Oil prices fall as oversupply fears continue despite planned cuts January 2, 2019 Oil prices fell by roughly one per cent this morning as planned output cuts fail to allay fears about a global economic slowdown. Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, slipped to $53.19 a barrel, down roughly one per cent on its closing price for 2018. West Texas Intermediate also fell more than two per cent to [...]
Euro at 20: Time for ‘close and candid introspection’ rather than celebration January 1, 2019 The 20th anniversary of the euro should not be cause for celebration but for “close and candid” introspection. European Central Bank president Mario Draghi admitted he was a biased observer when proclaiming the euro had been a success ahead of its 20th birthday yesterday. But he stopped short of celebrating and said the anniversary was [...]
FTSE 100 ends its worst year since the financial crash in the red December 31, 2018 The UK's FTSE 100 blue-chip index ended its worst year since the 2008 financial crisis in the red, as a strong pound pulled down exporter shares. The FTSE 100 lost 0.1 per cent in trading on the last day of 2018, while the FTSE 250 added 0.2 per cent after a rally on Friday when they both closed [...]
Which stock markets look ‘cheap’ as we head into 2019? December 31, 2018 | City Talk 2018 was a rumbustious year for stock markets, with things really coming to the fore 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 for stock market investors. Even before [...]
How a measure of bitcoin’s worth proved worthless December 28, 2018 | City Talk The financial pages are noticeably shorter on bitcoin stories than this time last year – which may or may not have something to do with the precipitous fall in the cryptocurrency’s price over the last 12 months. On 14 December 2017, a single bitcoin was trading at an all-time high of £14,749 whereas, as of [...]
This ‘bond with a twist’ is sending a worrying message on risk December 27, 2018 | City Talk In the world of finance, not all investors are created equal. In fact, this is a truth largely held to be self-evident and the reason for investors’ composure on the issue largely boils down to a matter of risk versus reward. Broadly speaking, equity investors expect to see greater returns in the longer run than [...]
Oil prices drop as investor confidence plateaus following a rally on the markets yesterday December 27, 2018 Oil prices fell this morning after a rally which saw the price of Brent crude soar around eight per cent yesterday. International standard Brent crude fell around one per cent to $53.92 per barrel in the early morning as worries over increased supply and poor global economic conditions helped mitigate upwards pressure from the stock [...]
Saudi Aramco creates new fuel retail subsidiary to complement existing joint venture network December 26, 2018 Saudi Aramco is to create a domestic fuel retail subsidiary in a bid to expand beyond producing crude oil, into downstream business. The company will establish a network of filling stations in Saudi Arabia to sell fuel, Aramco said on Wednesday. But it did not give details of the size, cost or time-frame for the [...]
Euronext tables €625m takeover offer for Norwegian stock exchange operator Oslo Bors December 24, 2018 Pan-European exchange Euronext has approached the board of Norwegian stock exchange Olso Bors with a €625m (£563m) offer. Euronext already has support from shareholders representing 49.6 per cent of shares and has tabled the cash offer for the outstanding shares, it said today. It expected to start a tender off of 145 Norwegian kroner (£13) [...]
FTSE 100 falls in Christmas Eve trading after Wall Street selloff dashing hopes of a Santa rally December 24, 2018 The FTSE 100 has fallen in Christmas Eve trading as Wall Street troubles dash hopes of a late Santa rally. The blue chip index dropped 0.8 per cent in early trading at the beginning of a half-day session. A partial US government shutdown, trade tensions between the US and China and reports President Donald Trump [...]