Are investors adjusting to the new normal? December 18, 2020 | City Talk Potential for recovery following Covid-19 and trends which have accelerated as a result of it give many reasons for optimism heading into 2021 The list of reasons for investor uncertainty heading into 2021 remains long. A global pandemic. Lockdowns. Volatile markets. Political turbulence. Uncertainty over jobs and the economy. Record levels of government borrowing – [...]
FTSE 100 slips but global markets hit fresh highs on vaccines and stimulus December 17, 2020 The FTSE 100 slipped, weighed down by a rising pound, as global markets hit a new all-time high amid optimism about vaccines and fiscal and monetary stimulus. Despite the rise in global stocks, the FTSE 100 lagged behind as the pound rose 0.8 per cent to $1.360, a 32-month high. A higher pound weighs on [...]
FTSE off to fast start as global markets rise on vaccine rollout December 16, 2020 The FTSE 100 surged upwards this morning as markets round the world hailed the rollout of coronavirus vaccines. The blue-chip index was up one per cent an hour after markets opened, with energy and housebuilder stocks leading the charge. Investors were also buoyed by hopes that the UK could still sign a free trade deal [...]
FTSE 100 slips ahead of London lockdown as job losses mount December 15, 2020 The FTSE 100 slipped into the red as London prepared itself for a new lockdown and job losses climbed, with the index bucking the trend of European and US markets which rose amid positivity about coronavirus vaccines. London’s biggest index was down 0.5 per cent in afternoon trading to 6,501 points. The FTSE 250 was [...]
FTSE 100 lags but pound jumps as markets weigh Brexit latest December 14, 2020 The FTSE 100 lagged behind its European peers as the pound rose the most in nearly two months after the UK and EU agreed to extend post-Brexit trade talks. Elsewhere, stocks climbed strongly amid signs of progress in US stimulus talks, and as the country prepared to roll out the first coronavirus vaccines. London’s main [...]
UK companies are cheap: the smaller the cheaper December 11, 2020 | City Talk UK stocks have lagged their global peers, but is the stage set for a change of fortune? Many investors in UK stocks have looked on enviously at the super-sized returns that global stocks, and US stocks in particular, have been able to deliver over recent years. That all changed this month. As of 18 November, [...]
Before the Bell: Preparations start for a no deal Brexit December 11, 2020 It was another mixed session for European stocks yesterday, with the FTSE100 outperforming on the back of a slightly weaker pound, but it was notable that we saw heavy falls in UK banks and other stocks with a domestic focus on no deal Brexit concerns. Brexit talks With UK/EU trade talks extended to the weekend, [...]
FTSE 100 rises ahead of PM’s Brexit trip to Brussels December 9, 2020 The FTSE 100 opened higher as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepared to fly to Brussels for key Brexit talks and after the administration of Donald Trump in the US suggested a $916bn (£685bn) stimulus package. The index climbed 0.3 per cent to 6,580 points in early trading. Britain’s FTSE 250 index of mid-cap firms rose [...]
Before the Bell: Fishing for a deal December 7, 2020 While markets in Europe underwent a fairly mixed week, the FTSE100 was notable in undergoing a significantly strong move higher to its best levels since March, driven up by a combination of optimism over the rollout of a vaccine, which begins this week, and the prospect of a possible UK/EU trade deal. US markets also [...]
FTSE 100 falls back as Brexit negotiations drag on December 3, 2020 The FTSE 100 fell back this morning after the French government threatened to veto a Brexit trade deal if EU negotiators gave further concessions to the UK. London’s premier index dropped 0.4 per cent start as trading opened, while the FTSE 250 of midcap companies picked up 0.1 per cent. Brexit talks are ongoing between [...]