Lord Barnett, former chief secretary to the Treasury and author of the Barnett Formula dies aged 91 December 15, 2015 Lord Barnett, the former Labour cabinet minister and author of the Barnett formula, has died aged 91. The formula Lord Barnett devised has become a hot button issue in British politics, particularly in the wake of the Scottish independence referendum. Barnett created the system as a temporary solution to arguments in the cabinet about the [...]
US inflation jumps ahead of Federal Reserve interest rate decision December 15, 2015 US inflation rose to a 2015-high in September as the impact of low energy prices began to fade. Annual inflation, as measured by the year-on-year change in the consumer price index, jumped to 0.5 per cent in November from October’s 0.2 per cent. The figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the impact of oil [...]
Former Barclays chairman Sir David Walker joins London blockchain startup SETL December 15, 2015 A former Barclays chairman and City veteran has joined a London-based fintech startup underpinned by the blockchain in another major signal that the technology is gaining traction in the banking world. Sir David Walker, who chaired Barclay between 2012 until earlier this year, will chair SETL, a blockchain-based payment processor and settlement company. Walker is a veteran of the banking world [...]
US interest rate hike: The Fed will raise rates at least three times in the next year, fund managers predict December 15, 2015 Tomorrow, the Federal Reserve is expected to raise US interest rates above their near-zero levels for the first time since 2006. But the changes won't end there, according to most US fund managers. Bank of America Merrill Lynch's (BoAML) December survey shows how 58 per cent of them expect at least three rate hikes to take [...]
Turmoil: Analysts cut oil forecast as glut woes intensify December 15, 2015 Citi analysts are the latest to lower their expectations for the short term future of the oil price, predicting a “very weak first quarter”. The supply glut is now widely expected to run on well into 2016 due to Opec reiterating its dedication to unrestricted pumping, Iran charging into the market once sanctions are lifted [...]
Star Wars 7 The Force Awakens spoilers: Chrome extension Force Block is the only alert tool you need to stop them December 15, 2015 It's finally here. After years of waiting, the biggest ever movie franchise follow up, Star Wars VII The Force Awakens, is hitting cinema screens. But with such hype comes one great risk to film-lovers – the spoiler, or the chance of someone letting slip the plot details. "Spoilers are the path to the dark side. Spoilers lead to anger. [...]
Walt Disney, Hasbro and Cineworld: These Star Wars stocks will benefit from the force December 15, 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh movie from George Lucas’s Star Wars franchise will hit cinema screens this week. It is almost 40 years since the original movie was released in 1977. The film is out in the UK on 17 December, then a day later in the US and in China in early [...]
Bad news, commuters: Southern Rail conductors have just voted for a strike December 15, 2015 Bad news, Southern Rail commuters: conductors working for the train operator have voted in favour of a strike over staff shortages. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said 70 per cent of staff balloted on the issue voted for the action to take place. The ballot result will now be considered by RMT’s executive, [...]
Bank of England: UK households can handle an interest rate hike December 15, 2015 British households are well placed to handle an increase in interest rates, the Bank of England said today. The Bank’s annual survey of 6,000 households compiled by NMG consulting found households were “in a slightly better position to cope with an increase in interest rates than they were a year ago”. The survey revealed that if interest [...]