What you need to know before the open May 12, 2014 European markets are set to open lower this morning, following Asian counterparts, as investors await with caution for events in Ukraine to unfold. Yesterday, anti-Kiev rebels declared victory in a referendum on self-rule in eastern Ukraine. Western leaders are threatening further sanctions around energy and the financial services, if Moscow moves to disrupt the planned [...]
Geithner backs crisis bailouts May 11, 2014 A FORMER US treasury secretary has defended the country’s giant bank bailouts at the height of the financial crisis in a new book published this week. Tim Geithner has taken a beating over the past years for appearing too close to banks after he took the job in 2009. But in his book, Stress Test, [...]
Fed president says growth hazy May 11, 2014 Regional Federal Reserve president Dennis Lockhart, who will be one of the central bank’s voting policymakers next year, expects that interest rates will rise in the second half of 2015. However, Lockhart added: “It may not be clear for several months, or even quarters, whether the US economy is undeniably on a stronger and sustained [...]
Why Barclays thinks investors need to go for diamonds May 8, 2014 Barclays is feeling pretty positive about the possibilities diamonds are offering investors. With the tide turning when it comes to Chinese growth, a strong dollar and worries over the health of emerging market economies, diamond demand is resurging, it says. Demand growth for diamonds arrives relatively late in an economic cycle, post job creation [...]
What you need to know before the US open May 8, 2014 US markets are expected to open higher today following Vladimir Putin’s more conciliatory stance towards the Ukrainian election, and better than expected initial jobless claims numbers. The number of people signing on for unemployment benefit for the first time fell by 26,000 last week, to 319,000. Over here in Europe, both the Bank of England [...]
What you need to know before the open May 8, 2014 A higher open is expected for European markets, following yesterday’s bumpy trading. A more appeasing message from President Putin yesterday, urging Ukrainian separatists to postpone plans for a referendum, has helped buoy markets. On top of that, better than predicted trade data from China – although expectations were very low – has caused some optimism. [...]
Chinese trade data and dovish Yellen boost Asian markets May 8, 2014 Asian markets have been boosted by a recovery in Chinese exports and imports as well as Federal Reserve chairman Janet Yellen's commitment that the Fed will continue to support the US economy. Chinese export growth rose from -6.6 per cent year-on-year in March to 0.9 per cent in April, outperforming Bloomberg's median estimate of minus [...]
Yellen signals an end to stimulus by this autumn May 7, 2014 FEDERAL Reserve chair Janet Yellen confirmed yesterday that a continuing US recovery would mean an end to the country’s quantitative easing (QE) programme this autumn. Though the Fed appears to be committed to trimming QE purchases by $10bn (£5.9bn) each month, the central bank has previously been reluctant to lay down an official timeline for [...]
At the frontline: Responding to customer needs May 7, 2014 Jane Sunley, chief executive of online training provider Purple Cubed, talks to Annabel Palmer about the need for smaller companies to engage with clients at all levels of the customer journey JANE Sunley founded Purple Cubed in 2001 to offer businesses – including Thomas Pink and Pizza Express – advice on developing and retaining talent. [...]
Yellen: Low rates to stay as labour market still unsatisfactory May 7, 2014 Janet Yellen has today defended the US’s central bank’s accommodative policy, saying it still remains warranted – it’s not rushing to raise interest rates. Giving her testimony to Congress, this is Yellen’s first opportunity to speak following April’s improved jobs figures. Dismissing concerns over growth stangation in the first quarter – which, she said, were [...]