Easyjet boss Stelios loses Telegraph libel case over ‘strawmen’ claim November 2, 2020 Easyjet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou has lost his libel case against the Daily Telegraph over an article that disputed the outspoken founder’s claims about three shareholders. The suit related to an article published in May in which Telegraph journalist Ben Marlow wrote that the budget airline boss was engaging in “increasingly wild conspiracy theories”. The article [...]
Purplebricks shares jump as estate agent expects to beat profit forecast November 2, 2020 Shares in Purplebricks jumped this morning as the online estate agent said it expected to post strong profit for the first half of the year following a jump in new instructions after lockdown restrictions eased. The firm’s share price was up more than five per cent this morning after it said new instructions in the [...]
Oil prices continue slump as lockdown restrictions increase November 2, 2020 Oil prices continued last week’s plunge this morning as increased coronavirus restrictions came into effect around the world. Prices have fallen sharply over the last week over fears that new lockdowns will cause a decrease in fuel demand. Worldwide standard Brent crude dropped 2.3 per cent to trade at around $37, while US benchmark West [...]
How Blockchain works in daily life. The family Sunday roast November 2, 2020 There’s nothing quite like a Sunday roast with the family. In these extraordinary times, the occasion is perhaps even more precious, rare and cherished. Sitting on the train on the way to Hampshire, I wondered how blockchain might be working in the background to make my Sunday simpler, safer and more enjoyable. Everything would have [...]
Travel may be banned once more, but the City of London continues to look outwards November 2, 2020 Overseas travel is set to be heavily curtailed once again over the coming weeks. But despite this restriction, international trade will remain a vital driver for the global economy as it emerges from the shadow of the pandemic. In particular, the green revolution and transition to digital offer huge investment opportunities worldwide as we look [...]
Goldman Sachs and Citi slash UK GDP forecasts on news of second lockdown November 2, 2020 Goldman Sachs and Citi have sharply cut its economic forecasts for the UK in the fourth quarter following news of a fresh national lockdown in England to curb the second wave of coronavirus infections. In a client note, Goldman analysts said the US investment bank now expects UK GDP to shrink 2.4 per cent in [...]
Serco shares crash as outsourcer loses role on nuclear weapons consortium November 2, 2020 Shares in Serco plummeted this morning after the outsourcing giant confirmed that the government had taken back management of its atomic weapons development facility. Shares dropped nearly 12 per cent as markets opened as traders digested the news. Yesterday Sky News reported that the government was due to announce that it would take over the [...]
UK factories expand but lose momentum amid second wave November 2, 2020 The UK manufacturing continued its recovery in October as output and new orders climbed, but the rate of expansion slowed as the economy headed into a tough winter, a survey has shown. The IHS Markit/Cips manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – a gauge of the sector’s health – slipped to 53.7 in October from 54.1 [...]
Biden vs Trump: what are markets telling us? November 2, 2020 With less than a week to go until the US presidential election, will Biden’s lead in the polls be enough to convince investors that Trump is poised for defeat? Many think not. After all, the polls notoriously got it wrong four years ago when Trump beat Hillary Clinton. For this reason, there has been heightened [...]