Shares, stocks and corporate news: What you need to know before the open August 8, 2016 The FTSE is expected to begin the week cautiously as the markets continue to absorb a dramatic week in the UK and a pair of surprises from overseas. The FTSE 100 is expected to open trading up 3 points at 6,796, while the German DAX is predicted 14 points higher at 10,381, and the French [...]
Bumper US jobs report sends S&P 500 to record high and brings rate rise into view August 5, 2016 The US economy added 255,000 jobs in July in the second blockbuster month for employment, raising the prospect of an interest rate rise and sending the S&P 500 to a new record high. Official non-farm payroll data published this afternoon also showed average wages grew by 2.6 per cent on an annualised basis, the same rate in June, but [...]
Fresh delay for US rate hike on weak growth figures August 1, 2016 The prospect of a second US interest rate rise since the recession has slipped back following weak GDP data and some dovish comments from one of the Federal Reserve's key rate-setters. Futures markets now indicate the probability of a rate rise by the end of the year is less than one in three, down from around [...]
US second quarter GDP was weaker than expected – and first quarter growth has been revised down July 29, 2016 US GDP has missed expectations in the second quarter coming in at 1.2 per cent – far below the forecast 2.5 per cent. To make things worse, GDP growth in the first quarter was also revised downwards from 1.1 per cent to 0.8 per cent. Consumer spending – which makes up most of US GDP – grew [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open July 28, 2016 Last night the US Federal Reserve signalled the way to an interest rate rise before the US Presidential Election and investors are busy digesting the flood of earnings reports. Here's what you need to know before the US market open at 2:30pm. The pre-market is pointing lower ahead of the open but looks to be broadly [...]
US Federal Reserve paves the way for pre-election rate rise July 27, 2016 The Federal Reserve signalled the way to an interest rate rise before the US Presidential Election this evening as it heralded the strong pace of the economic recovery. Rate-setters left policy unchanged on this occasion, as expected, but a hike for only the second time since the financial crisis is now a distinct possibility for [...]
Spending growth through shopping vouchers – should central bankers be trying new things? July 26, 2016 Over the last few months the term helicopter money – once only used to mock former Fed chair Helicopter Ben – has become common place. For that we can thank the Bank of Japan and its increasingly desperate attempts to kick start growth, culminating this Friday with its latest policy meeting. Many economists are expecting the Bank of Japan [...]
US economy unaffected by Brexit vote, but attention turns to presidential election July 26, 2016 Fresh economic data from the US has shown the world's largest economy is feeling little fallout from the UK's vote to leave the EU. Both consumer confidence and business activity in the dominant services sector were "virtually unchanged" between June and July, figures out this afternoon revealed, although caution remained the prevailing sentiment as the US winds [...]
Short gap between Majors could play into hands of in-form Henrik Stenson at US PGA Championship July 25, 2016 This week’s US PGA Championships is going to have go some to match the Open, which was by any measurement the best golf we have ever seen at a Major tournament. The two tournaments wouldn’t normally be so close in the calendar, but golf’s return to the Olympic Games means that the gap between the [...]
Yellen to unveil another hawkish hold in Fed’s first post-Brexit meeting July 24, 2016 The US Federal Reserve will stand firm this week when it gets the chance to make its first move on interest rates since the UK voted to leave the European Union. Markets and analysts say there is no chance the Fed's rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is going to hike rates this Wednesday, but [...]