Vivo Energy profits fall on higher oil prices and supply problems October 25, 2018 Shell's African fuel retailer Vivo Energy reported a fall in profits due to supply problems and market conditions in Morocco but said it was looking to expand across the continent. The company's third quarter gross cash profit was down 2 per cent to $167m (£130m) compared with 2017. A surge in oil prices hit margins [...]
DEBATE: Has the EU overstepped the mark by rejecting Italy’s budget? October 25, 2018 Has the EU overstepped the mark by rejecting Italy’s budget? Matthew Elliott, senior political adviser to Shore Capital, says YES. From the moment Britain’s Brexit referendum was announced in 2013, the EU started to moderate its most overt interventionist instincts, minimising Eurozone problems through quantitative easing, and restricting its tendency to meddle in the affairs [...]
Pound sinks to six-week low as Theresa May prepares to meet 1922 Committee October 24, 2018 The pound has fallen to a six-week low as Theresa May prepares to meet rebellious Conservative MPs amid fears of a no confidence vote. Sterling fell 0.6 per cent on Wednesday hitting $1.2902 – the lowest level since the beginning of September. The Prime Minister will face down critics from her own party when she [...]
Global trade tensions send Eurozone PMI to two-year low October 24, 2018 The Eurozone economy grew at the slowest rate for more than two years in October as uncertainty over global trade relations deepened an export-led slump. The purchasing managers index for the eurozone fell to 52.7 this month, down from 54.1 in September, hitting a 25-month low. Read more: EU seeks to cool down Italy tensions as [...]
The one-word secret of the greatest investor you’ve never heard of October 24, 2018 | City Talk Type a phrase such as ‘world’s greatest investors’ into Google and Philip Carret’s name is unlikely to crop up. And yet, as the following chart shows, for sheer longevity of success, he is one of just a handful of investors who can be mentioned in the same breath as Warren Buffett. That is why his [...]
A ray of light in these dark days: Living standards have risen far more than we think October 24, 2018 The media seems full of gloom at the moment. Chaos over Brexit, Saudi Arabia, potential nuclear escalation between the US and Russia – you name it, people are worried about it. A ray of light is shone – an apt phrase as you will see – by the work of Bill Nordhaus, a Yale economist [...]
This Budget, I’m dreaming of a tax system fit for the future October 24, 2018 The announcement that the Autumn Budget would take place in October – almost a month earlier than we’ve become accustomed to – surprised a fair few people. It probably shouldn’t have. Philip Hammond understandably wants his finance bill passed safely through the Commons without it getting caught in the crosshairs of ongoing Brexit negotiations and the [...]
Barrick’s merger with Randgold could spark $5bn asset sales, BMO says October 23, 2018 Canadian miner Barrick Gold's merger with Randgold Resources could spark up to $5bn (£3.85bn) of asset sales, BMO Capital Markets said. The merger, which will value the combined company at around $18bn (£13.86bn), could reinstate Barrick as the largest gold producer, however analysts said the company aims to become the lowest cost western-based gold producer. Read more: Gold [...]
With one person escaping extreme poverty every second, young people must be shown the arguments in favour of capitalism October 23, 2018 The World Bank released some seemingly depressing news last week: nearly half the global population live on less than $5.50 a day. That means that, for all the economic growth we have enjoyed in recent decades, 3.4bn people continue to struggle to meet basic needs. Also last week, you may have caught an old Teen [...]
FTSE 100 falls to seven-month low amid Europe-wide sell-off of stocks October 23, 2018 The FTSE 100 fell to a seven-month low this morning as a Europe-wide sell-off of stocks saw shares drop 1.1 per cent. The index opened below the 7,000 mark today as investors were rattled by world events including Italy’s expansionary budget, Brexit, Saudi oil prices and a poor run of third quarter results this morning. It [...]