Hargreaves Lansdown assets falls six per cent on market volatility and weak investor confidence January 29, 2019 Hargreaves Lansdown suffered a 24 per cent drop in new business in the second half of last year, blaming market volatility and weak investor confidence for the downturn. The investment platform said net new business in the six months ending 31 December fell 24 per cent on the previous year to £2.53bn, sending shares down [...]
Will 2019 be the year gold regains its shine? January 28, 2019 Gold had a mixed year in 2018, quickly peaking around $1,366 in January, but falling as low as $1,160 by August. For a while it seemed that the correlation between risk-off appetite and gold prices had broken, with the yellow metal overlooked even in times of heightened uncertainty. But after a 7% recovery since early [...]
FTSE 100 slides as US market slump sparks downward spiral January 28, 2019 The FTSE 100 followed US stocks on a downward spiral this afternoon closing 0.9 per cent down for the day. US construction giant Caterpillar set the tone with disappointing fourth quarter results as a slowdown in China and trade tensions were cited as reasons for the miss. The Dow Jones lost more than 300 points in [...]
Caterpillar shareholders flee as it predicts China slowdown for 2019 January 28, 2019 Digger manufacturer Caterpillar’s shares were down eight per cent in US trading this afternoon after it announced “modest” sales increases. Sales were hit by weakness in its key Chinese market in the final quarter, causing investors to flee. The figures Adjusted profit-per-share for 2018 was $11.22 (£8.52), up 63 per cent, while revenues were up [...]
Dyson’s move is not hypocrisy – it’s shrewd January 28, 2019 Among some of the more committed anti-Brexit activists it has become fashionable to levy the charge of hypocrisy against pro-Leave business figures whose commercial activity appears insufficiently patriotic. For those Remainers for whom Brexit is synonymous with an inward-looking philosophy and a narrowing of the UK’s horizons, it is incompatible for someone to support Brexit [...]
Chinese growth will stay in ‘appropriate range’ in 2019 – Premier January 26, 2019 China will keep economic growth at “appropriate” levels this year, the country has said after coming off its slowest year in over two-and-a-half decades. The government will ensure that the economy will weather risks and challenges, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said yesterday, local press reported. Read more: The risks and opportunities of doing business with China [...]
Vodafone pauses installation of Huawei equipment in Europe as spying tensions mount January 25, 2019 Vodafone has said it will stop installing Huawei equipment in its network until there is greater clarity over whether Chinese authorities could use its products for spying. Chief executive Nick Read said the company would temporarily stop the installation of new Huawei equipment in its core telecoms infrastructure in Europe. Read more: Government under pressure to [...]
Hyundai to lay off Chinese workers in wake of disappointing fourth-quarter sales January 25, 2019 South Korean car maker Hyundai has announced it is cutting jobs in China, after it reported a slump in quarterly sales in the country yesterday. “Hyundai Motor is reviewing various optimisation plans to enhance facility efficiency around the Chinese New Year holidays,” it said in a statement on Friday. Read more: Hyundai hit by first quarterly [...]
Vodafone third quarter revenue slips amid fierce sector competition January 25, 2019 Vodafone today said it maintains its full-year guidance despite a decline in revenues in the third quarter as the firm struggles with increasing competition in the telecoms sector. The FTSE 100 firm reported revenue of €11bn (£9.5bn), down by €0.8bn on the same period the year before. Read more: Vodafone and O2 eye sale of phone [...]
Hyundai hit by first quarterly losses since 2011 as China market fails to drive sales January 24, 2019 South Korean car maker Hyundai suffered its first quarterly loss since 2011 in the final three months of last year. The firm’s sales slumped in China, its biggest market, where car sales contracted for the first time in more than 20 years in 2018 as the effects of trade tariffs and the phasing out of [...]