Number of funds generating top returns plunges in torrid investment environment January 22, 2019 The number of funds generating top returns plunged in the fourth quarter during a torrid investment environment. Only six of the 1108 funds analysed achieved consistent top quartile returns in the fourth quarter of last year, representing 0.54 per cent, down from 19 funds in the previous quarter, according to BMO Global Asset Management. Read [...]
US inflation falls for first time since March as petrol prices drop January 11, 2019 Cheaper prices at the pumps pushed down US inflation for the first time in nine months in December. Statistics released today show the country’s consumer price index (CPI) dropped 0.1 percentage points last month to 1.9 per cent, making December’s fall the first since March. However, when stripping out changes to the price of food [...]
US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell says he would refuse to step down if asked to by Trump January 4, 2019 US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has said he will not resign even if he is asked to by president Donald Trump. Powell responded “no” when asked whether he would resign if asked by the president at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting, CNBC reported. Powell was appointed by Trump, however the president has become [...]
Do markets have much to celebrate going into 2019? Analysts say anything is possible January 2, 2019 Is a rebound across global indices on the cards in 2019? Callum Keown asks top analysts for their predictions. AS 2019 begins, the year inherits a smorgasbord of risks and uncertainty from a tumultuous 2018, which was characterised by market volatility, global growth concerns and emerging market crises. US stock markets had their worst year in [...]
FTSE 100: These are the biggest winners and losers of 2018 January 2, 2019 THE UK market felt the impact of Brexit last year as politicians scrambled to reach a deal on Britain’s fast approaching departure from the European Union. With a vote on Theresa May’s heavily criticised deal not expected until mid-January, and as the government pumps billions into planning for a no-deal Brexit scenario, it seems unlikely [...]
White House assures Fed chairman job is safe despite Trump’s Christmas Eve criticism December 26, 2018 A White House official has assured that the head of the US Federal Reserve is not at any risk of losing his job, amid jitters on Wall Street throughout December caused in part by Trump’s criticism of the Fed. Asked on Boxing Day if Fed chairman Jerome Powell’s job was safe, economic advisor Kevin Hassett [...]
Oil prices hit new 14-month low after global selloff December 20, 2018 Oil prices fell to another 14-month low earlier today as markets worried a slowdown in the US economy could hit demand. The Brent crude standard dropped over four per cent to breach the $55 per barrel mark, landing as low as $54.82. Speculators were spooked after international markets fell on the US Federal Reserve’s decision [...]
Federal Reserve goes through with expected US interest rate hike, chair Jerome Powell says he is ‘not worried’ about Trump criticism December 19, 2018 The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, has confirmed it is raising interest rates for a fourth time this year in the face of sustained opposition from President Donald Trump. As expected before the announcement, the Fed said it would hike interest rates by 0.25 to a range of 2.25 per cent 2.5 per cent [...]
From tech to Trump – here’s what prompted the big market moves of 2018 December 18, 2018 From Brexit to trade wars, nothing has been plain-sailing about 2018. It’s been a year of peaks and troughs across all major markets, so let’s have a look at the big moves of the past 12 months. Tech in turmoil This was the year when the tech giants raced to become the first ever $1 [...]
Trump attacks Federal Reserve again in row over interest rates hike December 17, 2018 President Donald Trump has continued his spat with America’s central bank, the Federal Reserve, ahead of its interest rates announcement this week. The Fed is expected to raise interest rates for the fourth time this year on Wednesday, a decision Trump today called “incredible” on Twitter. “It is incredible that with a very strong dollar [...]