How mathematical models attempt to predict the spread of disease March 11, 2020 The various pronouncements on coronavirus are a source of puzzlement to many. On the one hand there are lurid predictions of millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths. On the other, while the actual numbers are growing, they seem tiny so far compared to the scale of the predictions. Almost 100 years ago, [...]
Coronavirus: Bank of England slashes UK interest rates to 0.25 per cent March 11, 2020 The Bank of England today slashed UK interest rates to just 0.25 per cent in a bid to tackle the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak on the economy. The 50 basis point (0.5 percentage point) cut takes interest rates lower than the 0.75 per cent they were already at, in a move designed to boost [...]
Entrepreneurs’ relief: A tax break unravels? March 11, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s first Budget beckons, and business founders will be looking out for one announcement in particular: will he scrap entrepreneurs’ relief? The controversial tax break enables people who start their own successful businesses to pay less capital gains tax when they eventually sell it on. It was originally intended to encourage people to [...]
Should the Bank of England consider an emergency interest rate cut in response Covid-19? March 11, 2020 Should the Bank of England consider an emergency interest rate cut in response Covid-19? Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the Government Economic Service and author of It’s the Economy, Stupid, says YES. This is an emergency situation and emergency measures are needed. The Budget needs to focus on providing short-term help, but a joint [...]
Cairn Energy swings to a profit after huge loss last year March 10, 2020 Cairn Energy has posted a 914 per cent increase in pre-tax profit to $119.5m (£92.64m), up from a $1.21bn (£94m) loss over the same period the previous year. Revenue increased from $410.3m (£318m) in 2018 to $533.4m (£413.5m). The FTSE 250-listed company said net oil production averaged 23,000 bopd in 2019, at the upper end [...]
Balfour Beatty set to delay £200m share buyback due to coronavirus March 10, 2020 Construction giant Balfour Beatty has delayed its planned £200m-plus share buyback due to coronavirus-related stock market turmoil. The group were reportedly going to announce the buyback tomorrow alongside the release of its annual results, according to Sky News. However, a source has told Sky that Balfour – who are one of the main contractors for [...]
Coronavirus: FTSE 100 falters as European stocks fall back March 10, 2020 The FTSE 100 dipped in and out of the red in a volatile afternoon of trading after Black Monday’s global stocks meltdown, before closing up 0.23 per cent. The FTSE 100 and other European indices rose in early trading after President Trump revealed he was preparing a major economic relief strategy. However the semblance of [...]
Oil rebounds after Black Monday price crash March 10, 2020 Oil prices have shown some signs of recovery today after yesterday’s rout which led to such dramatic global stock market falls it was dubbed Black Monday. Brent Crude oil is currently trading at $36 a barrel, an eight per cent increase on yesterday. At the end of February, it was $51 a barrel. “Oil prices [...]
Donald Trump brands Fed ‘pathetic’ after US stocks’ coronavirus bloodbath March 10, 2020 US President Donald Trump has labelled his country’s central bank “pathetic” for not cutting interest rates further in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, which sent stocks plunging yesterday. Trump’s intervention adds to the pressure on the US Federal Reserve to cut rates again after it slashed them by 50 basis points (0.5 percentage points) [...]
Asda cuts fuel prices after oil price spirals on coronavirus March 10, 2020 Supermarket Asda has cut the price of petrol and diesel amid the Russia-Saudi Arabia oil war. The supermarket has cut its price by 2p per litre (ppl), meaning petrol will cost 114.7p per litre and diesel will cost 116.7p per litre. Asda said they are its lowest fuel prices since November 2017. “It will be [...]