Get ahead with a NED? How non-executive directors have evolved October 9, 2020 | City Talk ‘You cannot rely on others to seek you out – you must put in a concerted effort to obtaining a directorship. So network, wear out the shoe leather and be prepared to drink a lot of coffee’: so advises a guide for senior professionals seeking to become a non-executive director (NED). Spencer Stuart, the executive search and [...]
Bank of England’s use of fast data under fire after weak GDP figures October 9, 2020 The Bank of England’s “reliance” on fast payments data that fed into upbeat predictions has come under fire after figures showed the UK economy performed much worse than expected in August. The Bank has repeatedly referred to data from its Chaps payment system, which reflects sales companies make through card purchases, during the coronavirus pandemic. [...]
Gold miner Petropavlovsk slashes production forecasts October 9, 2020 Petropavlovsk drastically slashed its production forecasts this morning in its first market update since the summer’s bloody boardroom struggle. In a trading update, the Russia-focused gold miner said that production volumes would now come in between 560,000 to 600,000 ounces, down from previous estimates of up to 720,000 ounces. The FTSE 250 firm said the [...]
ETFs are out of focus for most traders October 9, 2020 | City Talk Investors, avert your eyes. This is for the traders amongst us. For years, if you wanted to trade an opinion on a particular industry, sector, or geography, your vehicle of choice was exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. They are transparent, relatively cheap, and allow high-level opinions to be traded in a single product. But, they’re not [...]
Coronavirus recovery stalls as UK economy grows just 2.1 per cent in August October 9, 2020 The UK economy grew at just 2.1 per cent in August as the country’s economic recovery showed signs of stalling. Although the figure marked the fourth straight month of growth, it was considerably lower than had been expected. As a result, GDP remains 9.2 per cent lower than it was before the pandemic struck in [...]
FTSE 100 rises despite UK GDP missing expectations October 9, 2020 The FTSE 100 rose at the open despite the UK economy growing less than expected in August, as traders continued to mull the prospect of more US fiscal stimulus. London’s blue-chip index climbed 0.5 per cent to 6,009 points. The FTSE 250, made up of slightly smaller companies, rose 0.3 per cent. Asian markets were [...]
FTSE 100 closes higher and US stocks rise on fresh stimulus hopes October 8, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed higher and Wall Street rose as renewed hopes of a US fiscal stimulus package lifted sentiment despite jobless claims remaining stubbornly high. Two days after calling off negotiations on a comprehensive fiscal aid bill, US President Donald Trump today said that talks with Congress have restarted. Read more: New US jobless [...]
Almost a fifth of ALL US dollars were created this year October 8, 2020 About 20 per cent of all US dollars were created this year. The Federal Reserve has printed unprecedented amounts of money to support the coronavirus-stricken economy. It has sparked debates about inflation and helped asset prices soar. Data from the Fed shows that a broad measure of the stock of dollars, known as M2, rose [...]
New US jobless claims flatline as recovery slows October 8, 2020 The number of new US jobless claims stayed roughly flat last week in the latest sign that the country’s economic recovery is slowing as it heads into the autumn. Department of Labor (DoL) data showed that 840,000 Americans filed new jobless claims in the week ending 3 October, down just 9,000 from the week before. [...]
BoE gives banks all-clear but warns them to keep up support October 8, 2020 The Bank of England has warned lenders that reducing their support to households and businesses “would be costly” for the economy and for banks themselves. It came as the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) said the UK’s lenders were strong enough to weather the rest of the coronavirus storm – even if unemployment soared to [...]