US consumers feel a Trump bump as confidence rises to 12-year high January 27, 2017 US consumers have greeted the arrival of Donald Trump as President with glee, as confidence soared in January to its highest level in 12 years, according to a closely watched survey. Optimism for the prospects of the world’s largest economy has risen by nine per cent year on year, according to the survey by the [...]
US economy grows slower than expected in fourth quarter of 2016 January 27, 2017 The US economy grew by less than expected in the last full quarter of the presidency of Barack Obama, as the country enters a new era of fiscal and monetary policy. Real GDP grew at an annual rate of 1.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to the US Bureau of Economic [...]
European and US visitor numbers to Britain surge after Brexit as spending jumps January 27, 2017 Visitor numbers to the UK from the EU and America have surged year on year, while a new analysis shows just under 900,000 British citizens live in Europe. US visitor numbers increased by 11 per cent in the three months to November 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, according to the Office for [...]
Sterling falls against the dollar ahead of Trump’s May day January 27, 2017 Negotiations between Theresa May and Donald Trump will remain under wraps until this evening – but the UK is already losing out to the US in the currency stakes, with the pound falling in late morning trading. Having edged briefly above $1.26 earlier this morning, sterling fell as low as $1.2524 in late morning trading, [...]
No fireworks: Bank of England and Federal Reserve set to hold interest rates next week January 27, 2017 With both the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve set to meet it’s a big week for monetary policy, but don’t expect fireworks, economists say. Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers sparked the financial crisis, the top 50 central banks have cut rates over 700 times, according to JP Morgan. While Brexit and the [...]
Donald Trump’s wall prompts investor stampede for infrastructure January 27, 2017 Donald Trump’s promises to build a massive wall with Mexico as well as to revive oil pipelines have prompted an investor rush to gain exposure to infrastructure assets. Inflows into funds focused on investments in the infrastructure sector surged in the last week, according to data provider EPFR. On assuming the US presidency, Trump signed [...]
Fabulous Brexit, Chinese implosion: The feasible scenarios markets are ignoring January 27, 2017 The exquisite unpredictability of markets was on full parade in 2016, and investors are still breathless. Very few believed populist anger would lead to a Brexit or a President Trump, or that a crashing oil market would be rescued by a deal underpinned by Saudi altruism towards Iran. Indeed, markets are replete with occurrences which [...]
China’s debt mountain is unlikely to spoil its New Year January 27, 2017 As China prepares to ring in the year of the Fire Rooster this weekend, its central bank has ordered lenders to strictly control the amount of loans issued in the first quarter of 2017 – an effort to cut the country’s ballooning levels of debt. China’s debt pile has burgeoned from 150 per cent in [...]
US President Donald Trump says he’ll negotiate trade deal with the UK himself January 27, 2017 US President Donald Trump says he will personally discuss the framework for a post-Brexit trade deal with Prime Minister Theresa May today, having failed to appoint a commerce secretary since moving into the White House. “I’m meeting with the PM tomorrow but I don’t have my commerce secretary and they wanna talk trade – so I’ll [...]
EU Robin Hood financial transactions tax is “within reach” if politicians can agree says diplomat January 26, 2017 A financial transactions tax – also known as a Robin Hood tax – on trades is “within reach” according to the EU’s commissioner on tax, which could represent a barrier to the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc. The original proposal was for a 0.1 per cent tax on trades in shares and bonds [...]