Coronavirus: Ratings agencies see demand surge as firms try for BoE cash March 31, 2020 Ratings agencies have reported a surge in demand from UK companies as firms try to secure credit ratings that would let them access the Bank of England’s coronavirus bond-buying scheme. However, a significant number of firms expressing interest do not qualify for the money, agencies said. S&P Global Ratings said it has received around 30 [...]
Coronavirus: More than half of Brits expect a recession March 30, 2020 More than half of Britons now expect the economy to tumble into recession within a year due to the coronavirus outbreak, a poll has shown, with pessimism about household finances rising at the fastest rate on record. Pollsters Yougov said 52 per cent of people in the UK think the economy will be in recession [...]
Coronavirus: Oil prices plunge to 18-year low March 30, 2020 Oil prices have tumbled to an 18-year low, dragging down Asian stocks as coronavirus continues to hit economies and Saudi Arabia shows no sign of ending its oil price war with Russia. Brent crude oil fell 5.7 per cent to $23.52 per barrel this morning, its lowest level since 2002. US crude fell 3.9 per [...]
Coronavirus: FTSE 100 falls as oil prices plummet March 30, 2020 The FTSE 100 has slipped lower after the coronavirus situation worsened in the UK over the weekend and oil prices tumbled to an 18-year low. Britain’s FTSE 100 index was 1.2 per cent lower at midday at 5,446 points. It had fallen 5.3 per cent on Friday after rallying strongly over the previous three days. [...]
FTSE 100 falls as coronavirus stimulus rally runs out of steam March 27, 2020 Britain’s FTSE 100 stock index tumbled today after three consecutive days of gains as uncertainty about the effects of coronavirus returned to the fore. The FTSE 100 closed 5.3 per cent lower at 5,510 points. It had risen more than 16 per cent over the previous three days after the US launched a $2 trillion [...]
Oil prices tumble as coronavirus recession looms March 27, 2020 Oil prices have tumbled as coronavirus containment measures dent demand and the virus spreads rapidly in the US, the world’s biggest economy. Brent crude was down four per cent this afternoon at $27.50 per barrel. US crude was five per cent lower at $21.47 per barrel. Prices were on track for their fifth weekly drop [...]
US stocks fall as coronavirus fears return March 27, 2020 US stocks have opened lower following one of Wall Street’s best three-day runs in history as economic concerns about the coronavirus outbreak once again weighed on investors’ minds. The S&P 500 index was down 3.6 per cent in early trading, the Dow Jones was four per cent lower and the Nasdaq had fallen 3.7 per [...]
China’s Xi Jinping offers Donald Trump help with coronavirus March 27, 2020 Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered President Donald Trump China’s support in fighting coronavirus as it spreads rapidly through the US, bringing tensions between the two countries down a notch. Xi’s offer came after the number of coronavirus cases in the US overtook those in China. The US now has more than 84,900 confirmed infections [...]
Coronavirus: China factory profit slump bodes ill for US and Europe March 27, 2020 Profits at China’s factories crashed in January and February as coronavirus ravaged the economy, in a sign of the heavy toll the pandemic is set to take on companies around the world. Chinese industrial firms’ profits plunged 38.8 per cent year on year to 410.7bn yuan (£47.63bn). It was the steepest fall since records began [...]
Coca-Cola HBC sees demand slump amid coronavirus but plans dividend March 27, 2020 Coca-Cola HBC has said demand has slumped in countries with heavy coronavirus restrictions such as Italy and that uncertainty around the situation means it cannot provide guidance for its full-year results. The firm, one of the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottlers, said in an update today that it still intends to propose an ordinary dividend of [...]