Global bosses predict U-shaped coronavirus recovery April 22, 2020 Global business leaders have predicted economies will fail to post a quick recovery bounce back quickly from the coronavirus crash. Many CEOs worry their firms could cease trading altogether, according to a new survey. Roughly 60 per cent of bosses surveyed by business network YPO said they expect a ‘U-shaped’ coronavirus recovery that features a [...]
Bank governor Andrew Bailey warns against lifting coronavirus measures too quickly April 22, 2020 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has warned against lifting coronavirus lockdown measures too quickly and putting people’s safety at risk in a bid to boost the economy. Bailey added that a “false start”, when lockdown measures had to be reinstated, “would damage people’s confidence very severely”. The governor’s intervention come amid a heated debate [...]
Exclusive: Businesses call for bank-by-bank breakdown of coronavirus lending April 21, 2020 British businesses have called on industry body UK Finance to publish a bank-by-bank breakdown of lending through the coronavirus support scheme, as it emerges that Natwest has so far made roughly half of all loans through the programme. Data from Natwest today showed that as of Sunday evening the group (formerly called RBS) had approved [...]
US home sales slump in March as coronavirus bites April 21, 2020 US home sales tumbled at the fastest rate in over four years in March, figures have shown, as coronavirus containment measures choked off buyer demand in one of the biggest markets in the world. Existing home sales slumped 8.5 per cent in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.27m units, the National Association [...]
US stocks tumble amid oil market chaos April 21, 2020 US stocks have tumbled at the open after American crude oil prices fell into negative territory for the first time ever yesterday evening, unsettling investors and highlighting the stress coronavirus has put the global economy under. Wall Street’s Dow Jones index was 1.9 per cent lower shortly after the bell. The S&P 500 was down [...]
FTSE 100 sinks deeper as oil prices continue collapse April 21, 2020 The FTSE 100’s losses mounted up today as US oil prices returned into negative territory despite Europe beginning to relax coronavirus lockdowns. London’s blue-chip index dropped 2.25 per cent by 2pm, after opening around 1.3 per cent down this morning. The FTSE 100 lost 131 points to hit 5,681 points as oil majors and energy [...]
Pound tumbles as oil chaos drives investors towards dollar April 21, 2020 The pound has tumbled to a two-week low against the dollar as turmoil in the oil markets spooks investors and sends them towards safe-haven assets such as the greenback. Sterling had fallen 1.1 per cent by midday to $1.23. It was last at this level roughly 12 days ago. Investors around the world sold off [...]
German investor sentiment surprises with strong rebound April 21, 2020 German investor morale defied expectations and rebounded in April, a closely watched survey has shown, as market participants start to see “light at the end of the tunnel”. The German Zew think tank said its gauge of investor morale bounced sharply up to 28.2 from a reading of minus 49.5 in March. Analysts had been [...]
London Stock Exchange commits to Refinitiv deal and posts strong results April 21, 2020 London Stock Exchange has said it is making “good progress” on its planning for the $27bn (£22bn) takeover of Refinitiv, emphasising that it is still committed to the deal despite the coronavirus pandemic. In its first quarter results, LSE said its gross profit rose 13 per cent to £555m. Its total revenue rose 10 per [...]
Coronavirus: UK government borrowing could top £300bn, says think tank April 21, 2020 UK government borrowing could hit £300bn this year as tax receipts collapse and the Treasury pumps money into the economy to tackle the fallout from coronavirus, according to a new report. The £300bn figure, produced today by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) think tank, would be by far the biggest budget deficit since World [...]