Launch of $2.5bn Asian bond a ‘vote of confidence’ in London Stock Exchange May 15, 2019 A $2.5bn (£1.9bn) bond from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was welcomed by the London Stock Exchange (LSE) today, with its launch dubbed “a vote of confidence in the UK”. Read more: London Stock Exchange boosts income and notes improved listing environment The five-year bond will list on the LSE’s main market on 17 [...]
Global stocks reverse falls after reports Trump will delay auto tariffs May 15, 2019 Global stock markets have rallied after US President Donald Trump was reported to be planning to delay tariffs on car imports by up to six months. Read more: US stocks fall as industrial sector contracts for third time in four months Investors had been in sell-off mode amid heightened trade tensions between the US and [...]
US stocks fall as industrial sector contracts for third time in four months May 15, 2019 US industrial production unexpectedly fell for the third time in four months in news that will displease the Trump administration as it wages a trade war on China. Read more: European markets back in red following weak Chinese data Industrial production fell 0.5 percent in April, meaning output declined at an annual rate of 1.9 per [...]
Business risks ‘Corbygeddon’ if it doesn’t learn to speak up May 15, 2019 The headline in the Sunday Times was stark: “Rich prepare to flee Corbyn’s Britain as Tories desert PM”. The country’s millionaires and billionaires were, according to the compilers of the paper’s annual rich list, preparing for “Corbygeddon” – the prospect of a hard-left Labour government making an irreparable dent in both their own finances and the [...]
While the US and China sneeze, London too risks catching a cold May 15, 2019 The trade dispute between China and the US has escalated. After Donald Trump tweeted that he was imposing higher tariffs on $200bn of Chinese imports to the US, China predictably retaliated, announcing on Monday that it would impose a further $60bn of tariffs on US goods coming into the country. Much attention has been paid [...]
Off-road: Aston Martin swings to loss but revenue beats expectations May 15, 2019 Aston Martin fell to a £3.2m loss in the first quarter of 2019 even as the luxury car manufacturer boosted production and sales. Read more: Aston Martin falls to loss as it sets aside £30m for Brexit The figures Aston Martin Lagonda took a hit in the three months to the end of March as [...]
City Corporation slammed for decision to ban Taiwan float from Lord Mayor’s show May 14, 2019 The chair of the influential Foreign Affairs Select Committee has accused the City of London Corporation of allowing itself to be pushed around by China after the body banned Taiwan from participating in the Lord Mayor's show. In an unusual move, the City of London Corporation, which governs the Square Mile, went against the [...]
DEBATE: Is it possible for Donald Trump to ‘win’ the trade war with China? May 14, 2019 Is it possible for Donald Trump to ‘win’ the trade war with China? Dr John Hemmings, director of the Asia Studies Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, says YES. While many people blame Donald Trump’s “America First” policy for the trade war, it’s likely that Hillary Clinton would have done the same, since Beijing’s leadership has [...]
Economists are united about Trump’s trade folly May 14, 2019 In George Bernard Shaw’s words, if all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion. Scour the pool of practitioners of the dismal science, and you will find supporters and detractors for almost every economic theory, from free markets to socialism. The one exception, however, is protectionism. Whether from the left [...]
Economists pour cold water on Trump’s tariff arguments May 13, 2019 Economists have said US President Donald Trump’s argument that American consumers will not face higher prices after tariff increases shows “a fundamental misunderstanding of how tariffs work”. Read more: China retaliates with tariffs on $60bn of US goods Trump tweeted today: “Their [sic] is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs, which take [...]