George Osborne vying for top role at IMF July 4, 2019 George Osborne is mulling a bid to become the next head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to reports, after its current managing director Christine Lagarde was tapped for the top job at the European Central Bank (ECB). Read more: IMF chief Christine Lagarde among surprise picks for EU top job Currently editor of [...]
DEBATE: Is Christine Lagarde a smart pick to take over from Mario Draghi at the European Central Bank? July 4, 2019 Is Christine Lagarde a smart pick to take over from Mario Draghi at the European Central Bank? Yes, says Pierre Ortlieb, an economist at OMFIF Christine Lagarde’s tentative appointment reflects the challenges that the ECB will face in its third decade. Post-crisis unconventional monetary policy and the Bank’s prominence in the continent’s capital markets have [...]
FTSE 100 hits 11-month high on interest rate cut hopes July 3, 2019 The UK’s FTSE 100 stock index has hit an 11-month high today, boosted by the growing chances of interest rate cuts, a falling pound, and hopes of a resolution to the US-China trade war. Read more: Dollar falls as Fed holds interest rates but strikes dovish tone Meanwhile the pound has fallen to its lowest [...]
UK service sector ‘close to stagnation’ as economy slows July 3, 2019 The UK service sector came close to registering zero growth in June as Brexit uncertainty dented demand, according to data provider IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS). Read more: UK construction sector suffers worst output in 10 years The poor performance indicates the economy has slipped into contraction for the [...]
FTSE 250 miner Ferrexpo appoints new auditor after Deloitte quit over charity probe July 3, 2019 Ferrexpo has appointed a new auditor to check its books months after Deloitte quit over alleged wrongdoing. MHA MacIntyre Hudson, which is part of Baker Tilly International, will not review the company’s half-year results, due on 2 August. Read more: Shares in FTSE 250 miner Ferrexpo plunge after it delays its financial results amid Ukrainian [...]
The left’s support for university students is fuelled by political self-interest July 3, 2019 Why do left-wing politicians want to shower money on privileged members of society? In general, university students have a higher intellectual ability than non-students, and often come from more desirable socio-economic backgrounds. But leftists can’t do enough for them. For instance, Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 promised to abolish tuition fees from 2018 onwards. He went [...]
Mark Carney warns trade war could ‘shipwreck’ global economy July 2, 2019 Bank of England governor Mark Carney today warned that a trade war could “shipwreck” the global economy. Speaking in Bournemouth today Carney said financial markets had recently experienced a “profound transformation” driven by growing concerns over the impact of rising trade tensions and policy uncertainty. Read more: No-deal Brexit would cost UK £90bn, warns Philip [...]
Funding Circle share crash ‘brutally punishes’ IPO investors July 2, 2019 Analysts have accused Funding Circle of failing to deliver on the promises of its IPO after the lender’s shares crashed today following a revenue warning. Small business lending platform Funding Circle’s shares slumped today after it halved its revenue growth projection to 20 per cent following poor demand for its loans. Read more: Funding Circle [...]
The cost of taking down oil rigs is dropping July 2, 2019 The price of decommissioning the UK’s oil and gas infrastructure is dropping as engineers become more efficient, new figures show. The Oil and Gas authority said the cost of future decommissioning fell to £51bn in 2019, from £59.7bn in 2017. It came even as the OGA expects operators will take down more assets and infrastructure. [...]
Sirius Minerals on course to finish fundraising in September July 2, 2019 Fundraising for a major fertilizer mine project in the north of England is on course to be finished this autumn, the company behind it has said. Sirius Minerals said it would likely complete the $3.8bn (£3bn) raise before the end of September. Read more: Sirius Minerals set to unveil £2.5bn equity and debt package So [...]