clearing houses in the event of a [...]