US markets rise but FTSE 100 closes lower as China uncertainty continues August 27, 2015 After a tumultuous session of trading yesterday during which traders on both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones showed optimism until mass selloffs in the the final minutes of trading, both indices opened higher today, with the S&P rising 1.3 per cent per cent in early trading, while the Dow rose 1.8 per cent. [...]
Apple’s ex-chief executive John Sculley is making Android phones now, unveils Obi Worldphone August 27, 2015 Apple’s former chief executive, John Sculley, has surprised the tech world by unveiling two new smartphones – which run on Google's Android operating system. He doesn’t plan for the phones to compete against his former company, though. Instead, with the Obi Worldphone and the SF1 both priced below $200, Sculley is hoping to become big [...]
Better start for the FTSE 100 after Asia rally as Shanghai shares soar August 27, 2015 Are things finally calming down on the markets? The FTSE 100 opened almost two per cent higher, taking heart from a rally in Asia, where the Nikkei closed one per cent higher, the Hang Seng closed three per cent higher – and Chinese markets leaped, with the Shanghai Composite gaining more than five per cent [...]
WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell shrugs off mounting fears over China’s economy August 27, 2015 WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell yesterday admitted “everyone should be concerned” about the current state of the Chinese economy – but said he remained an “unabashed bull” over the long term. Speaking to City A.M., Sorrell said that although Asia Pacific is the company’s third largest market, WPP would not be changing its strategy [...]
Wall St snags biggest gains in four years – New York Report August 26, 2015 WALL STREET racked up its biggest one-day gain in four years yesterday as fears about China’s economy gave way to bargain hunters emboldened by expectations the US Federal Reserve might not raise interest rates next month. Led by Silicon Valley stalwarts Apple, Amazon and Google, the surge put the brakes on a six-day losing streak [...]
Jackson Hole: Investors seeking clarity on the US Federal Reserve rate hikes will be disappointed August 26, 2015 As investors start to return from their summer holidays, one date in particular will be looming large in their thinking. The seventeenth of September is tipped by many to be the date when the US Federal Reserve will finally start to hike interest rates as a first step on the long road to “normalisation”. [...]
Is WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell right to “remain a raging bull” in relation to Chinese growth? August 26, 2015 Andy Rothman is investment strategist at Matthews Asia, says Yes China’s stock market has experienced a significant correction, and Beijing engineered a minor devaluation of the RMB, but neither of these events reflect a worse-than-expected slowdown in the real economy, and there are no signs that the A-share correction is having a significant impact on [...]
As global markets selloff continues, here’s what seven analysts think of today’s market turmoil August 26, 2015 Market turmoil is widespread today, with gains being wiped off indices in Asia, European markets opening lower, and the FTSE 100 edging towards 6,000. What do analysts make of the developments? Here's a round-up: 1. "The news propped up a malaise in markets" – Bernard Yaros, Moody’s Analytics The release of the weakest Chinese manufacturing [...]
Chinese markets finish lower as volatile trading continues August 26, 2015 Chinese markets closed lower again today after a brief rally in afternoon trading. Having breached the 3,000 mark during afternoon trading, the Shanghai Composite closed 1.3 per cent down at 2,926.3 points, marking its fifth consecutive day of decline, while the Shenzhen Composite closed more than three per cent down at 1,695.8 points. But the [...]
Oil prices at rock bottom: Shares in energy companies plummet – should you purge your portfolio? August 26, 2015 Oil prices have fallen to their lowest levels since the financial crisis. The price of Brent crude went down to $42 a barrel earlier this week, before recovering a little. The news is shocking because, when oil prices were first slashed from over $100 a barrel to around $50 last June – due to the fact that [...]