At the close: FTSE 100 goes away in May as miners prove the movers May 3, 2016 Traders are superstitious folk, and today – the first day of trading in the month of May – they headed for the hills as the FTSE 100 tumbled to a three-week low. The bluechip index closed down 0.9 per cent on the day at 6,185 in a bad day all round for Europe. The German Dax [...]
The new Volvo XC90 is more luxurious than the equivalent Jaguar, with the loveliest SUV interior this side of a Bentley Bentayga April 29, 2016 The Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription feels incredibly Swedish, in the best possible sense; classy and restrained, with a hint of noir about it. If a forensic psychologist arrived at your door in one of these, investigating the murder of your business associate, you would be very worried indeed. It eloquently answers any misgivings we might [...]
At the close: Miners send the FTSE higher as the banking roller coaster rolls on April 28, 2016 The FTSE 100 has somewhat recovered after a dreadful afternoon and has managed to pick up from earlier lows thanks to a rally in oil prices. The FTSE ended the day flat at 6,322.4 points, up just two points from 6,319.91 on Wednesday. Investors were initially caught off-guard by the news that the Bank of Japan would not extend its stimulus plan. [...]
At the open: FTSE 100 clinging on, as markets look ahead to European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate and quantitative easing decision April 21, 2016 The FTSE 100 popped, dropped then levelled off this morning, to stand down 0.06 per cent at 6,406 in the first minutes of Thursday trading. Miners started on the up after Brent Crude smashed through the $45 a barrel mark last night and held on this morning to clock in for the day at $45.84 [...]
Metals shine on brighter prospects for China April 20, 2016 Industrial metals shined today, helped by a renewed bout of optimism over the Chinese economy. Metal prices are tied to the outlook for the world's second biggest economy, which is the world's biggest metals consumer. They have started to climb out of a rout recently, sparked by signs that the market is recovering. Citigroup has said there's evidence [...]
BHP Billiton cuts iron ore guidance for 2016 but says productivity is improving April 20, 2016 BHP Billiton followed in the footsteps of Rio Tinto by cutting its iron ore production guidance. The figures BHP Billiton cut its annual production guidance of iron ore by four per cent, or 10m tonnes. The company produced 53m tonnes of iron ore at its Western Australia iron ore (WAIO) operations in the three months to the end [...]
FTSE fightback: Markets surge to reach fresh 2016 highs as optimism returns to the City April 19, 2016 The FTSE 100 enjoyed a spring rally today as stocks surged on the back of a rebound in the price of oil. The index of bluechip companies closed at its highest level since December 2015, up 0.8 per cent on the day at 6,405. It marks a far cry from the dark days of February, [...]
Rio Tinto lowers 2017 iron ore guidance due to delay of its driverless train system AutoHaul April 19, 2016 Rio Tinto has cut its 2017 production guidance but posted year-on-year gains. The figures Global iron ore production for the first quarter of the year were reported at 84m tonnes, up 13 per cent from last year. However, the figure for first quarter iron ore production represents a four per cent fall compared to the last [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 closes flat after regaining ground from early losses, oil price pulls back after failed Doha talks April 18, 2016 UK equities closed slightly higher today, regaining ground from losses at the open. A late recovery in the oil price and metals gave a boost to commodity stocks. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index finished 0.2 per cent higher at 6,353.52 points, bouncing from a low of 6,261.71 shortly after the open as investors feared equity would follow [...]
BHP Billiton boss warns Brexit will plunge UK into “lost decade” April 18, 2016 Struggling miner BHP Billiton's chief executive, Andrew MacKenzie, will warn Britain risks plunging into a lost decade if it votes to leave the EU. MacKenzie, who has stints at commodities giants BP and Rio Tinto under his belt, will say a Brexit could spark 10 years of complex negotiations, ending in a deal which would actually leave Britain worse off. Read more: How Brexit would affect the UK's business [...]