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 [...]
Trump announces tariff hikes as US-China trade war escalates August 24, 2019 Donald Trump has hit back at China by announcing plans to increase the tariffs on imports by a further a five per cent. The trade war between the US and China escalated further on Friday, with China revealing plans to hit $75bn of US goods with duties. Read more: Trump tirade against China sends stock [...]
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 [...]
Global markets recoil and China warns of retaliation after Trump trade war threat August 2, 2019 Stock markets around the world have fallen after a sharp escalation in the United States’ trade war with China. Indices in the US fell after the open, amid fears of an economic slowdown if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to impose a further 10 per cent tariff on $300bn worth of Chinese [...]
Populism is back, and the Democratic candidates are veering left August 2, 2019 The Democratic primary is heating up – and some of the policy proposals are as red as fire. This week, 10 hopefuls took to the stage in Detroit, for the second debate leading up to the 2020 presidential election. And what we saw was an extreme ebbing and flowing of liberalism and socialism, raising serious [...]
ii view: Sales boom at Amazon, but so do costs July 26, 2019 | City Talk By Keith Bowman from interactive investor. Rising costs and disappointing profits overshadow further sales growth at the online retailer. Second-quarter results to 30 June 2019 Net sales up 20 per cent to $63.4 Operating income up 3.3 per cent to $3.1 billion Diluted earnings per share up 3 per cent to $5.22 Chief executive Jeff Bezos said: “Customers [...]
ii view: Citigroup beats forecasts July 16, 2019 | City Talk By Keith Bowman from interactive investor. Investors have been cautious regarding US banks. Has anything changed with these results? Second-quarter results to the end of June 2019 Revenue up 2 per cent to $18.8 billion Net income of $4.8 Billion, up 7 per cent Earnings per share up 20 per cent to $1.95 Operating expenses down 2 per [...]
Turnaround time for struggling food giant July 12, 2019 | City Talk By Rodney Hobson from interactive investor. The proof of the pudding lies with a new chief who looks set to sell off poor performers to boost spending on premium lines. A heavy burden lies on the shoulders of Miguel Patricio, who took over as chief executive officer of food and beverage giant Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC)last month. The reputation of [...]
Investors forecast returns of 10.7% – millennials expect more July 10, 2019 | City Talk Investors expect total annual returns of 10.7 per cent over the next five years, according to a major new global study. Regionally, returns expectations were highest in the Americas, at 12.4 per cent. In Asia, investors expect 11.5 per cent and the figure was lowest in Europe at 9.0 per cent. The returns include growth [...]