FTSE 100 slips ahead of London lockdown as job losses mount December 15, 2020 The FTSE 100 slipped into the red as London prepared itself for a new lockdown and job losses climbed, with the index bucking the trend of European and US markets which rose amid positivity about coronavirus vaccines. London’s biggest index was down 0.5 per cent in afternoon trading to 6,501 points. The FTSE 250 was [...]
FTSE 100 lags but pound jumps as markets weigh Brexit latest December 14, 2020 The FTSE 100 lagged behind its European peers as the pound rose the most in nearly two months after the UK and EU agreed to extend post-Brexit trade talks. Elsewhere, stocks climbed strongly amid signs of progress in US stimulus talks, and as the country prepared to roll out the first coronavirus vaccines. London’s main [...]
UK companies are cheap: the smaller the cheaper December 11, 2020 | City Talk UK stocks have lagged their global peers, but is the stage set for a change of fortune? Many investors in UK stocks have looked on enviously at the super-sized returns that global stocks, and US stocks in particular, have been able to deliver over recent years. That all changed this month. As of 18 November, [...]
FTSE 100 falls back as Brexit negotiations drag on December 3, 2020 The FTSE 100 fell back this morning after the French government threatened to veto a Brexit trade deal if EU negotiators gave further concessions to the UK. London’s premier index dropped 0.4 per cent start as trading opened, while the FTSE 250 of midcap companies picked up 0.1 per cent. Brexit talks are ongoing between [...]
FTSE inches higher after Pfizer vaccine approval but Wall Street slips December 2, 2020 The FTSE 100 inched higher today as the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/Biontech coronavirus vaccine for use. Having opened in the red, London’s premier index was up 0.5 per cent in the early afternoon, with the FTSE 250 of mid-cap firms down 0.3 per cent. Analysts said that [...]
FTSE 100 and Wall Street chase record highs as vaccine hopes boost markets December 1, 2020 The FTSE 100 logged its best session in three weeks today while Wall Street hit record highs as markets continue to ride a wave of vaccine optimism. The blue-chip bourse closed up 1.9 per cent, while the FTSE 250 midcap index rose by 2.6 per cent. It comes after the FTSE recording its biggest gain [...]
Playing FTSE: How a global index was born in London November 30, 2020 It is now more than two decades since FTSE was founded – becoming common parlance not just in the City but across the business world. FTSE’s founder Mark Makepeace has teamed up with respected business journalist James Ashton to tell the story of the FTSE – and how it grew from nine people in an [...]
FTSE 100 remains on track for best month in 30 years November 30, 2020 The FTSE 100 reversed early losses this morning to remain well on track for one of the best months in its history in November. London’s premier index gained 0.4 per cent this morning, meaning it is is set for a monthly gain of over 13 per cent – its best in 31 years. JD Sports [...]
Can asset management’s Covid-19 response help regain public trust? November 27, 2020 | City Talk The tenth anniversary of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) back in 2018 sparked a deluge of articles recalling the days the financial system stared into the abyss. They questioned just how close we came to complete collapse, but also whether it could happen again. Had anything changed in the decade that followed? From some perspectives [...]
Think short-term for lockdown but not for investing November 25, 2020 | City Talk The UK’s second lockdown means everyone’s winter plans have been torn up and thrown away. Even seemingly modest weekend activities – going to a museum, meeting a friend for lunch – are now off the table. As many of us learnt during the first lockdown, the trick is to focus on what is possible in [...]