Auto industry pleas for zero-tariff deal as Brexit prep bill passes £735 million November 10, 2020 The UK auto industry has issued a last-chance plea for a zero-tariff, zero-quota trade deal, as the UK-EU free trade talks enter the final stretch. The plea comes as a survey from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the cost to the sector for preparing for Brexit has surpassed £735 million [...]
Wall Street closes just shy of record on renewed hopes of Covid-19 vaccine November 9, 2020 Wall Street surged ahead today as news of the first successful late stage Covid-19 vaccine trials bolstered hopes of the global economy emerging from a year of pandemic-driven crisis, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones opening on record highs. News that Pfizer’s experimental vaccine was found to be more than 90 per cent effective [...]
Rishi Sunak announces post-Brexit outline for City of London November 9, 2020 Rishi Sunak has outlined the City of London’s future after Brexit, which will aim to provide stability for EU financial services firms operating in the UK while also trying to open up the sector to more international markets. Sunak said the Treasury today was unliterally publishing “a set of equivalence decisions for EU and EEA [...]
Global flight to risk-free income good for London: BNP Paribas RE’s UK chief November 9, 2020 A frantic search among global investors to pump capital in relatively safe investments is increasingly driving allocations across London, according to the CEO of BNP Paribas’ real estate division in the UK. Etienne Prongué, since July CEO of BNP Paribas Real Estate UK, said that a range of recent transactions are clear indicators that foreign [...]
Lords look to defeat Brexit bill that breaks international law November 9, 2020 The House of Lords will today vote on whether to remove clauses from Boris Johnson’s controversial Brexit legislation that could breach international law. Peers, who are expected to vote to remove the clauses, voted overwhelmingly against Johnson’s Internal Market Bill in a symbolic “regret” motion last month. The bill would see the UK unilaterally override [...]
Brexit: EU negotiator Michel Barnier outlines three ways to close trade deal November 9, 2020 Chief Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier has said a post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal can be done if there is bilateral respect for each other’s sovereignty and autonomy as he arrives in London for new talks. Barnier and chief UK negotiator David Frost agreed to “redouble” efforts this week in order to get a deal done as [...]
Markets greet Biden presidency with sigh of relief November 9, 2020 Markets have celebrated a return to political normality after a five-day vote count in the US presidential election finally yielded a result over the weekend. Joe Biden on Saturday was elected the 46th President of the United states after winning the major battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and Nevada, booting incumbent Donald Trump out of the White [...]
Weekly outlook, 9-13 November: Investors shift their focus back to the UK economy November 9, 2020 Investors were kept busy with the drama across the Atlantic last week, but they’ll soon want to focus back on the UK in what will be a busy week of results and economic updates. After a nail-biting election, markets will likely be considering the implication of a Biden presidency. But with GDP and unemployment figures [...]
Joe Biden’s business in-tray: The President-elect’s most pressing issues November 9, 2020 President-elect Joe Biden will be entering the White House at a time when the US is facing stark crises on multiple fronts. The US is seeing a third wave of Covid with almost 240,000 deaths recorded, the economy is in a deep recession and the US’ federal climate policy is in need of reform. City [...]
Housing market fends off significant hit of second lockdown November 9, 2020 While the second lockdown in England has had a detrimental effect on the country’s hospitality and leisure industries, the housing market is having an entirely different experience. The early impact of the second lockdown is bearing little resemblance to the hit it took in March, according to estate agent Knight Frank. UK house prices have [...]