Eastern promise: Keys to investing in Asian markets February 17, 2015 Emerging Asia was one of the best performing regions in the five years leading up to the financial crisis, delivering a 20 per cent return per year in sterling terms. And despite the fact that, over the past two years, the region has underperformed developed markets, it remains a favourite place for UK investors to [...]
The rise of the expert patient has the power to transform the NHS February 12, 2015 The productivity of the NHS isn’t just important for our health. At 7 per cent of GDP, it matters for the whole economy. And this is why the next Parliament must see an efficiency revolution in the NHS, greater than any seen elsewhere or in the UK before. One important idea at the heart of [...]
General election stalemate set to rock stocks: Markets face historic uncertainty, UBS warns February 11, 2015 Uncertainty before and after 7 May threatens to make 2015 a turbulent year for markets. Markets will take a hit from historic levels of uncertainty before and after May’s General Election, analysis by a leading investment bank has warned. Share indices typically fall by an average of three per cent in the six months after [...]
Energy, oil and Sky’s football bill hurt FTSE – London Report February 11, 2015 THE UK and Gas index fell 0.6 per cent after crude dropped 2.3 per cent on expectations of persistent oversupply, a stronger dollar and a report showing US crude stockpiles at a record high yesterday. Meanwhile the main index was dragged lower by energy company movements as well as the fallout from Sky bidding for [...]
Landlords should not be the scapegoats for uninventive politicians February 8, 2015 If you’re a landlord, you could be forgiven for feeling like the ills of the world are being laid at your door. The Tories held landlords responsible for stemming illegal immigration, making passport and identity checks a legal requirement before any tenancy agreement can be signed. Labour enlisted them in the fight against climate change [...]
Aggregates firm CRH lifts FTSE as oil drama goes on – London Report February 2, 2015 Irish building supplies groups CRH offset a drop in airlines after Ryanair warned on its profit outlook to push the FTSE index higher yesterday. Shares in CRH, one of the top gainers in the FTSE 100 index , rose 7.2 per cent after the company said it had agreed to pay €6.5bn (£4.9bn) for assets [...]
US corporate results round up January 27, 2015 Caterpillar Caterpillar yesterday cut its 2015 profit outlook and warned the plunge in oil prices would hurt its energy equipment business, sending shares tumbling as much as eight per cent. During the final three months of 2014, Caterpillar’s energy business helped offset falling construction equipment sales and weakness in mining equipment orders due to lower [...]
Genel upbeat as it slashes 2015 revenue targets January 21, 2015 WEAKNESS in the oil market has forced Kurdistan-focused Genel Energy to cut its revenue forecast for 2015. The company revealed yesterday that it has revised its guidance from $500m (£331m) to $600m at a Brent price of $80 a barrel, to $350m to $400m at $50 a barrel. Guidance on capital expenditure was also reduced, [...]
Is the EY Item Club right to predict that UK growth will significantly accelerate in 2015? January 19, 2015 Mark Gregory, EY’s chief economist, says Yes We believe growth will accelerate in 2015, largely due to income growth. The UK consumer has been lashed by rising fuel and food prices for so long, but is now emerging as the major beneficiary. Low inflation combined with cheaper commodity prices, as a result of falling food, [...]
Under the bonnet: Key themes for emerging markets this year January 12, 2015 Dollar strength and plunging oil will have a big impact MUCH of the growth the global economy has seen since the financial crisis has emanated from emerging markets. But many analysts expect this narrative to change in 2015, with growth momentum shifting to developed markets like the US. Late last year, Fitch revised down its [...]