FTSE 100 and US stocks rise as countries ease coronavirus lockdowns May 5, 2020 US stocks have followed the FTSE 100 higher on the back of an oil price rally and hopes that economies could start to heal as countries and states lift coronavirus restrictions. Britain’s FTSE 100 index was 1.8 per cent higher in afternoon trading at 5,856 points. It had fallen 0.2 per cent yesterday. The mid-cap [...]
More than 100,000 UK firms apply for ‘bounce back loans’ on first day May 5, 2020 UK banks have reported huge demand for “bounce back loans” on the first day of the new coronavirus lending scheme yesterday, with more than 100,000 of Britain’s smallest businesses applying by this afternoon. The bounce back loan scheme is the latest coronavirus support package for UK firms. Launched yesterday, it offers the UK’s smallest companies [...]
Germany’s top court tells ECB to justify bond-buying programme May 5, 2020 Germany’s highest court has said the European Central Bank can continue buying bonds but must prove that purchases under its crisis-era programme are necessary within three months or Germany’s central bank must stop participating in the scheme. However, the judges’ decision does not impinge on the ECB’s coronavirus bond-buying scheme, under which it has pledged [...]
Coronavirus drives UK private sector to worst month on record May 5, 2020 The UK private sector suffered its worst month on record in April, survey data has confirmed, as coronavirus lockdown measures caused demand to evaporate. The IHS Markit/Cips composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a closely watched gauge of the health of the economy, slumped to 13.8 in April from 36 in March, which was the previous [...]
FTSE 100 bucks the trend as global stocks fall on US-China tensions May 4, 2020 The FTSE 100 has climbed into the green in afternoon trading, faring better than European and US stocks which fell after the Trump administration stoked tensions with China over coronavirus. Britain’s FTSE 100 index was up 0.1 per cent just after 3pm at 5,770 points. London trading was choppy but helped by a fall in [...]
HSBC receives 12,800 applications for ‘bounce-back loans’ in first few hours May 4, 2020 The UK’s biggest banks have been inundated with requests from small businesses for new coronavirus “bounce-back loans”, with HSBC receiving 12,800 applications in the first few hours of the scheme. The government’s newest coronavirus lending scheme launched today and offers the UK’s smallest companies loans worth 25 per cent of turnover, up to £50,000, just [...]
Coronavirus lockdown takes heavy toll on Britons’ wellbeing May 4, 2020 The coronavirus lockdown is taking a heavy toll on Britons’ mental health, new data has shown, with anxiety and unhappiness hitting record levels as people fret over their finances and are forced to stay indoors. Nearly half of people aged 16 and over reported high levels of anxiety between 20 and 30 March, according to [...]
Eurozone investors deeply pessimistic in May amid coronavirus May 4, 2020 Eurozone investors remained deeply gloomy at the start of May, a survey has shown, although there was a minor improvement as countries such as Germany and Austria start to ease coronavirus lockdowns. The Sentix Eurozone investor sentiment index came in at minus 41.8 in May. This was below expectations of a pick up to minus [...]
Coronavirus: Eurozone factory output plunges at fastest pace on record May 4, 2020 Eurozone manufacturing output plunged at the fastest pace on record in April, survey data has confirmed, as coronavirus lockdowns caused production and trade to dry up. The IHS Markit Eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a gauge of the health of the sector, fell to 33.4 in April. This was the lowest score ever recorded [...]
UK business groups call for more help and predict a collapse in output May 1, 2020 UK manufacturing output is likely to plunge by more than 55 per cent in the second quarter as demand evaporates due to the coronavirus outbreak, an industry body has said. It added that firms are set to need more government support as the lockdown is eased. The warning came as a survey showed that the [...]
