Was Theresa May right to call out Russia’s attempts to influence Western politics? November 15, 2017 DEBATE: Was Theresa May right to call out Russia’s attempts to influence Western politics? YES – Denis MacShane, former minister for Europe and author of Brexit, No Exit: Why (in the End) Britain Won’t Leave Europe. The Prime Minister’s attack on the Kremlin’s interference in the election and referendum processes in western democracies was extraordinary. [...]
Goodbye, Charles Darwin: Here’s when the old £10 note will no longer be legal tender November 14, 2017 After the introduction of the jazzy new plastic tenner, the Bank of England has revealed the date the old, paper version will stop being legal tender. This morning the Bank said one minute before midnight on 1 March is the date on which the old £10 note, featuring Charles Darwin, will have its legal tender [...]
One year of President Trump: the impact on markets November 10, 2017 President Trump has credited himself for the rise in the stockmarket since he won the US election 12 months ago. It is not fake news. Demand for equities has been strong because it is hoped the Trump administration will pass legislation reducing tax for companies, which should boost their profitability. Since the election on 8 [...]
Wages to gain momentum in 2018 amid tight labour supply says Bank of England survey November 8, 2017 Wage growth is expected to pick up over the course of 2018, according to new data published today by the Bank of England, with employers still intending to add more workers amid an historically tight labour market. Pay settlements will be between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent higher next year, an increase of [...]
How Richard Thaler’s theories can help investors November 8, 2017 The thinking of professor Richard Thaler, an expert in behavioural finance, can help you become a better investor, so we were delighted to see him awarded a Nobel Prize in economic sciences. Firstly, his views should matter to you as a citizen. He developed the theory of “nudge”, where rules, structures or incentives are subtly [...]
HSBC and Barclays throw weight behind green finance projects November 6, 2017 HSBC and Barclays added their weight to the growing area of green finance today, with separate commitments to environmentally friendly schemes. HSBC today said it will provide $100bn in sustainable financing and investment by 2025, with support for “clean energy and lower-carbon technologies”. Unveiling a series of measures on the environment, HSBC announced it will [...]
FTSE 100 hits another record closing high as commodity prices rise November 6, 2017 A meagre gain of less than two points today was enough for the FTSE 100 to post its second consecutive record close, in spite of a stronger pound. London’s benchmark index closed at 7,562.28 points, a 0.03 per cent gain from Friday’s close. Oil companies and miners were among the leading performers as commodity prices [...]
Former Lloyds head was aware HBOS could be nationalised but denies government pressured for a takeover November 6, 2017 Lloyds TSB’s former chief executive Eric Daniels took to the witness stand to deny that the bank had been pressured to take over HBOS at the height of the financial crisis. Daniels is the most senior executive to take to the witness stand, in an ongoing £550m trial which has seen around 6,000 shareholders attempt [...]
Bank of England: Interest rates, Mark Carney, Monetary Policy Committee and the economy November 6, 2017 Last week’s Q3 economic growth figure of 0.4 per cent saw Sterling shoot up by 1 per cent against both the Dollar and the Euro. It was a predictable response from currency markets, which bought the Pound in the belief the better than forecast number made an interest rate hike a foregone conclusion. And markets [...]
The rise of young Asia: how millennials are transforming a region November 6, 2017 There seems to be a growing view that Asia has a problem with ageing. It is certainly true that maturing populations will soon be putting pressure on workforces in countries like China, Korea and Taiwan. But, this misses the point: there is a huge shift of economic power to a growing and increasingly wealthy Asian [...]