Sterling slides to fresh one-week low against dollar as Brexit clouds gather March 21, 2019 The pound slid against the dollar this afternoon to hit a fresh one-week low after French President Emmanuel Macron said Britain “will be going to a no deal” if Parliament again rejects the Brexit agreement. Sterling was down 0.8 per cent today against the dollar as traders reacted badly to continued uncertainty in the Brexit saga. [...]
Fed up with bureaucracy? Might be time to reform your meetings March 21, 2019 Every organisation is either struggling with bureaucracy or terrified of becoming one as they grow. But when companies reach a certain size, it’s not uncommon for them to have countless policies, practices, and structures in place that have accumulated over time. Business leaders should think of this as an operating system. And just as a [...]
City A.M.’s rate-setting committee vote to hold interest rates as Brexit uncertainty peaks March 20, 2019 The Bank of England must hold interest rates as Brexit uncertainty looks set to continue beyond 29 March, City economists have said. The Bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) will announce its decision at midday on Thursday and is expected to leave rates unchanged at 0.75 per cent. Read more: Bank of England leaves policy unchanged [...]
US Fed slows balance sheet reduction and holds dovish line on interest rates March 20, 2019 The Federal Reserve tonight announced that it will hold interest rates and predicted no hikes this year in a dovish decision amid stronger economic headwinds than previously anticipated. In line with market expectations the Fed also said it would slow the reduction of its holdings of US Treasury bonds, built up following its programme of quantitative [...]
Analysts expect outward looking Federal Reserve to keep rates on hold March 20, 2019 The US’s central bank is widely expected to leave interest rates on hold today when it announces its decision at 6pm UK time, with analysts predicting limited market reaction. Analysts also expect the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to give a date by which it will have ended “winding down” of its balance sheet. [...]
Brexit: Theresa May will not seek long delay to Article 50 as she asks EU for short extension March 20, 2019 Theresa May will not seek a long Brexit extension when she writes to the EU to seek a delay to Article 50 today, according to reports. Read more: UK must commit to new political 'event' to get Brexit delay, warns Barnier The Prime Minister is set to ask for more time for parliament to back [...]
Gold, the Federal Reserve, and the dollar – what’s driving up precious metal prices? March 19, 2019 Gold has been making a comeback. After a long period with little activity last year, the precious metal’s value has risen as stock markets have struggled and fallen. Combine the volatility of equities with the increase in geopolitical fears, and many investors are re-evaluating whether to increase the amount of gold in their portfolios. The [...]
Boris Johnson invokes anger by claiming historic child sexual abuse probe money is ‘spaffed up the wall’ March 13, 2019 Boris Johnson came under fire today for “disgusting” comments he made saying public money was being “spaffed up the wall” on investigating historic cases of child abuse. The former London mayor made the remarks on LBC, saying the money would be better spent on tackling knife crime. Read more: Boris Johnson urges May to secure [...]
Strike partnerships: Is the Premier League entering a new era of famous front twos? March 10, 2019 Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke; Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright; Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton – aka the SAS. Some of the Premier League’s best teams have been propelled by brilliant strike partnerships. As those names indicate, however, the heyday of the front two came in the mid to late 1990s. Recent years have instead [...]
US jobs growth flattens, but is the headline the whole story? March 8, 2019 US hiring stalled in February, according to the latest non-farm payrolls report. The economy added just 20,000 jobs last month, down from a stellar 311,000 in January, and well below market expectations of 180,000. The market reaction has been swift; the Dow tumbled over 200 points, a 0.9 per cent loss, immediately after the release to [...]