RCEP or CPTPP: Will Asia finally agree a trade deal? January 14, 2020 It is occasionally worth revisiting where Asia is with its expansive and highly complex trade negotiations, given that one can often get lost in the acronyms and fanfare of the latest set of talks. The first major attempt, an agreement with 11 signatories called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) or TPP11 — [...]
Cut the pessimism, free trade is a huge opportunity for the UK December 6, 2019 The irony of the Brexit debate has always been that, while the value of continued trade with the EU is (quite rightly) regarded as of great importance, the potential of Britain being able to make our own trade deals around the world has been virtually ignored — or worse, demonised. Let’s start with the US. [...]
DEBATE: Has Fever-Tree lost its fizz as growth in the UK slows down? November 21, 2019 Has the fizz gone out of tonic water maker Fever-Tree as growth in its core UK market slows down? Joe Healey, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, says YES. Fever-Tree has had a good run, but investors are likely to be tetchy going forward. The drinks phenomenon has struggled in its main UK market [...]
South African drinkers get their whisky fix with post-Brexit trade deal September 11, 2019 The whisky will keep flowing in Cape Town’s bars and restaurants even after Brexit as the UK initialled a trade deal with South Africa and its neighbours. The economic partnership agreement, which has been agreed in principle, with the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique will give British business access to a major African market. [...]
Brexit panic ‘not justified’, says former Trump trade adviser August 9, 2019 The current levels of panic around Brexit are “not justified”, according to a former top trade adviser to the US President Donald Trump. The former general counsel on trade, Stephen Vaughn, believes the UK has “enormous leverage” in any trade deal agreed with the US, he told the BBC. Read more: End of austerity? Chancellor [...]
Plenty to digest for Domino’s Pizza investors August 9, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. UK trading is robust, but shares in Domino’s Pizza have been pegged back by operational issues. A see-saw year for Domino’s Pizza (LSE:DOM) shares was summed up when interim results highlighted a series of major challenges still facing the fast-food chain. The most serious looking is the ongoing stand-off with some of the group’s [...]
Prosperity or pound shop? Our free trade future awaits August 9, 2019 Like most of us, I’ve been watching the new government in the UK with interest – and no small measure of anxiety. As it became clear that Boris Johnson would emerge as the new PM, it also became clear that there would be a sharp change in government policy across the board. Theresa May, for [...]
A food chain to get your teeth into August 8, 2019 | City Talk By Rodney Hobson from interactive investor. McDonald’s is spending money on developing personalised apps after upgrading its burger beef. It made its name by being cheap and cheerful but food chain McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) has long had a keen eye for innovation and for enhancing the quality of its ingredients, both of which generate welcome publicity. The successful formula is still [...]
No respite for BT investors as shares sink again August 6, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. BT shares continue to fall after first quarter results do little to dispel fears over its dividend. After a torrid year for followers of Britain’s best-known stocks, first quarter results from BT Group (LSE:BT.A) have done little to ease their fears that the telecom group’s dividend is next for the chop. While last week’s figures [...]
High-yielding BP shares chased higher after results July 30, 2019 | City Talk It’s a great income stock, and these numbers justify investor interest, writes our head of markets. BP’s (LSE:BP.) strategy is a marathon, not a sprint, and this latest update for the second quarter and half-year shows that the company remains reassuringly on track. Underlying replacement cost profit was strongly ahead compared to the previous quarter and [...]