US sees 1.3m new jobless claims as coronavirus cases remain high July 9, 2020 More than 1.3m Americans made new jobless claims last week, the Labor Department said, keeping claims on a downward trajectory despite a spike in coronavirus cases in the US. Weekly jobless claims peaked at over 6m at the end of March and have been steadily declining since then. Last week’s figure was better than expected. [...]
FTSE 100 slips despite Chancellor’s raft of new stimulus measures July 8, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed lower on Wednesday, even after the Chancellor unveiled a £30bn stimulus package to get consumers spending again. London’s blue-chip index closed down 0.55 per cent at 6,156 points after a muted day of trading. The FTSE 250 index of slightly smaller companies finished the day 0.95 per cent lower. It came [...]
FTSE 100 and US stocks drop on economy warnings July 7, 2020 The FTSE 100 and US stocks have fallen as investors weigh persistent worries about the economy against countries’ moves to reopen after lengthy coronavirus lockdowns. London’s blue-chip index was 1.6 per cent lower this afternoon, at 6,187 points. It rose more than two per cent yesterday after Chinese shares rallied more than five per cent. [...]
World reserve currencies: Is the US Dollars’ days numbered? June 30, 2020 “Every dog has its day” is an expression believed to have come from 405 BC when a Greek playwright, Euripides, was mauled and killed by a pack of dogs. An analogy to this tale could be the US Dollar. Is the end nigh? Has the mighty Greenback ‘had its day’? Having been on the boards [...]
Markets live: FTSE 100 gains on Sunak’s hints of additional fiscal stimulus June 26, 2020 The FTSE 100 clawed back some of the week’s losses as investors took comfort in Rishi Sunak’s hints at potential additional stimulus. The blue-chip index opened 1.07 per cent higher before climbing to trade up 1.5 per cent by 1.50pm. However, the FTSE 100 is on track for a two per cent loss across the [...]
Premier Foods sales surge during coronavirus lockdown June 24, 2020 Mr Kipling cakes maker Premier Foods has swung to a full-year profit, after a jump in sales due to the coronavirus lockdown. The figures Premier Foods revenue for the full year edged up 2.8 per cent to £847.1m, while revenue for the fourth quarter increased 3.6 per cent. Trading profit rose 3.2 per cent to [...]
The City View: With Billy Hult, President of Tradeweb, on markets and management during a crisis June 23, 2020 In this episode Christian is joined by Billy Hult, President of Tradeweb, the Nasdaq-listed trading giant. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Billy talks about how his platform adapted to market volatility and how the market adapted to the pandemic and the US Fed’s response. He also shares his thoughts on leadership during a crisis and [...]
FTSE 100 closes lower after BoE boosts stimulus by £100bn June 18, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed lower this afternoon following the Bank of England’s announcement that it would expand its quantitative easing programme by £100bn. London’s blue-chip index finished 0.57 per cent lower at 6,217 points, having opened 0.48 per cent down this morning. The central bank said it would boost its bond-buying programme by £100bn after [...]
FTSE 100 closes higher but loses ground on second wave fears June 17, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed higher today, albeit losing some ground as markets remain jittery on fears of a second coronavirus wave in China. London’s blue-chip index climbed to trade 0.72 per cent higher during the afternoon afternoon, before closing up 0.18 per cent. The rally came despite figures released earlier today showing UK inflation falling [...]
US mortgage applications hit 11-year high, homebuilding misses expectations June 17, 2020 Mortgage applications by Americans have hit their highest level since 2009 as people rush to take advantage of record low mortgage rates, but homebuilding in the US increased less than expected in May. Applications for a home loan in the US have surged over the past nine weeks after cratering in early April, according to [...]