German investors more optimistic thanks to Brexit delay April 16, 2019 Investors are more optimistic about the struggling German economy than they were a month ago, in a sign that Europe’s biggest economy may be about to turn a corner. Read more: Eurozone manufacturing sector contracts with Germany shrinking fastest German research institute ZEW’s monthly survey of sentiment among analysts swung into positive territory for the [...]
UK employment hits record high driven by women finding work April 16, 2019 The number of people in work in Britain hit a record high in the three months to February 2019, driven mainly by more women finding jobs, pushing up wages as firms kept hiring during political impasse in Westminster. Read more: Employment rate jumps to record high Britain’s unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points in [...]
Monetary policy is too crucial to leave in Labour’s meddling hands April 16, 2019 Even by Donald Trump’s standards, it was an extremely Donald Trump thing to do. Last week, the President nominated Herman Cain for a seat on the board of the Federal Reserve, attempting to hand oversight of the world’s largest economy to a maverick gold-standard enthusiast. The nomination appears to be doomed, largely because of the [...]
Corbyn is as much a threat to the City as a no-deal Brexit April 16, 2019 The Prime Minister is currently on a walking holiday in Wales, while parliament is on Easter recess. This would be a moment for calm, except that Theresa May’s infamous walking holiday in April 2017 ending in her calling an unexpected General Election. Avid Westminster watchers are nervously wondering whether another snap poll is imminent. While [...]
Goldman Sachs profits fall 20 per cent in first quarter amid calm markets April 15, 2019 Profits at Goldman Sachs fell 20 per cent in the first quarter with revenues dropping in its trading and equities arms as lower market volatility limited opportunities for gain. Read more: Goldman Sachs fined £34m over transaction reporting failures The Wall Street giant said the US government shutdown, US-China trade tensions, and Brexit had all [...]
EU member states give green light on US trade talks despite French resistance April 15, 2019 The European Union has voted to kick off trade talks with the US in the face of French resistance, it announced today. Read more: US threatens tariffs on $11bn of EU goods A meeting of member states today voted overwhelmingly to give the European Commission, which deals with trade policy, the green light to start negotiations [...]
New ‘super fast’ economic indicators suggest UK economy slowdown April 15, 2019 New “super fast” government economic indicators suggested the UK economy lost momentum in March, with more firms reporting a fall in turnover than an increase. Read more: UK stats body to receive £9m for 'super fast' economic indicators Today saw the first release of a range of faster indicators compiled by the Office for National Statistics [...]
Top ten considerations for investors surrounding new leasing standard April 15, 2019 | City Talk At long last, a company’s lease obligations – formerly buried in the back of the footnotes of the financial statements – are moving front and centre onto the balance sheet, as a new leasing standard goes into effect for both US GAAP and IFRS companies effective 1 January 2019. That’s just around the corner as [...]
DEBATE: With annual house prices falling in England for the first time since 2012, should we be concerned? April 15, 2019 With annual house prices falling in England for the first time since 2012, should we be concerned? Matt Robinson, chief executive of data-driven estate agent Nested, says YES. There are absolutely people who should be concerned by falling property prices. With inadequate historical pension coverage, an increasing number of those approaching retirement are reliant on their [...]
What’s next for Europe’s capital markets? April 15, 2019 There are big questions on the horizon about the next steps for Europe’s financial sector. This topic was at the top of the agenda recently when I was in Romania for the Eurofi regular gathering of European finance ministers, financial services policy makers and industry representatives. As the current EU legislative cycle winds down before [...]