FTSE 100 index rises on hopes of US – China trade war breakthrough January 18, 2019 The FTSE 100 is up more than one per cent this morning on hopes of a breakthrough in trade talks between the US and China. The index was boosted by hopes of progress in the trade war, which were sparked by news reports suggesting that the US is considering reducing tariffs on Chinese imports. Read more: Markets lift [...]
Uber, Lyft, Airbnb: Unicorn IPOs are coming in 2019 January 18, 2019 | City Talk 2019 is set to be an exciting year for IPOs. Some of the biggest floats in history are planned over the coming months. But the problem with IPOs is that the excitement wanes quickly, as 2018 proved. Here’s a look at some of the most hotly anticipated stock market debuts planned for 2019 and the [...]
DEBATE: Are falling house prices in London a good thing? January 18, 2019 Are falling house prices in London a good thing? Daniel Hegarty, founder and chief executive of digital mortgage broker Habito, says YES. Provided it stops at a pricing correction and doesn’t go further, the drop in house prices is good news. London’s sky-high prices have left the average 34-year-old first-time buyer needing to borrow 13 times [...]
The stock markets that look ‘cheap’ at the start of 2019 January 18, 2019 | City Talk 2018 was a rumbustious year for stock markets, with things really coming to the fore in harrowing fashion in the latter stages. With investors having grown accustomed to an unusual oasis of calm over recent years, volatility was back with a bang. However, as the dust settles, there is a silver lining. Even before the [...]
Lots of minuses for Plus500 as shorters dig in their heels January 17, 2019 Four funds have upped their short positions against online trading platform Plus500 so far this month, despite the firm’s upbeat ending to 2018. Twelve funds overall are betting that the Israeli firm’s share price will fall, with stakes worth hundreds of millions against it. Together, around 12.4 per of the firm’s shares are declared as [...]
City law firm Fieldfisher acquires Mayfair boutique in bet on London’s hedge fund sector January 17, 2019 City law firm Fieldfisher has acquired a specialist Mayfair boutique in a bet London’s hedge fund sector will thrive post-Brexit. The City firm has acquired West End boutique Cummings Law and hired two senior partners from rival firms to launch Cummings Fisher, which will specialise in funds, derivatives, financial services regulation and fund formation work. [...]
Chevron and Total join new Blockchain venture for oil trading January 16, 2019 Chevron, Total and Indian refiner Reliance Industries have joined their rivals in a new venture to bring blockchain into energy trading. The oil majors will become users of Vakt, a London-based platform for trading Brent crude oil using the technology behind bitcoin. Read more: Blockchain is changing finance forever – it will do the same to [...]
Hochschild falls as miner sees lower 2019 output from its gold and silver mines January 16, 2019 Investors were spooked today despite Hochschild posting record production last year, as the miner warned output would fall in 2019. Shares closed down five per cent at 164.35p as the company said gold output, at 72,222 ounces was over 2,000 lower in the fourth quarter than the preceding three months. Read more: Newmont forms world's largest [...]
Global trader Louis Dreyfus to exit dairy sector as part of strategic overhaul January 16, 2019 Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), one of the world's biggest agricultural commodity traders, announced today that it will exit its dairy business by mid-2019. The company, majority-owned by Russian-born heiress Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, has already separated the dairy business from the rest of its operations and intends either to wind down the division or find a buyer. [...]
Tullow shares fall as delayed payments dent plans to pay off debt January 16, 2019 Tullow Oil has been hit by delayed payments from a Ugandan exploration project, but expects production to increase this year, the company revealed this morning. Production hit 88,200 barrels of oil per day last year, and should reach between 93,000 and 101,000 in 2019, Tullow told markets. Read more: Premier slips on oil spill as financing [...]