Which stock markets look ‘cheap’ as we head into 2019? December 31, 2018 | City Talk 2018 was a rumbustious year for stock markets, with things really coming to the fore in the latter stages. With investors having grown accustomed to an unusual oasis of calm over recent years, volatility was back with a bang. However, as the dust settles, there is a silver lining for stock market investors. Even before [...]
How a measure of bitcoin’s worth proved worthless December 28, 2018 | City Talk The financial pages are noticeably shorter on bitcoin stories than this time last year – which may or may not have something to do with the precipitous fall in the cryptocurrency’s price over the last 12 months. On 14 December 2017, a single bitcoin was trading at an all-time high of £14,749 whereas, as of [...]
This ‘bond with a twist’ is sending a worrying message on risk December 27, 2018 | City Talk In the world of finance, not all investors are created equal. In fact, this is a truth largely held to be self-evident and the reason for investors’ composure on the issue largely boils down to a matter of risk versus reward. Broadly speaking, equity investors expect to see greater returns in the longer run than [...]
Oil prices drop as investor confidence plateaus following a rally on the markets yesterday December 27, 2018 Oil prices fell this morning after a rally which saw the price of Brent crude soar around eight per cent yesterday. International standard Brent crude fell around one per cent to $53.92 per barrel in the early morning as worries over increased supply and poor global economic conditions helped mitigate upwards pressure from the stock [...]
Saudi Aramco creates new fuel retail subsidiary to complement existing joint venture network December 26, 2018 Saudi Aramco is to create a domestic fuel retail subsidiary in a bid to expand beyond producing crude oil, into downstream business. The company will establish a network of filling stations in Saudi Arabia to sell fuel, Aramco said on Wednesday. But it did not give details of the size, cost or time-frame for the [...]
Euronext tables €625m takeover offer for Norwegian stock exchange operator Oslo Bors December 24, 2018 Pan-European exchange Euronext has approached the board of Norwegian stock exchange Olso Bors with a €625m (£563m) offer. Euronext already has support from shareholders representing 49.6 per cent of shares and has tabled the cash offer for the outstanding shares, it said today. It expected to start a tender off of 145 Norwegian kroner (£13) [...]
FTSE 100 falls in Christmas Eve trading after Wall Street selloff dashing hopes of a Santa rally December 24, 2018 The FTSE 100 has fallen in Christmas Eve trading as Wall Street troubles dash hopes of a late Santa rally. The blue chip index dropped 0.8 per cent in early trading at the beginning of a half-day session. A partial US government shutdown, trade tensions between the US and China and reports President Donald Trump [...]
US stocks suffer worst week in a decade as ‘Santa rout’ sends Nasdaq into bear market December 22, 2018 Wall Street suffered its worst week in a decade as a “Santa rout” plunged the Nasdaq into bear market territory last night. The Nasdaq fell three per cent on another volatile day’s trading and has now fallen almost 22 per cent from its 29 August high. The S&P 500 dropped 2.1 per cent and is [...]
FTSE 100 recovers from two-year lows as ‘Santa rout’ hits US markets December 21, 2018 The FTSE closed slightly up at 6,721 points after recovering from a slide caused by a “Santa rout” on Wall Street and Donald Trump threatening a US government shutdown. The blue chip index plunged to a fresh two-year low of 6,653 as President Donald Trump threatened a “very long” government shutdown over funding for his border wall. [...]
Why cryptocurrencies are here to stay December 21, 2018 If common perception is to be believed, we’re currently watching the death of cryptocurrencies. Without doubt, there is cause for some concern. This year has been terrible for speculators, with a deeply entrenched bear market taking hold, and the price of bitcoin falling by around 80 per cent. The year also hasn’t resulted in the envisaged uptake [...]