Iron ore prices approach Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh’s feared “fantasy land” level January 29, 2016 Iron ore prices are careering towards what one mining industry executive previously dismissed as “fantasy land” territory – and some analysts have warned it could fall even lower. Mining companies have been pummelled by low mineral and metal prices, forcing them to restructure their business models and scrap dividends. Iron ore prices are currently at $41 [...]
Crazy London house prices have pushed Aim-listed Formation Group’s revenues up almost 200 per cent January 29, 2016 London’s buoyant property market has helped construction management firm Formation Group report revenue growth of 199 per cent for the year ending 31 August 2015. Group revenues rose to £23.7m over the period, compared with £7.941m the previous year, while profits before taxation were £2.2m from continuing operations, up from a 2014 loss of £99,000. [...]
FTSE 100 hovers close to 6,000 after Bank of Japan unveils shock interest rate cut January 29, 2016 The FTSE briefly edged above 6,000 points again this morning as investors cheered a shock decision by the Japanese central bank to cut one of its main interest rates to negative. The bank cut its benchmark rate to -0.1 per cent, effectively meaning it will charge lenders interest for excessive reserves parked in its coffers. The news caused Japanese [...]
First-time housing market booming in the UK despite fall in purchases over the Christmas period January 29, 2016 THE NUMBER of first-time home buyers in the UK fell in December due to the traditional Christmas period slowdown, but showed healthy growth over the year, new data has shown today. First-time buyer numbers fell by 1,300 or 4.7 per cent month-on-month due to the “traditional winter cooling” period, according to the first-time buyer tracker [...]
UK confidence in housing market remains strong despite waning economic outlook January 29, 2016 CONFIDENCE in the UK housing market remains strong, despite growing concerns over the wider economy, according to new research today. The latest quarterly Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker showed that despite confidence declining steadily since May, the majority of people still believe that average UK property prices will be higher in 12 months’ time, with [...]
Global market turmoil fails to derail UK consumer confidence in January January 29, 2016 UK CONSUMER confidence rose in January, shrugging off the global market volatility that overshadowed the start of the year. Market research firm GfK found that its consumer confidence index increased by two points to +4 in January, while a comparable index by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) rose by 0.1 [...]
Academic paper says “flash crash” trader Navinder Singh Sarao not the cause of 2010’s sudden market drop January 28, 2016 A research paper published online earlier this week by three US-based academics claims that May 2010's "flash crash" had little or nothing to do with the actions of a British trader accused of contributing to the sudden market drop. The study, which is entitled The Flash Crash: A New Deconstruction, concludes that it is "highly unlikely" the crash [...]
Brent and WTI crude: Oil prices jump on hopes Opec and Russia will cut production January 28, 2016 Oil prices jumped today on hopes that some of the world's biggest oil producers could finally cut production in response to plummeting prices. Brent crude, the international benchmark, jumped 5.47 per cent to $34.91 per barrel. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate crude, the US benchmark, rose 5.82 per cent to $34.18. Russian energy minister, Alexander Novak, said today [...]
Employers not doing enough to support older workers who want to modify work commitments before they fully retire January 28, 2016 Businesses do not have enough retirement-friendly policies in place, scuppering people's plans to keep working for longer. According to a report released today by the Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement (ACLR) and the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS), more than half (56 per cent) of workers from around the world foresee that they will [...]
Libor scandal trial: All six defendants cleared after sixth broker acquitted by jury, as case is branded a “shambles” January 28, 2016 Former ICAP broker Darrell Read has been acquitted of accusations related to manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), as the decision to bring the case was slammed. Yesterday, the jury acquitted five other ex-brokers and determined that Read was not guilty on one count of charges against him, although it was yet to reach a decision on [...]