Sterling falls as doubts emerge over cross-party Brexit talks April 16, 2019 Sterling fell after reports emerged that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had said talks with the government were stalling, although the party has slapped down the claim. Read more: Tusk says he still dreams of UK U-turn on Brexit A falling pound sent the FTSE 100 to a six-month high, as investors responded to the news [...]
EU ‘dreams’ of UK U-turn on Brexit decision, says Donald Tusk April 16, 2019 European Parliament president Donald Tusk said today that Europe needs dreamers who believe Britain may remain in the European Union nearly three years after it voted to leave. Read more: DEBATE: Is Nigel Farage back as a serious force in politics? “We cannot give into fatalism,” Tusk said in a report to the European Parliament. “During [...]
German investors more optimistic thanks to Brexit delay April 16, 2019 Investors are more optimistic about the struggling German economy than they were a month ago, in a sign that Europe’s biggest economy may be about to turn a corner. Read more: Eurozone manufacturing sector contracts with Germany shrinking fastest German research institute ZEW’s monthly survey of sentiment among analysts swung into positive territory for the [...]
Tesco and Dunelm defy retail gloom April 16, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. Impressive updates from Tesco and Dunelm show opportunities still exist in the embattled retail sector. A big hike in the Tesco (LSE:TSCO) dividend and an “incredible” trading update from Dunelm Group (LSE:DNLM) today combined to remind Brexit-weary investors there is life in the retail sector after all. The near-doubling [...]
UK employment hits record high driven by women finding work April 16, 2019 The number of people in work in Britain hit a record high in the three months to February 2019, driven mainly by more women finding jobs, pushing up wages as firms kept hiring during political impasse in Westminster. Read more: Employment rate jumps to record high Britain’s unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points in [...]
Monetary policy is too crucial to leave in Labour’s meddling hands April 16, 2019 Even by Donald Trump’s standards, it was an extremely Donald Trump thing to do. Last week, the President nominated Herman Cain for a seat on the board of the Federal Reserve, attempting to hand oversight of the world’s largest economy to a maverick gold-standard enthusiast. The nomination appears to be doomed, largely because of the [...]
DEBATE: With the launch of his new Brexit Party, is Nigel Farage back as a serious force in politics? April 16, 2019 With the launch of his new Brexit Party, is Nigel Farage back as a serious force in politics? Lucy Harris, director of Leavers of Britain, says YES. Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party has come out with an upbeat message and a fresh look – and that’s what many Leave voters are desperately searching for in this [...]
Corbyn is as much a threat to the City as a no-deal Brexit April 16, 2019 The Prime Minister is currently on a walking holiday in Wales, while parliament is on Easter recess. This would be a moment for calm, except that Theresa May’s infamous walking holiday in April 2017 ending in her calling an unexpected General Election. Avid Westminster watchers are nervously wondering whether another snap poll is imminent. While [...]
Citigroup results: Earnings trump expectations but revenue dips April 15, 2019 Citigroup sent mixed messages to Wall Street this afternoon after posting higher-than-expected earnings as well as declining revenues. Read more: Fearless girl statue comes to London Stock Exchange The New York giant’s share buybacks helped it post earnings per share of $1.87, trumping Refinitiv estimates of $1.80 per share and marking an 11 per cent improvement [...]
Countdown to Brexit: three market indicators to watch April 15, 2019 | City Talk With politicians still struggling to agree the terms of withdrawal, investors in assets linked to the UK economy could be in for an uncertain time. UK investments have already underperformed their global peers since Britain voted to leave the EU, in June 2016. For instance, sterling is down 8.4 per cent since the vote and despite [...]