Markets live: FTSE 100 rises as investors eye Fed decision July 29, 2020 The FTSE 100 hung on to gains and US stocks rose as investors eyed potential stimulus from the US Congress and Federal Reserve and a torrent of earnings reports delivered mixed results. London’s blue-chip index rose 0.1 per cent to 6,135 points. The FTSE 250 of smaller firms fell 0.1 per cent, however. Read more: [...]
Gold hits record $1,980 high as dollar weakens July 28, 2020 Gold hurtled to record peaks today before the sheer scale of its gains drew a burst of profit taking, which in turn helped the dollar up from two-year lows. The precious metal had stormed almost $40 higher at one point to reach $1,980 an ounce XAU=, only for a wave of selling to slap it [...]
Dollar hits two-year low as US coronavirus cases surge July 27, 2020 The US dollar slumped to a two-year low today as a sharp spike in coronavirus cases across the country weighed on investor sentiment. The dollar index dipped 0.6 per cent to its lowest level since June 2018 today, sharpening fears that the currency is on track for its worst month since April 2011. The slump [...]
Back in business: Our regular round-up of London’s reopened bars and restaurants July 24, 2020 Coronavirus may have shuttered the food industry since lockdown was announced, but the restaurant business is bouncing back, with dozens of our favourite places to eat reopening every day. Lima Peruvian restaurant group Lima was one of the brave restaurants keeping us fed during lockdown with its Lima Home delivery service, giving us all a [...]
Keep shopping like you did during lockdown July 20, 2020 No, not stockpiling. Nobody wants more stockpiling. But in other ways, lockdown has changed how we shop for the better — and there are valuable lessons we should all learn from this period of disruption. Over the years we’ve grown accustomed to easy access to a huge variety of food. We’re not typically too concerned [...]
Back in Business July 18, 2020 After months as a ghost town the City is finally getting back to business. Restaurants and bars that have been shuttered since lockdown are opening up again and City workers are desperate to get stuck in. In this brand new food and drinks hub we’ll be bringing you all the latest news on the bars [...]
More SMEs eligible for coronavirus loans under rule change July 17, 2020 An abrupt U-turn in lending rules means SMEs banks previously rejected for coronavirus loans may now be able to get the vital cash they need to survive. Small businesses with fewer than 50 staff and less than £9m in annual turnover will no longer be considered “undertakings in difficulty” under EU state aid rules amid [...]
Wells Fargo reports first quarterly loss since 2008 July 14, 2020 Wells Fargo posted its first quarterly loss since the 2008 financial crash today as the coronavirus crisis forced it to set aside $9.57bn to cover potential loan losses and slash its dividend. The bank’s earnings have suffered since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic as it does not have a strong capital markets business to lean [...]
Lidl to open 25 new stores in the UK this year creating 1,000 jobs July 14, 2020 Lidl has said it plans to open a new store every week until Christmas, seeing 25 new branches and 1,000 more jobs. The budget supermarket also plans to invest £1.3bn in the UK for 2021 and 2022, which will see the creation of 100 new stores and around 4,000 new jobs. Lidl aims to have [...]
The FTSE 100 is lagging behind soaring global markets – but why? July 13, 2020 Stock markets around the world have soared in recent months even as economies crashed, aided by central banks pumping trillions of dollars into the system. But although all stock markets are rising, some are rising faster than others. Britain’s FTSE 100 is lagging behind almost all other major stock indices. It has risen just over [...]