Are fearful investors creating a crisis? Experts warn of “self-fulfilling prophecy” in markets as negativity towards global outlook deepens March 1, 2016 Despite hopes, the G20 grouping of world leaders failed to come up with a deal to boost flagging global growth at its latest meeting in Hangzhou, China. There had been calls for a joint effort to tackle the slowdown – and although a deal was unlikely, analysts had warned the market would respond badly to “policy [...]
Zlota 44 is the tallest residential building in Warsaw and it’s hoping to catch the eye of Western investors February 25, 2016 For millionaire investors, the obvious place to buy for profit is in one of Europe’s great cities. But the bright lights of London, Paris and Berlin may be blinding buyers to smaller pockets of investment that have big potential. One of these is Poland. After years of building it up, the Poles now boast the largest [...]
Axa share price up as Paris-headquartered insurer reveals a boost in net income for its 2015 financial year February 25, 2016 Share price in Axa rose today after the company revealed growth in its net income for its 2015 financial year. Net income for the Paris-headquartered company rose to €5.6bn (£4.4bn) for the financial year 2015, up 12 per cent on a reported basis and three per cent on a constant currency basis compared with €5bn the year [...]
Why investors are fretting about the bond market: High yield spreads are pricing in 2008 levels of defaults – while some experts say a liquidity squeeze is beginning February 23, 2016 Does the jump in high yield spreads say anything about the global economy? Markets have focused on oil prices as a barometer of health in the global economy and stock markets, but historically high yield spreads over the risk-free rate have been a much better indicator. Spreads have widened considerably lately, and now “the market as [...]
EU referendum: Asda, HSBC, Vodafone and nearly 200 sign letter saying Brexit would threaten jobs – but Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s are not on the list February 23, 2016 The bosses of HSBC, BT, Vodafone and Asda are among those to have put their name to an open letter backing the remain camp and Prime Minister David Cameron's reforms in Europe. More than a third of the UK's biggest companies were represented in the letter, which was published in The Times this morning, saying they represented [...]
Four mistakes newbie investors make – from following fads to gambling away your savings February 16, 2016 FOLLOWING FADS There are lots of esoteric areas of investment which sound fascinating and it’s easy to believe you have stumbled upon the next big thing – especially if performance has been good lately. I regularly hear from people with little saved who’ve invested in areas such as corn or liquid natural gas. Those niche [...]
Axa to pay €75m for an eight per cent stake in Africa Internet Group (AIG) and plans to distribute insurance through Jumia online stores February 8, 2016 French insurance giant Axa agreed to pay €75m (£57.9m) today for an eight per cent stake in ecommerce company Africa Internet Group (AIG). As part of the deal, Axa will gain the right to exclusively provide insurance products through Jumia, an online shopping platform and AIG's main subsidiary. "Internet is creating unparalleled opportunities for consumers and businesses in Africa to [...]
EU referendum: Brexit could cause a total loss to UK GDP of two to seven per cent, says AXA economist January 27, 2016 If Britain votes to leave the European Union the loss to the UK's gross domestic product would lie between two and seven per cent, according to a top AXA economist. Senior economist at AXA Investment Managers David Page said that AXA's own assessments of Brexit are more skewed to a "pessimistic outlook", and as such [...]
Plans for five-storey office block above Farringdon Crossrail station win approval January 25, 2016 Plans to build a major new office building above Farringdon Crossrail station have been given the go-ahead by City planners today, with construction expected to start next year. Designed by PLP Architecture – the architects behind Lipton Rogers and Axa Real Estate's 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper – the five-storey building will sit above the station's eastern ticket hall on [...]
Oil prices: The £36bn Royal Dutch Shell-BG Group mega-deal has won more support ahead of crucial vote January 14, 2016 Another investor advisory firm has come out in favour of Royal Dutch Shell's £36bn mega-deal with smaller rival BG Group, which goes to a shareholder vote at the end of this month. British shareholder advisory firm PIRC has advised shareholders to vote in favour of the deal. It comes after Institutional Shareholder Services, a proxy advisory body, recommended [...]