What you need to know before the open May 7, 2014 With the situation in Ukraine deteriorating, global markets are finding it difficult to push higher. The improvement in economic data from Europe yesterday was paired with the OECD slashing its forecast for the Russian economy. And that’s been followed this morning with some less-than-impressive services data for China, which makes it look less likely the [...]
Labour’s rent control plans would be a nightmare for tenants May 6, 2014 AS PART of its campaign against the “cost of living crisis”, Labour has stepped up with an offer to help struggling renters. Sadly, at best its proposals are a non-solution, and at worst a nightmare for tenants. The rent regulation that Ed Miliband plans to introduce would see three-year rental contracts become the norm, during [...]
Labour’s rent control plans would be a nightmare for tenants May 6, 2014 AS PART of its campaign against the “cost of living crisis”, Labour has stepped up with an offer to help struggling renters. Sadly, at best its proposals are a non-solution, and at worst a nightmare for tenants. The rent regulation that Ed Miliband plans to introduce would see three-year rental contracts become the norm, during [...]
What you need to know before the US open May 6, 2014 Futures suggest a slightly higher open for US markets, following more optimistic export figures for March. Exports gained two per cent last month – from $190bn in February to $193.9bn – suggesting the slide seen in the first two months of the year tailed off. There’s little else in the way of data today, though, with analysts [...]
What you need to know before the open May 6, 2014 Markets are expected to open slightly higher this morning, following Asian counterparts, which have gained on encouraging US data out yesterday. Although Wall Street saw a more solid finish, European stocks fell yesterday as worries over Ukraine rumbled on and weak Chinese data led investors to shy away from risk. Corporate news Barclays has announced [...]
Behind the curve: Beware of Fed-induced asset bubbles May 5, 2014 Yellen risks making the same mistake as Greenspan in 2004 FEARS that the US recovery may falter were reawakened last week, with the advanced estimate of first quarter GDP coming in at an annualised 0.1 per cent, down from 2.6 per cent in the final quarter of 2013 (see chart). The dollar fell by 0.4 [...]
Tennis world mourns as former British No1 Baltacha dies, aged 30, from liver cancer May 5, 2014 “A GAPING hole has been left in tennis”, the Lawn Tennis Association said yesterday, after former British No1 Elena Baltacha died, aged 30. Baltacha battled the liver condition primary sclerosing cholangitis– an inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts – since the age of 19 and was diagnosed with liver cancer in January, two months [...]
Recuperating Woods resigned to needing Ryder Cup captain’s pick May 5, 2014 WORLD No1 Tiger Woods admits he is no closer to knowing when he will return from back surgery and that he is likely to need a captain’s pick to play in September’s Ryder Cup. Woods has not played since March, when he accepted that he needed an operation on a pinched nerve, and having missed [...]
Mixed morning for Asian markets ahead of US jobs report May 2, 2014 Asian markets are a mixed bad this morning as investors await the release of US payrolls later in the session. Economists estimate the US will report the biggest increase in non-farm payrolls since November last year, reports Bloomberg. The survey of 94 economists forecasts that 218,000 workers were added to payrolls in April. US economic [...]
Yellen stresses lighter rules for small US banks May 1, 2014 FEDERAL Reserve chair Janet Yellen said yesterday that the US organisation would try to “tailor” its regulatory approach to smaller banks, adding that work on larger banks is still “not finished”. Speaking to a summit of American community banks, Yellen stressed that the Fed was trying not to place “undue burdens” on the country’s many small [...]