Proposals to put the Fed on autopilot are a rules-based recipe for disaster July 28, 2015 Would you be happy if the cabin crew announced that the plane you were about to take off in had no pilot, and was going to be flown solely on autopilot? My guess is no. Even though flying is a fairly routine and mechanical process, you still need the peace of mind that a human [...]
How much lower can the Australian dollar go? – CNBC Comment July 27, 2015 Commodities have been a crushing long trade, with the latest rout taking oil below $50 a barrel, and the commodity currencies to six year lows. They are not the only victims, with gold, copper, iron ore, mining stocks and soft commodities also casualties in a rollover that some are calling a second wave meltdown. The [...]
Why it’s a pivotal week for more than just US assets – eToro tips & picks July 27, 2015 IT’S A massive week for US markets, with both the GDP print and the all-important two day Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Fed chair Janet Yellen will be looking to either dispel rumours or confirm the fact that we are very close to the first rate hike in the US in almost 10 years. So [...]
Showing off in your supercar will soon be a crime in Kensington & Chelsea July 26, 2015 Revving engines, super-fast acceleration and loud music pumping out of Ferraris and Lamborghinis as they cruise past will no longer be part of daily life in Kensington & Chelsea. Read more: UK trader arrested in Hong Kong for running over security guard in his Ferrari 458 Spider supercar Fed up with young male drivers [...]
These are the best British employers for work-life balance: Euromonitor International, Bank of England and MediaMath July 24, 2015 We all know that the 24/7 business cycle, a globalised working environment and technology such as smart phones pushes our workload outside of typical 9-5 hours. But if you're fed up of the blurred line between work and play, then Glassdoor has put together a list of Britain's best employers for work-life balance. A recent [...]
Bank of America share price dips: Brian Moynihan, Paul Donofrio and Andrea Smith step up as Bruce Thompson and David Darnell move on July 23, 2015 Bank of America shares fell 1.46 per cent yesterday after chief executive Brian Moynihan named the fourth chief financial officer of his tenure since he took charge in 2010. Bruce Thompson stepped down on Wednesday after five and a half years as chief risk officer and chief financial officer. He will be replaced by the [...]
Treasury to cut Bank of England monetary policy committee meetings from 12 to eight July 21, 2015 If you've been getting fed up with months of MPC updates with no change – and let's face it, after six years of the same update, who isn't – then there's some good news. The number of monetary policy committee meetings is about to be reduced to just eight per year, down from 12. This [...]
New Zealand dollar: Rock star no longer – CNBC Comment July 20, 2015 It’s that time of the year again – the excitement of the Ashes is palpable. There are a lot of cricket fans in my office and, although I can’t count myself as one of them, a crash course has taught me that the Antipodean teams often win. Indeed, Sunday marked a crushing defeat for England [...]
Gold’s plunge hasn’t taken it off the table for traders – eToro Tips & Picks July 20, 2015 After a week that has been dominated by earnings and the Greek debacle, traders are now looking to focus on assets that are a little more of the norm. However, with more in the way of earnings yet to come and the risk of Eurozone news again upsetting the balance, traders do still remain risk-off. [...]
Ex-MPC member Danny Blanchflower says rate rise would harm the UK July 17, 2015 Former Bank of England policymaker Danny Blanchflower has warned that an interest rate rise in the near future would harm the UK. Read more: Carney fuels speculation of 2015 interest rate hike "It may well be that the Fed [US Federal Reserve] is going to put off raising so it seems rather strange that Carney is [...]