US stocks fall for seventh consecutive day as coronavirus fears increase February 28, 2020 US stocks opened down again today for the seventh straight day as investors continued to sell after new cases of coronavirus pummelled global stock markets. The Dow Jones and the S&P 500 both fell 2.5 per cent, to 25,119.36 and 2,904.44 respectively. The Nasdaq fared marginally better, opening 1.9 per cent down at 8,402.67. The [...]
Alphabet drops out of trillion-dollar club amid coronavirus rout February 24, 2020 Google parent company Alphabet has dropped out of the prestigious trillion-dollar club after fears over the coronavirus outbreak prompted a wider global sell-off. Shares in Alphabet dropped almost four per cent in New York trading this afternoon, taking its market capitalisation to just below $980bn (£758bn). The fall came amid a wider decline across stock [...]
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 — [...]
What do the financial markets hold in store for 2020? January 7, 2020 After the festive break, everyone in the City is slowly settling back into work. The opening week of 2020 has been hectic already, with oil and gold prices rising and stocks falling in reaction to tension in the Middle East. But what else are the financial experts and asset managers keeping an eye on for [...]
Oil prices surge after US kill Iran general Qassem Soleimani but Wall Street stocks stutter January 4, 2020 Oil prices surged as much as $3 per barrel on Friday as it and other safe havens such as gold all rallied following the US airstrike which killed Iran’s top military commander, General Qassem Soleimani. While the attack on the head of the elite Quds Force and promise of revenge from Iran left traders concerned, [...]
US jobs growth data beats expectations despite trade war concerns December 7, 2019 The US economy added 266,000 jobs last month despite economists’ expectations of a slowdown. It was the highest number of jobs added to the economy in 10 months, aided by striking GM workers returning to work and a rise in healthcare posts. The unemployment rate also reduced slightly from 3.6 per cent to 3.5 per [...]
Strong Roots’ Sam Dennigan talks exporting and the environment October 10, 2019 Exporting is a major topic ahead of the Brexit deadline of 31 October. Hundreds of thousands of business across a range of sectors are understandably concerned about how to overcome the challenges associated with exports after leaving the EU. Sam Dennigan, founder and chief executive of Strong Roots, managed to crack this conundrum with a [...]
Strap in, impeaching Trump is going to be a bumpy a ride September 26, 2019 On Tuesday night, speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry into the unlawful conduct of the US President. Donald Trump is therefore almost certainly going to become the third American President in history to be impeached by the House – the first step in a long process that could signal [...]
US markets fall while oil prices rise after attacks on Saudi supply September 16, 2019 Wall Street fell this afternoon after the weekend’s attack on Saudi crude oil facilities knocked out five per cent of the world’s supply. The attack on the world’s biggest oil exporter boosted oil prices by as much as 20 per cent before they eased off, as US President Donald Trump gave the green light for [...]
Management lessons in kindness from TV icon Mister Rogers August 27, 2019 Say the name Mister Rogers to a certain generation of Americans, and they will likely go misty-eyed and start humming the same tune. Fred Rogers hosted a US children’s television programme called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that ran from 1968 all the way to 2001. The show was revered for its host’s gentle nature and the [...]