US-China trade talks end, but we still have no official outcome February 15, 2019 High levels trade talks between the US and China ended today with no official statement from either side. Earlier this week it was reported that US President Donald Trump was considering pushing back a 1 March deadline for US tariffs on China to ramp up by 60 days. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are [...]
Options are running out for the man who destroyed Venezuela February 14, 2019 It takes some front for a man who has presided over a double-digit recession for three successive years to claim that his country is being destabilised by a “gang of extremists” rather than his own inept economic performance. But that is exactly what Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro did this week, when he stated that the [...]
US considers 60-day extension to looming China tariff deadline February 14, 2019 US President Donald Trump is mulling a 60- day extension of the 1 March deadline for higher tariffs on Chinese imports, according to reports. Trump is considering an extension to the 1 March deadline for more than doubling tariffs on $200bn (£156bn) of Chinese exports in order to give the two sides more time to come to [...]
Don’t hold your breath for an easy fix to the US-China trade spat February 13, 2019 Towards the end of last year, my investment manager sent out a note predicting that the US-China trade spat would be resolved and that markets would rise as a result. I responded by saying that it was unlikely to happen, and that I personally preferred an investment portfolio that was very underweight in companies whose [...]
President Trump to meet Xi ‘very soon’ as markets hope for end to US-China trade war, Conway says February 12, 2019 President Donald Trump wants to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon in an effort to end the trade war that has raged between the US and China, according to an adviser. Kellyanne Conway, previously Trump's campaign manager and now counsellor to the White House, told Fox earlier this week that Trump “wants to meet with [...]
US market braces itself for US-China trade talks February 12, 2019 | City Talk This week marks a resumption of trade talks between China and the US, so expect to see movement on the US equity markets as the headlines hit. Preliminary talks began on Monday and saw the US team fly to Beijing to try and close the gap – and tension – between the two nations when [...]
Bipartisan group reaches deal to avoid another US shutdown over Mexico border wall – but will Trump support it? February 12, 2019 US politicians thrashed out a finance deal late last night to prevent a renewed government shutdown, but fears loomed over whether President Donald Trump would support the deal. Republicans and Democrats secured an agreement which included just under $1.4bn (£1bn) for 55 miles of fencing to be built along the US border with Mexico. Read [...]
US officials head to Beijing to resume trade talks as deadline for tariff war looms February 11, 2019 Asian markets finished with mixed results this morning while the FTSE 100 had an early rise, as investors looked forward to the reopening of trade talks between the US and China this week. A delegation of US officials, including Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, head to Beijing today for the next round of negotiations, but investors’ [...]
Three themes for 2019 – and some black swans February 8, 2019 | City Talk 2018 was a challenging year for investors with US equity and government bond markets both returning less than cash. Two factors were instrumental in delivering this outcome: disappointment with global growth and less cash flowing through the global economy (tighter liquidity). These factors will continue to influence markets in the year ahead. We have identified [...]
If Trump reaches a hand across the aisle, Democrats would be wise to take it February 7, 2019 For a brief moment on Tuesday evening, the customary rancour of US politics was set aside in a most unusual spontaneous display. To everyone’s surprise, President Donald Trump’s delayed 2019 State of the Union speech – which had itself become a political football in the struggle between a Democratic House of Representatives and a Republican [...]