More than 150,000 people have signed a petition to block a second Scottish independence vote March 16, 2017 MPs are to consider a debate on a second Scottish independence referendum after 150,000 people signed a petition calling for the vote to be stopped. All petitions gaining more than 100,000 signatures have to be considered for a debate, and parliament's petitions committee will on Tuesday afternoon decide whether to schedule a debate. Holding a debate [...]
The US Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates and signalled a slower pace of monetary tightening March 15, 2017 The US Federal Reserve lifted interest rates for the second time in three months last night, but sent the dollar and US Treasury yields tumbling with a cautious outlook on economic growth and future hikes. The federal funds rate was raised to 0.75 per cent-one per cent. However, the Fed stuck to its forecast of just two [...]
HOLD: Hands off interest rates, City A.M.’s Shadow MPC tells Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee March 15, 2017 Economists expect the Bank of England to leave monetary policy unchanged at tomorrow’s meeting of senior policymakers, but pressure is slowly growing to begin pushing monetary policy back to more normal levels. City A.M.’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted in favour of keeping policy unchanged, but added another dissenter since February's meeting pushing for [...]
As the Federal Open Market Committee meets, is the US economy ready for higher interest rates? March 15, 2017 Shaun Richards, an independent economist, says Yes. The situation facing the United States has two major features. The most immediate one is the rise in inflation, with the consumer price index rising by 2.5 per cent on a year before in January, and the personal consumption expenditure method rising by 1.9 per cent. These are [...]
Our resident chef Mark Hix comes out fighting over his early-season asparagus tips March 14, 2017 Last week we received our first cutting of asparagus from the Chin family up in the Wye Valley. They always seem to be ahead of the game with early asparagus, not to mention their second season asparagus in autumn – to my knowledge they’re the only UK producers working this way. I often get criticised [...]
Federal Reserve meeting: What the experts expect Janet Yellen to do on US interest rates March 14, 2017 The Federal Reserve is almost universally expected to raise interest rates at its Wednesday meeting, in only the third rise since the financial crisis. Policymakers have laid the ground for a rate rise for markets. Janet Yellen, chair of the Federal Open Market Committee, recently said a hike would be "appropriate soon." The Federal Reserve [...]
Why markets are so calm about the coming triggering of Article 50 March 13, 2017 Brexit is back and this time it looks for real. The UK government’s decision to trigger Article 50 imminently means the start of official negotiations with the European Union on the exit plan. But while financial markets remain cautious, the tension seems to be less as compared to the 23 June referendum vote. There are [...]
Second Scottish independence referendum: How five City analysts reacted to Nicola Sturgeon’s speech March 13, 2017 So there we have it: after months of fevered speculation, Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will begin the process of seeking a second Scottish independence referendum. Although it fell last week, when the rumours started in earnest, the pound barely shrugged at Sturgeon's announcement today. Here's what analysts had to say. 1. "Cocktail of uncertainty" [...]
What will happen to sterling against the US dollar when Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50? We asked the experts March 13, 2017 Now the Budget is out of the way with barely a mention of Brexit, currency traders’ attentions can turn to the next big set-piece event in the political calendar: the moment Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50. May could notify the EU as soon as tomorrow if MPs in the House of Commons vote [...]
The price of gold has fallen below $1,200 ahead of the Fed’s next decision March 10, 2017 Global commodities are taking a battering this week. After oil prices fell below the critical $50 a barrel point yesterday, gold has now dipped lower than $1,200 an ounce. The safe have asset has fallen 0.57 per cent, or $6.90, to $1,196.30 per ounce for the first time in more than a month. Miners of the yellow metal [...]