More than 60 per cent of London firms plan to lay off staff, survey says July 28, 2020 More than 60 per cent of London firms expect to lay off some of their furloughed employees, a survey has said, in a sign of the wave of unemployment that is to come. The Lloyds Bank business barometer found that just under one in five London firms who have used the scheme expect to bring [...]
Stamp duty cut sees London house sales rocket 27 per cent July 28, 2020 The stamp duty holiday has significantly boosted London’s housing market, with new sales agreed up by over a quarter in just two weeks, new data has shown. UK house prices rose 0.2 per cent in June as a jump in demand for houses outstripped a fall in the number of sellers, the figures also showed. [...]
Greenland gold miner AEX to list on AIM market after £42.5m raise July 27, 2020 Greenland-focused gold miner AEX Gold will be admitted to London’s junior AIM market on Friday after raising £42.5m through a share placing today. The company had hoped to raise £45m through the initial public offering, one of the very few flotations on a London bourse since the coronavirus pandemic struck. AEX placed 94m shares at [...]
Dollar hits two-year low as US coronavirus cases surge July 27, 2020 The US dollar slumped to a two-year low today as a sharp spike in coronavirus cases across the country weighed on investor sentiment. The dollar index dipped 0.6 per cent to its lowest level since June 2018 today, sharpening fears that the currency is on track for its worst month since April 2011. The slump [...]
Markets live: Aviation stocks drag on FTSE 100 but US stocks climb July 27, 2020 The FTSE 100 fell today as the UK added Spain back onto its quarantine list, but US stocks rose as investors pegged their hopes on the likelihood of more stimulus. The UK’s blue-chip index was down 0.2 per cent at 6,110 points in afternoon trading. The FTSE 250 was 0.6 per cent lower. Read more: [...]
Cairn Energy sells Senegal stakes to Lukoil for $400m July 27, 2020 Oil explorer Cairn Energy has sold its entire stake in a number of oil fields off the coast of Senegal to Russian firm Lukoil for $400m (£310m). The firm said it would return “at least” $250m to shareholders as part of a special dividend. Shares in the FTSE 250 firm shot up 7.4 per cent [...]
Boris Johnson’s calorie labelling plan is well-intentioned but economically inept July 27, 2020 Let me start with a concession to the Prime Minister: not all the policies in his anti-obesity drive are outright objectionable. Banning food advertising and telling shopkeepers where they can and can’t stock their products are obvious and unacceptable intrusions, whatever their intended goal. But as a liberal economist, I am prepared to consider some [...]
German business morale picks up as recovery continues July 27, 2020 German companies became more optimistic in July after morale rose at a record rate in June as the economy continued to recover from coronavirus and as spirits were lifted by the EU’s €750bn (£680bn) recovery fund. The business climate index from respected think tank Ifo rose to 90.5 this month from 86.3 in June. It [...]
Why the UK should rethink its restrictive rules on dual-class shares July 27, 2020 The ability to have a dual-class voting structure can be an important consideration for high-growth, innovative companies (especially those in the technology sector) when deciding on an IPO venue. These structures are not possible for a premium listing in London, whereas they are available on other major stock exchanges, meaning that the UK risks missing [...]
UK economy could take four years to recover, says EY July 27, 2020 The UK economy will take four years to return to its 2019 size as consumer caution and high levels of unemployment weigh on growth, economic forecaster EY Item Club has predicted. EY Item Club said it expects the UK economy to shrink by an enormous 11.5 per cent this year and then grow by just [...]