Energy costs fall to dampen rises over Eurozone September 16, 2015 A STEEP drop in energy prices held down prices in the Eurozone in August, according to figures released yesterday by Eurostat, with officials dropping further hints that stimulus measures could be beefed up if necessary. Energy prices fell 7.2 per cent in July compared with the same month last year, dampening overall annual inflation which [...]
Eurozone prices rise amid hints of policy boost September 16, 2015 A STEEP drop in energy prices held down prices in the Eurozone in August, according to figures released yesterday by Eurostat, with officials dropping further hints that stimulus measures could be beefed up if necessary. Energy prices fell 7.2 per cent in July compared with the same month last year, dampening overall annual inflation which came [...]
Fed rate hike: As global markets hold their breath, should the Federal Reserve raise interest rates today? September 16, 2015 Shaun Port, chief investment officer at Nutmeg, says Yes After sending less than subtle messages to financial markets for more than two years that the days of always easy money are coming to an end, it is now time for the Federal Reserve to take the first step and raise rates. A small increase – [...]
US interest rate rise 2015: Dollar droops ahead of the Federal Reserve’s big decision September 16, 2015 The dollar tumbled with less than a day to go until the Federal Reserve makes its big decision, falling one per cent against the pound. With the dollar dropping against 15 of the 16 major currencies tracked by Bloomberg, the biggest winners were the pound, gaining one per cent, and the South African rand, gaining [...]
Demis Hassabis of Google’s DeepMind on AI: Three things he said about Siri-like smart assistants, AI helping doctors and a possible killer robot future September 16, 2015 Demis Hassabis, founder of the British artificial intelligence company DeepMind which was snapped up by Google for millions, has spoken about the implications of a future with AI, from healthcare to smart assistants – but warned misusing the technology could do harm. Speaking in a rare interview with the BBC, he addressed warnings made by [...]
Energy price decline dampens Eurozone inflation as ECB boss Vitor Constancio hints at greater stimulus September 16, 2015 A steep drop in energy prices held down prices in the Eurozone in August, according to figures released by Eurostat this morning. Energy prices fell 7.2 per cent in July, dampening overall annual inflation to 0.1 per cent in August, down from 0.2 per cent in July. The biggest price fall was in Cyprus [...]
Don’t fear a Fed hike: It’s unlikely to cause chaos September 16, 2015 Slow and steady rate rises mean that tightening policy probably won’t hurt your portfolio THE FOURTH of February 1994 is a day I remember well. Six months into my first job as a macro economist with an institutional fund manager, I got my first experience of how investors and markets react when they are surprised [...]
FTSE lifts after strong opening on Wall Street – London Report September 16, 2015 Britain’s top equity index turned higher in thin trade yesterday, as a strong start to trade on Wall Street helped lift mining stocks off their lows. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed up 0.9 per cent higher at 6,137.60 points, turning higher as Wall Street gained following a climb in retail sales. The move helped [...]
Fed rate hike expectations: Cheap oil and strong dollar blot outlook for Federal Reserve interest rates decision September 16, 2015 Clouds are gathering over the US economy as the release of bearish data spooks investors ahead of tomorrow’s highly anticipated Federal Reserve interest rate decision. Manufacturing output contracted by 0.5 per cent in August, according to Federal Reserve data released yesterday – the sector’s biggest output decline since January 2014. Industrial production, which includes [...]
Indices rally with eyes on Fed meeting – New York Report September 15, 2015 US stocks rose by more than one per cent yesterday after data showed healthy growth in consumer spending. However, this did little to remove uncertainty about whether the Federal Reserve will end seven years of near-zero interest rates when it meets on Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 228.89 points, or 1.4 per cent, [...]