More pain for the UK steel industry: Union bosses meet Tata Steel over Port Talbot job losses January 11, 2016 Union bosses are preparing to meet with Tata Steel this week, following reports that there could be hundreds of job losses at the UK's largest steel works, signalling more pain for the embattled industry. It follows local reports that around a quarter of the 4,000 steelworkers at the plant in Port Talbot, south Wales could lose [...]
City A.M.’s journalists take a look at what 2016 has in store for the world of finance and business January 4, 2016 BANKING Strengthening outlook despite more regulatory bumps ahead Bank of England governor Mark Carney may have declared the banking crisis officially over at the end of last year, but 2016 looks to be far from a challenge-free year for Britain’s biggest banks. To be sure, all seven of the UK’s leading lenders passed the Bank’s [...]
Hell of a year: What rocked markets in 2015 – From Grexit to the commodity crash via a China meltdown and the VW scandal December 22, 2015 2015 was a truly turbulent year for investors, from Grexit and the China stock market crash, to commodities falling to record lows, volatility spiking, bond markets making losses across the board, the most uncertain UK election in a generation rankling investors, the US Federal Reserve's first rate rise in 9 years… the list goes on. [...]
Saudi Arabia is acting like a drunken gambler in its oil war December 21, 2015 An absolutely elemental maxim of how you can go wrong in political risk analysis revolves around what is called “The Drunken Gambler in Vegas Syndrome”. Every casino owner alive has made millions off the fallacy, just as a great number of foreign policy disasters have been forged because of it. Simply put, it lays out [...]
Hold onto your hat: It’s Saxo Bank’s outrageous predictions for 2016 including the oil price, the US presidential campaign, euros vs dollars, Brazil, Russia and the end of the luxury sector December 16, 2015 Bored by predictions for 2016 that tentatively forecast interest rate rises and a slight dampening of the property market? Want something that will really make you prepare for the worst (or best) case scenarios out there? Well hold onto your hat, because it's Saxo Bank's annual outrageous predictions for the year ahead, and they are just [...]
What Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen is likely to say this week – eToro Tips & Picks December 14, 2015 Many are now asking when – not if – the oil price will reach the $30 benchmark. A sustained period of very low prices will place increasing strain on the Saudi economy, potentially worsening the internal security situation and contributing to greater tension with its neighbours. Western economies are enjoying lower energy costs, but the [...]
WTI crude and Brent crude oil prices fall further amid mounting glut concerns December 14, 2015 US Western Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell below $35 per barrel for the first time since February 2009 today – chased lower by the global benchmark, Brent crude, which slid below $37 per barrel for the first time since 2008. The renewed pressure came a day after Iran vowed to ramp up production once sanctions are lifted, following the July [...]
After Brent crude dipped below $40 per barrel, do we have anything to fear from lower oil prices for longer? December 9, 2015 James Butterfill is head of research & investment strategy at ETF Securities, says Yes The risk with a lower oil price lies in its combination with Fed/Bank of England rate rises. Loan delinquencies in the energy sector are likely to rise as rates go up. The most recent oil and gas survey from IHS highlighted [...]
Brent crude oil prices crash below $40 for the first time in seven years December 8, 2015 Brent crude crashed below $40 per barrel today for the first time in nearly seven years, after Opec failed to specify a production level ceiling on Friday. Brent crude, the global benchmark, shed two per cent to $39.89 per barrel this afternoon, while Western Texas Intermediate crude slumped 2.58 per cent to $36.68 per barrel. Tamas Varga [...]
COP21 Paris climate change summit: To reduce carbon dioxide emissions without hurting economic growth industry and government must collaborate December 1, 2015 Yesterday political leaders from close to 150 nations descended on Paris for the United Nation’s 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21). Their aim and mission for the two week conference is to reduce global carbon emissions and limit global warming to two degrees beyond pre-industrial levels. The first day of the global summit was defined [...]