UK economy: Retail footfall grows but job vacancies flatline August 27, 2020 The UK economy has continued its mixed recovery, with the number of Britons venturing out to the shops rising again but online job adverts staying flat for the third week in a row. Some areas remained in much worse shape than others, with 51 per cent of workers in the art and entertainment sector furloughed, [...]
Wall Street and FTSE 100 push higher on US inflation shift August 27, 2020 Wall Street opened higher and the FTSE 100 reversed losses this afternoon as investors digested the Jackson Hole central banking symposium, where US Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell spoke. Powell punchy update on the Fed’s monetary policy review buoyed investors and drove gains for US stocks. Read more: Jackson Hole symposium: All eyes on Fed [...]
Half of UK finance workers want career change due to pandemic, survey says August 27, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has caused workers in the UK finance industry to second-guess their career choice, with 44 per cent considering moving jobs, according to a new report. Among those City workers looking for a change, 13 per cent said they wanted to leave the sector altogether. That figure rose to 16 per cent for [...]
FTSE 100 drops as investors turn to Jackson Hole August 26, 2020 The UK’s FTSE 100 stock index was flat this afternoon as investors awaited a speech by US Federal Reserve chief Jay Powell tomorrow. It was down 0.01 per cent 6,035 points mid-afternoon. The FTSE 250 index of smaller companies rose 0.6 per cent, however. Read more: Jackson Hole symposium: All eyes on Fed chair Powell [...]
US accuses China of ‘bullying’ UK and hits out at HSBC August 26, 2020 The United States has accused China of “bullying” the UK and its companies, citing reports that HSBC has blocked Hong Kong-based executives from using their bank accounts. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted: “The United States is dismayed to learn the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] continues to bully our British friends and their corporate [...]
‘Devastating’ Hurricane Laura makes US oil producers halt production August 26, 2020 Oil prices fluctuated around five-month highs as Hurricane Laura bore down on the Gulf of Mexico, causing US producers to stop most of their offshore output. The hurricane and hopes over US-China trade talks added upward pressure. But worries over coronavirus cases and future demand caused prices to slip back slightly in morning trading. Brent [...]
Tourism slump to cost UK £22bn with London worst-hit, says WTTC August 26, 2020 The UK economy could lose a “staggering” £22bn this year as the tourism industry is hit by a massive drop in international travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a global tourism body has warned. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) also said that London’s position as a hub for business and leisure [...]
Germany extends job-support scheme – contrasting with UK’s approach August 26, 2020 Germany has extended its job-support programme that subsidises workers’ wages at coronavirus-hit firms until the end of 2021 in a bid to support its economy. The move contrasts sharply with the UK’s approach. British chancellor Rishi Sunak has pledged to end the country’s “furlough” scheme in October. Germany’s scheme, known as “short-time work” or “Kurzarbeit”, [...]
Jackson Hole symposium: All eyes on Fed chair Powell August 26, 2020 After an extremely busy few months, the world’s central bankers may have fancied a relaxing trip to the Teton mountain range in the US state of Wyoming. Yet it’s not to be. The coronavirus pandemic has forced this year’s Jackson Hole economic policy symposium to be held online on 27 and 28 August. Since 1982, [...]
FTSE 100 swings into the red as pound surges with US stocks mixed August 25, 2020 The FTSE 100 stumbled as traders shrugged off Brexit worries to bid up the pound, while US stocks were mixed after the US and China signalled progress on trade. London’s main stock index was 0.3 per cent lower at 6,088 points in afternoon trading, having dropped back after climbing more than one per cent. The [...]
