Retail therapy gives markets a lift as battle to contain inflation genie starts in earnest May 27, 2022 European markets spent most of yesterday edging cautiously higher, with the FTSE100 shrugging off the UK government’s decision to impose a 25 per cent windfall tax on the oil and gas sector, while at the same time unveiling a fiscal stimulus package. The decision to impose the controversial tax appears to have prompted a review [...]
Global markets: US resilience lifts indexes worldwide with no surprises from Fed minutes May 26, 2022 European markets had a much more positive bias yesterday, helped by more resilience in the US, which finished the day strongly higher after the release of the latest Fed minutes. “This positive finish took a bit of a knock after the close as another disappointing set of earnings numbers, this time from Nvidia prompted US [...]
Recession concerns vie with inflation risk for investors in unpredictable market week ahead May 23, 2022 It was aother week of declines for US markets on Friday, with the S&P500 closing lower for the seventh week in succession, making a fresh 18 month low, and briefly retracing 50 per cent of the move from its 2020 lows to its record highs late last year. The Nasdaq 100 similarly pulled off new [...]
What a difference a day makes: Markets go into full reversal mode as recession concerns grow May 6, 2022 What a difference a day makes? Having rallied strongly in the aftermath of the Federal Reserve’s decision to hike rates by 50bps on Wednesday evening, and not go harder, US stock markets went into full reversal mode yesterday, dragging European markets down with them. Bond yields also shot back up, with the US 10 year [...]
Poor start of the month for global markets: April weakness rolls into May with China lockdowns not helping May 3, 2022 Asia markets got off to a poor start to the month yesterday, as did markets in Europe after the latest China PMIs showed that economic activity in April fell back by more than expected. Much was made of the slowdown in China manufacturing to 47.4 from 49.5, however non-manufacturing saw an even bigger fall, plunging [...]
UK markets: ‘Penny is dropping’ there will be no immediate ceasefire in Ukraine while focus shifts to Sunak’s ‘double whammy’ March 22, 2022 European markets underwent a subdued start to the week yesterday, with the FTSE100 outperforming on the back of another day of advances for crude oil prices, pushing the index to close at its highest level since 28 February. “The main reason for the move higher in oil prices was reports that the EU was considering [...]
Europe set to open higher as Bank of Japan keeps policy unchanged March 18, 2022 European and US stocks have continued to recover lost ground this week, despite there being little prospect of a ceasefire, or imminent cessation of hostilities, between Russia and Ukraine. “We did falter a little bit during the European trading session after the Kremlin poured cold water on reports of major progress on peace talks, calling [...]
Shares nosedive across Europe as burning Ukrainian nuclear plant terrifies traders: FTSE lowest since October March 4, 2022 All major markets across Europe are reacting this morning with horror to the fire at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant amid shelling by Russia in the area. Although the situation is reportedly under control, stock indexes were down across the continent, with London’s top index, the FTSE 100, dropping to its lowest point since October [...]
Uncertain week ahead: Nervous markets hold their breath as Ukraine-Russia tensions reach boiling point February 14, 2022 Despite Friday’s weakness European markets still managed to finish the week higher, with the FTSE100 finishing higher for the second week in a row. For US markets it was a week of two halves, with a decent first half undermined by two days of sharp losses, which were prompted by an unexpectedly hot January CPI [...]
UK overhauls development investment body to challenge influence of Chinese loans November 25, 2021 Foreign secretary Liz Truss has revamped the UK’s development investment arm in a bid to offer emerging economies an alternative source of private capital to Chinese loans that can counter Beijing’s influence and avoid “bad and unsustainable debt.” Truss launched British International Investment (BII) this morning at the London Stock Exchange, a body that will [...]