L’Oreal sales bolstered by Chinese demand for luxury skincare creams February 8, 2019 French beauty group L’Oreal trumped sales forecasts towards the end of last year, as Chinese demand for high-end skincare products boosted fourth-quarter results. Shares edged up slightly in morning trading after the firm reported an 8.6 per cent rise in the final quarter of 2018, following strong demand for goods in the firm’s luxury and [...]
Three themes for 2019 – and some black swans February 8, 2019 2018 was a challenging year for investors with US equity and government bond markets both returning less than cash. Two factors were instrumental in delivering this outcome: disappointment with global growth and less cash flowing through the global economy (tighter liquidity). These factors will continue to influence markets in the year ahead. We have identified [...]
How to capitalise on China’s luxury boom February 8, 2019 As many companies experience a slowdown in China, luxury brands are surely smiling as they look at their sales performance. Last week, LVMH – the world’s largest luxury group, which includes brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Moet & Chandon – surprised everyone by announcing an increase in sales during its fourth quarter earnings, and [...]
Jaguar Land Rover hit by stagnating Chinese market as losses mount February 7, 2019 Britain’s largest car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has endured quarterly losses of £3.4bn after taking a write-down in the value of its investments, amid falling Chinese demand. The results for the last three months of last year have left the firm expecting a loss for the full financial year for the first time in [...]
Siemens and Alstom merger plans blocked by EU antitrust regulators February 6, 2019 A planned merger between Siemens and Alstom has been stopped in its tracks after EU regulators rejected the deal due to competition concerns. The transportation giants had put forward plans to create a combined company with revenues of roughly €15bn (£13.2bn). Read more: Alstom and Siemens offer merger concessions to get EU on side But [...]
What is the outlook for interest rates in 2019? February 5, 2019 US Concern over the outlook for US interest rates was one of the dominant themes of 2018, especially as the year progressed. President Trump got involved in the debate, tweeting in December that it was “incredible” that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) was considering raising interest rates again. Despite the pressure from the president, the [...]
Despite 2018’s woes, could the year of the pig be a sign of good fortune for Chinese equities? February 5, 2019 Chinese stock markets were dogged with problems last year – pretty fitting given that it was the year of the dog. The country grappled with slower growth, a mountain of debt, and a trade war with the US, creating a tough environment for Chinese equities. The MSCI China index slumped by 14 per cent in [...]
The trade war in your head? A look behind the US-China feud February 5, 2019 As the US-China talks resume this week, the spectre of global trade disintegration on looms ever larger. There is one month for Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to strike a deal before the 90-day ceasefire in tit-for-tat rhetoric expires. At stake is $200bn of Chinese exports to the US, which will otherwise see tariffs rise [...]
China’s success among western firms will depend on the desirability of the brand February 5, 2019 Not a week goes by when there isn’t a data print-out of China posting the weakest number since… well pick a year. Last Friday, for example, the Caixin manufacturing survey posted a second consecutive month of contraction and the lowest reading since 2016. The slowdown has triggered a set of 2019 growth downgrades from the analyst [...]
Eurozone investor confidence slumps to four-year low as German slowdown and Brexit concerns hit the bloc February 4, 2019 Eurozone investor confidence has sunk to a four-year low as Brexit uncertainty and Germany’s continued slowdown added to the bloc’s woes. The Sentix Index, which monitors investor sentiment across the single currency bloc, fell to -3.7 for February, following a survey of more than 1,000 investors. Read more: Italy slips into recession as Eurozone growth disappoints [...]