Cautious hopes of Hillary Clinton win against Donald Trump lift most stock markets in Asia November 8, 2016 Most Asian stock markets rose today as Americans prepared to head to the polls and investors remained cautiously optimistic that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will secure the White House. Modest upswings in Asian shares pushed the MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific-based stock outside of Japan up 0.3 per cent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose [...]
It’s finally arrived: How to trade US election night November 8, 2016 Even with her exoneration by the FBI at the weekend, a victory for Hillary Clinton is not yet guaranteed. Just a few hours before an expected 130m Americans head to the polls, it is still unclear which candidate will enter the Oval Office next year. She may have the edge – Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight had [...]
The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that reduced tax revenues will undermine hopes of a budgetary surplus in 2019 November 8, 2016 Britain's economic slowdown means that public finances will be £25bn worse off than previously thought and still in deficit by 2019. Lower growth forecasts mean Philip Hammond can expect to be nursing a Treasury deficit of £15bn, compared with the £10bn surplus George Osborne predicted in the Budget earlier this year, according to the Institute for [...]
Trump versus Hillary: How to make money whoever wins the US presidency November 8, 2016 This presidential campaign has been nothing if not unpredictable. Less than a fortnight ago, a victory for Hillary Clinton looked all but certain. Then it emerged that the FBI was investigating a new set of emails connected with her private server. Now, she has been cleared, but Donald Trump is arguing that her latest exoneration [...]
Autumn Statement: Government has little room for giveaways November 8, 2016 In the early months of 1975, with Britain creaking out of recession, the government’s debt was equivalent to around 56 per cent of GDP. A year later, Harold Wilson was replaced as Prime Minister by James Callaghan who promptly went cap in hand to the IMF. Such was the parlous state of the UK’s economy, [...]
Prime Minister Theresa May extends visa sweetener to India November 7, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May has today promised a more polished version of the UK's visa deal with India. This summer's Brexit vote has raised a number of questions surrounding the UK's approach to freedom of movement of people, both within the EU itself and further afield. Speaking at a press conference as part of her trade [...]
Sandwichgate: How Sports Direct spied on MPs with a camera hidden in sandwiches November 7, 2016 Shocked MPs were left fuming after staff at Mike Ashley's Sports Direct apparently attempted to spy on them using a camera hidden under a plate of sandwiches. Members of the business select committee paid the controversial retailer's Shirebrook site a surprise visit earlier today, as part of a long-running investigation into conditions at the company. [...]
Britain is embracing free trade just as the world turns to protectionism November 7, 2016 In pointed contrast to President Obama, Donald Trump has promised Britain that it will be at the front of the queue for a free trade deal should he triumph in today’s presidential election. Yet whether a President Trump, or indeed a President Clinton, would be minded to expend political capital on any trade deal has been thrown [...]
The government’s Brexit complacency threatens all financial clearing in the UK November 7, 2016 Let's be very blunt. The UK government’s failure to have any kind of Brexit plan is potentially catastrophic for business throughout the UK and for the financial services sector in particular. The UK government’s insistence that it will not offer “a running commentary” on negotiation preparations also means there will be little or no public [...]
This former chancellor has joined a new financial well-being charity November 7, 2016 A charity set up to boost financial well-being and resilience across the UK has just welcomed a former chancellor onto its board of trustees. Alistair Darling, who served as chancellor between 2007 and 2010, has joined Standard Life Foundation and he is expected to become the charity's chair at the start of 2017. Howard Davies, who used [...]