Will Apple take the Dow over 27,000 this week? Only a fool would bet against it January 30, 2018 How much higher, and how quickly, can Wall Street rise? It’s a question this column has asked a couple of times, but it’s one that bears repeating after the Dow Jones hit a new record close on Friday. Might we see the Dow break 27,000? Market sentiment suggests yes. Moreover, it suggests it could do [...]
Bombast and bluster from President Trump won’t win him any new friends January 29, 2018 What were people really expecting from President Trump’s speech to the World Economic Forum on Friday? For some it was an apology, for others it would have simply been a more conciliatory approach. He gave neither. President Trump instead boasted of America’s greatness, told the gathered delegates that when the US economy grew so did [...]
As the Pound surges on renewed confidence, is the glass half empty or half full? January 25, 2018 Wednesday saw sterling stage a surge against the Dollar that was less of a bull run than an all out charge. The Pound began the day at the psychologically important $1.40 mark and then proceeded to smash past $1.42, easily its highest level since the 2016 Brexit referendum. True, the UK posted some strong jobs [...]
The global economy is booming, but not for everyone January 24, 2018 Optimism about the future path of the global economy is at record levels among the chief executives of the world’s largest companies, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Its 2018 survey of the world’s business elite found a large majority of chief executives believe global economic growth will “improve” over the next year. In fact, the number [...]
A rare moment of Brexit brightness from the Great Remainer January 23, 2018 The man who first coined the term BRICs – the economics sage Jim O’Neill – has just passed a surprisingly upbeat judgment on the economic impact of Brexit. Lord O’Neill, the former head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, was a leading voice in the 2016 Remain campaign. The man who first identified Brazil, Russia, India [...]
Bayeux tapestry loan an example of epic trolling January 22, 2018 Another day, another development in Brexit negotiations. But this time it’s a big one for the City and one that’s likely to prove the key battleground in trade negotiations with the European Union (EU) in the coming year. And as fed up as we might be with Brexit, there’s no escaping it. Not unless the [...]
One year into Brexit and we’re no closer to a deal January 18, 2018 It’s a year since Prime Minister Theresa May gave her Lancaster House speech in which she set out the government’s priorities for ensuring a smooth and orderly Brexit transition. That’s right, a year. Time flies. So, it’s only natural to look back at the 12 months that have elapsed since that day and examine how [...]
The first fall in inflation in six months is promising, but there’s a long way to go yet January 17, 2018 Has UK inflation peaked? That was the question everyone was tentatively asking on Tuesday. The truth is no-one knows, not yet anyway. Official figures at least show that Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) fell by 0.1 per cent in December to 3 per cent. That is clearly welcome but it doesn’t suggest we’re out of the [...]
Are the Dow Jones and the FTSE 100 running too hot? January 16, 2018 Face it, you’ve already asked yourself this question in the past week. What’s driving Wall Street and is it accelerating at a pace that you should now be worried about? The answer is unfortunately not very clear. On the face of it, yes, any rally that sees the Dow Jones add just shy of 800 [...]
Trump and McDonnell’s attendance at Davos is about power, politics and posturing – and little else January 15, 2018 This time next week the great and the good of the business and political worlds will meet in Davos for the annual World Economic Forum (WEF). Known as one of the most exclusive networking events on the planet, these days events in Davos may struggle to make global headlines. The most newsworthy event of last [...]
