US stocks tumble as coronavirus fears intensify April 1, 2020 US stocks have fallen after US President Donald Trump’s advisers warned hundreds of thousands of Americans could die from coronavirus and gloominess about the economy spread among investors. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 2.6 per cent in early trading, the S&P 500 dropped 2.8 per cent and the Nasdaq fell 2.1 per cent. The [...]
Watchdog eases cash call cap to help firms raise cash amid coronavirus outbreak April 1, 2020 The Pre-Emption Group (PEG) has said existing investors in UK-listed companies should be allowed to buy a bigger share of rights issues, in a move that could make it easier for firms to raise cash amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said the Pre-Emption Group (PEG) of listed companies, investors and intermediaries [...]
BP to take a $1bn writedown due to oil price collapse April 1, 2020 BP expects to take a write down of up to $1bn for the first quarter of 2020 as the oil giant feels the strain of the recent oil price collapse. Across the whole year, the firm will reduce spending by 20 per cent and also halve investment in its shale oil business. In a statement, [...]
Coronavirus: UK manufacturing sector suffers worst slump since 2012 April 1, 2020 UK manufacturing output fell at the fastest rate since 2012 in March, survey data showed today, as the coronavirus outbreak broke up supply chains and caused demand to slump. The IHS Markit/Cips purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to a three-month low of 47.8 in March, down from 51.7 in February. A score of below 50 [...]
Coronavirus: Eurozone factory output slumps to 11-year low April 1, 2020 The Eurozone’s factory sector suffered its worst month since the bloc’s economic crisis of 2012 in March as coronavirus shut down swaths of the euro area’s economy. The IHS Markit manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – a gauge of the health of the sector – slumped to a lower than expected 44.5 in March from [...]
Oil prices slump again as US ramps up production April 1, 2020 Oil prices fell again this morning, just days after they touched an 18-year low amid a massive slump in demand and oversupply concerns. Brent crude sank 3.6 per cent today to hit $25.40. And West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 1.3 per cent to teeter on the edge of the $20 mark, at $20.21. Two days [...]
Asian stocks fall as coronavirus fears return April 1, 2020 Asia’s biggest stock markets fell overnight as fears rose about the death toll from coronavirus in the US, Japan entered a new fiscal year on an unsteady footing, and banks axed dividends. Following the worst quarter for global equities since 2008, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index tumbled 5.1 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped [...]
Coronavirus: Regulators urge savers to avoid rash decisions on pensions April 1, 2020 Regulators today urged savers to not make any rash decisions in relation to their pensions during the coronavirus epidemic. The Pensions Regulator (TPR), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), said fears over the impact of the pandemic on markets and personal finances may make savers more vulnerable to scams [...]
Coronavirus: Energy industry in talks with government for state support March 31, 2020 The UK energy industry is in talks with the government over a rolling aid package to help protect vulnerable households and businesses from the coronavirus pandemic. Industry body Energy UK said that it was leading talks with the government over the additional financial support the sector might require. The Financial Times reported that energy companies [...]
Minimum wage hike to go ahead despite coronavirus pressure on businesses March 31, 2020 The UK minimum wage is set to rise tomorrow as planned despite calls for the government to postpone the increase due to the coronavirus outbreak. The National Minimum Wage will increase 6.2 per cent from £8.21 to £8.72 per hour from 1 April, despite the economic challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, two thinktanks [...]