Wall Street ticks up as FTSE 100 sinks into red amid Covid-19 case worries August 21, 2020 Wall Street crept marginally higher this afternoon and the FTSE 100 dropped again as investors weighed up the global economic recovery and pockets of rising coronavirus cases. London’s blue-chip index closed down almost 0.19 per cent at 6,001 points, while the FTSE 250 climbed 0.24 per cent. US markets opened in the red before reversing [...]
Oil prices fall on oversupply and US jobless data August 20, 2020 Oil prices dropped today after it emerged producer cartel faces a huge surplus and the number of new US jobless claims climbed back above 1m. Brent crude fell 2.7 per cent to $44.13 per barrel, while benchmark West Texas Intermediate was down three per cent at $41.62 per barrel. It followed reports that some Opec [...]
FTSE 100 and US stocks slide amid fears over global economy August 20, 2020 The FTSE 100 and US stocks fell after the US Federal Reserve gave a pessimistic view of the economy and the number of Americans claiming new jobless benefits unexpectedly rose. Investors are also concerned about rising coronavirus cases. France reported its biggest increase in cases since May and Spain is struggling to deal with its [...]
US stocks open higher as Wall Street eyes more records August 19, 2020 Wall Street opened higher on Wednesday and looks to be heading for another day of new all-time records. The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high yesterday after recovering all of the losses suffered during the coronavirus crash and was up once again on Wednesday morning by a further 0.28 per cent to 3,399 points. [...]
FTSE 100 gives up gains despite S&P 500 hitting all-time high August 18, 2020 The US’s S&P 500 stock index hit an all-time high before slipping back along with the FTSE 100 and other global markets amid rising US-China tensions. The S&P 500 rose to 3,395 points, topping a high it hit in February, having been boosted by record levels of stimulus. But the index reversed course and slipped [...]
Is bitcoin gearing up for an unprecedented move? August 13, 2020 As debates on bitcoin and alternative asset classes circle the internet, all signs point towards bitcoin leap-frogging the entire cryptocurrency industry into the next paradigm – and the best part is: this is not hyperbole. Indeed, the news that emerged this week about MicroStrategy purchasing a total of 21,454 bitcoin ($250,000,000) cannot not be taken [...]
US Federal Reserve sets out capital ratios for major banks August 10, 2020 The US Federal Reserve today set out capital requirements for major banks following a round of stress tests. It marks the first time the Fed has mandated custom capital requirements for each bank under its new so-called stress capital buffer. The new requirements take effect from 1 october. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were ordered [...]
Ethical capitalism can rebuild the world for the better August 3, 2020 The time has come for ethical capitalism — not as an optional extra, but as something that is critically important for consumer trust in business to flourish in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The public is brassed off with businesses not paying their dues to society, and their voices are getting louder. They are [...]
Markets live: FTSE 100 slips and dollar suffers worst month in a decade July 31, 2020 The FTSE 100 fell in early afternoon trading as investors weighed up weak company earnings and the dollar was set for its worst month in a decade as US coronavirus cases continued to rise. London’s premier stock index was down 0.3 per cent at 5,969 points. The FTSE 250 of mid-cap stocks rose 0.4 per [...]
Markets live: FTSE 100 tumbles as US GDP blow hits Wall Street July 30, 2020 The FTSE 100 slumped below the 6,000 mark after data showed the US economy suffered its biggest contraction on record amid the coronavirus pandemic and banks’ second-half results disappointed investors. The UK’s blue-chip index slid 2.9 per cent to 5,951 points in afternoon trading. The FTSE 250, comprised of slightly smaller firms, fell 1.8 per [...]