FTSE 100 bounces back as Trump declares end to oil price war April 2, 2020 The FTSE 100 looked set to end the day on a high as US President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia and Russia had ended their oil price war. Energy stocks jumped to propel the London index back into the green after a tumultous day for global stocks. Staggering data showed 6.6m US jobless claims occurred [...]
US stocks rebound after Donald Trump announces oil deal April 2, 2020 US stocks have rebounded after President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed to cut oil production, boosting prices and helping energy companies in the middle of the coronavirus slowdown. The rise on Wall Street came despite US jobless claims surging. The number of Americans claiming unemployment benefits for the first time hit [...]
Bank of England injects £1.9bn into UK companies via coronavirus scheme April 2, 2020 The Bank of England has injected £1.9bn into UK companies since 23 March via its short-term lending programme, figures have shown, as it tries to shore up the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak. The lending comes via the Bank’s covid corporate finance facility (CCFF), through which it buys companies’ short-term debt, known as commercial paper. [...]
Coronavirus: US jobless claims soar to new record of 6.6m April 2, 2020 More than 6.6m Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week, figures have shown, eclipsing the previous record of 3.3m jobless claims set the previous week as coronavirus crashes the US economy. The US jobless claims figure from the Department of Labor was almost twice as bad as the 3.5m analysts had [...]
Bunzl cancels final dividend amid coronavirus slowdown April 2, 2020 UK distribution firm Bunzl has said it will not propose a final dividend for 2019 as it adjusts to a market heavily disrupted by coronavirus, sending its shares lower in morning trading. The firm said “it intends to consider the appropriateness, quantum and timing of an additional interim dividend payment” for 2019 when some clarity [...]
Coronavirus: Hays shares slide after £200m issuance announcement April 2, 2020 Shares in global recruitment firm Hays have tumbled after it announced it will issue £200m of shares in an emergency move to help it shore up its balance sheet during the coronavirus pandemic. Hays said in a trading update this morning that “Covid-19 has driven a very material deceleration in client and candidate activity”. It [...]
Coronavirus: City watchdog proposes credit card payment freeze April 2, 2020 The UK’s financial watchdog has proposed that banks freeze loan and credit card bills and cancel overdraft interest payments for people hit financially by coronavirus. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it will carry out a “brief consultation” on the plans. If accepted, they will come into force on 9 April. The FCA made a [...]
Asian stocks slip as coronavirus recession comes back into focus April 2, 2020 Asian stocks were choppy overnight, with many following their US counterparts downwards as investors came to terms with prolonged coronavirus lockdowns in some of the world’s biggest economies. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index dropped 1.4 per cent, Australia’s S&P ASX fell two per cent and Singapore’s STI fell 0.4 per cent. Yet China’s Shanghai index rose [...]
FTSE 100 tumbles after coronavirus forces banks to cut dividends April 1, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed down 3.4 per cent at 5,478 points today after the UK’s major banks were punished by investors after scrapping dividends last night. The fall came after the index finished its worst quarter since 1987 yesterday. Shedding more than 24 per cent of its value, the FTSE 100 was pummelled over fears [...]
US stocks tumble as coronavirus fears intensify April 1, 2020 US stocks have fallen after US President Donald Trump’s advisers warned hundreds of thousands of Americans could die from coronavirus and gloominess about the economy spread among investors. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 2.6 per cent in early trading, the S&P 500 dropped 2.8 per cent and the Nasdaq fell 2.1 per cent. The [...]