Why Opec matters June 20, 2018 Whether we like it or not oil prices matter, as they affect everything connected with a modern economy, from movement of goods and services, to the amount of disposable incomes for ordinary consumers. That is why this week’s Opec meeting is important in the context of future direction for oil prices, which have risen over [...]
Berkeley Group hit by cautious outlook June 20, 2018 Berkeley Group announced a solid set of full-year figures Revenue dipped by 0.7% to £2.703 billion and the consensus estimate was £2.729 billion. Pre-tax profits jumped by 15.1% to £934.9 million, while equity analysts were expecting £905.08 million. The company has comfortable net cash position which has increased by 140% to £687.3 million. Berkeley’s capital [...]
Trade war fears spook markets after Trump threatens China with tariffs June 19, 2018 Markets in the US tumbled on Tuesday night after US President Donald Trump’s shock threat to impose a 10 per cent tariff on $200bn (£152bn) of Chinese goods late on Monday. China described the US threats as “extreme pressure and blackmailing” and vowed swift retaliation. The threat of new tariffs and fears of further trade [...]
European equities: Profit growth continues to drive the rally June 19, 2018 In his European equity funds Berenberg European Focus Fund and Berenberg Eurozone Focus Fund, which were launched in early October 2017, fund manager Matthias Born focuses on enterprises with stable profit growth. And so naturally he is delighted that corporate profits in Europe rose strongly again in 2017, for the first time in a long [...]
Can slowing money growth stall markets? June 19, 2018 It’s fashionable for central banks to be more cautious in the West. TheFederal Reserve is busy putting up interest rates. Many forecast a move up from 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent this year and a further move to 3.25 per cent next year. Meanwhile, the US central bank is also reducing its own [...]
Asian investors pour record amounts of cash into City skyscrapers June 18, 2018 Asian investors poured record amounts of money into London skyscrapers in the first six months of this year, with a whopping 68 per cent of City office purchases coming from Asia. According to research from real estate firm Savills, which looks at offices in the City over 20 floors, Asian buyers invested £3.1bn in the [...]
Looming trade war pushes stocks down and sends oil prices tumbling June 18, 2018 European stocks tumbled today and US oil prices fell after US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing responded with similar measures, escalating fears of a trade war. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell to their lowest level since April, dropping to to $63.59 per barrel before rallying slightly to [...]
DEBATE: It’s UK-India week, but has Britain missed its chance for closer post-Brexit Indian ties? June 18, 2018 It’s UK-India week, but has Britain missed its chance for closer post-Brexit Indian ties? Lord Bilimoria, the founder and chairman of Cobra Beer and president of the UK Council for International Student Affairs, says YES. The government’s hostile stance on immigration makes it unwilling to make positive steps towards seizing the chance to forge closer [...]
China is relaxing foreign ownership caps, and London must grasp the opportunity June 18, 2018 I write today’s article in a tall building overlooking the so-called “Paris of the East”, better known as the city of Shanghai. From here, you can see the old and new – the remnants of Shanghai’s old financial centre along the Bund, and the mind-boggling array of skyscrapers which have flown up on the other [...]
Google to invest $550m into Chinese e-commerce site JD.com June 18, 2018 Google has announced it will be buying up $550m (£415m) of shares in Chinese e-commerce site JD.com, in an strategic partnership with the goal of expanding its reach in both south east Asia and in retail services. Google joins the ranks of existing investors like the Chinese social media giant Tencent, which is JD’s biggest [...]