Oil prices hit three week high as traders bet on the end of Chinese zero-Covid rules December 27, 2022 Oil prices hit a three-week high on Tuesday as China’s latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions spurred hopes of a fuel demand recovery, with further support coming from cuts to U.S. energy production caused by winter storms. China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine, starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday [...]
Hapag-Lloyd forecasts small increase in shipping demand towards year’s end December 13, 2022 Shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd has forecast a small and short-lived uptick in demand towards the year’s end. The world’s fifth-largest shipping company saw a decline in demand in September and October as the cost-of-living crisis weakened consumers’ appetite. “I don’t think the market is as weak as it was four or eight weeks ago,” chief executive [...]
Regime shift: investing into the new era December 9, 2022 As this economic cycle ends, we shouldn’t expect to see the patterns of the past decade repeated. A new regime in policy and market behaviour is unfolding which investors need to understand if they are to find the best opportunities and safeguard their portfolios. The re-opening of economies after Covid sparked a phenomenon investors have [...]
TikTok rides out wider advertising slowdown December 5, 2022 TikTok is expected to ride out the advertising slowdown, as the Chinese-owned social media titan becomes an outlier to the wider industry slowdown. According to a new report published by GroupM, the media buying agency owned by WPP, TikTok doubled its advertising revenue in 2022. “This has likely been another driver of the advertising deceleration [...]
FTSE 100 lifted by China Covid-19 easing rumours December 5, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 was bumped higher today as investors were buoyed by signs Beijing is reeling back its tough zero-Covid policy. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.15 per cent to 7,567.54 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, dipped 0.17 per cent to [...]
FTSE 100 lifted by investors cheering HSBC Canada arm sale November 29, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 was boosted today by investors pouring into HSBC after it confirmed it has ditched its Canadian business for £8.4bn. The capital’s premier index jumped 0.51 per cent to 7,512 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 0.55 per cent [...]
China crackdown weighs on London’s FTSE 100 November 28, 2022 London’s FTSE 100 was today weighed down by fears Chinese authorities could drag down global growth by responding forcefully to protests against the country’s zero-Covid policy. The capital’s premier index dropped 0.17 per cent to 7474.01 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
Teens keep flocking to TikTok for book inspiration November 23, 2022 Youngsters say that TikTok has helped them rediscover their love for reading, as the tech giant continues to push into the book selling market. New research from the Publishers Association published today found that BookTok, the social media trend focusing on books and literature, is playing a key role in getting Gen-Z reading again. In a [...]
Volkswagen: China sales remain on par with 2021 as Covid and shortages continue November 22, 2022 Volkswagen forecasts China sales in 2022 to be on par with last year’s levels as the impact of the pandemic and of semiconductor shortages lingers on. The automotive manufacturer told German business newspaper Handelsblatt it was expecting to deliver 3.3 million vehicles – 14.3 per cent down from previous expectations. “This corresponds to a market [...]
Fears of tougher restrictions sweep China after first Covid death in months November 21, 2022 Fears of tougher restrictions have reignited across China today, after the country recorded its first Covid-19 death in six months. On Sunday, an 87-year-old man in Beijing died as infections across the country spike. Beijing has in recent days moved to confine some residents to their homes and ordered others to quarantine centres. Markets fell [...]