Before the Bell: Janet Yellen faces US lawmakers today January 19, 2021 A lacklustre trading session for Europe in the absence of US markets yesterday saw European equities finish the day rather mixed with the FTSE100 finishing the day on the back foot, while German and French markets finished the day modestly higher. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, told City A.M. this morning [...]
Before the Bell: Details of Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package January 15, 2021 Overnight, US President-elect Joe Biden revealed a stimulus package of $1.9 trillion. Ahead of the announcement there was speculation the package would be in the region of $1.3 trillion to $2 trillion. “It was at the upper end of estimates,” David Madden, market analyst at CMC Markets UK, tells City A.M. this morning. The programme [...]
Airbnb cancels all Washington bookings during Biden inauguration January 13, 2021 Airbnb is cancelling all reservations in the Washington DC area during the week of Joe Biden’s inauguration amid concerns about further violence. The holiday rental site said all existing reservations will be cancelled, including those made on its Hotel Tonight subsidiary, and any new bookings will be blocked. Airbnb said guests and hosts will be [...]
Exclusive: UK eyes adding climate provisions in US trade talks to woo Joe Biden January 13, 2021 The UK will try to add new provisions on climate change and environmental standards in US trade negotiations in a bid to woo incoming President Joe Biden. Trade secretary Liz Truss wants to build on current negotiations with the Donald Trump administration and potentially add things like enhanced protections on air pollution and corporate transparency [...]
Biden names national security official to oversee global health security January 8, 2021 President-elect Joe Biden plans to add a senior national security official to oversee global health security. This government position was cut by the Trump administration in 2018, two years prior to the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden’s transition team in a statement released today said it would hire former White House national security official [...]
Before the Bell: Equities and copper are on a roll January 8, 2021 Equity markets in Europe and the US enjoyed rallies yesterday as traders bought stocks on the back of the view that the future Biden administration will be keen to use stimulus packages to support the economy. In late December, lawmakers signed off on a $900bn relief package but in October, Nancy Pelosi, of the Democrats, [...]
Defending the rulebook: Overcoming America’s Darkest Day January 7, 2021 This is a time for elemental thoughts. Following one of the darkest days in the history of the American Republic, when an armed mob set in motion by Donald Trump marched on the capitol, ransacking it, and pressured lawmakers to overturn the 2020 election results (words I never, ever thought I’d write), it is time [...]
Before the Bell: Bulls in control, calm restored to Capitol Hill January 7, 2021 The disturbance at Capitol Hill derailed the process of certifying the Biden electoral victory for a number of hours last night but was then resumed so the final confirmation of Biden’s win should be relatively straightforward. Moreover, the FTSE 100 had a stellar run yesterday as it closed up more than 3 per cent and [...]
Democrat wins US senate race in Georgia in major coup for Joe Biden January 6, 2021 Democrat Raphael Warnock has won the Senate runoff election in Georgia, handing US President-elect Joe Biden’s party the chance to seize control of the Senate ahead of his entry to the White House later this month. Warnock, a former pastor from Atlanta, has defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler to become the first Black senator in [...]
The tragedy of America’s foreign policy establishment December 25, 2020 Anthony Blinken was a cut above the rest personally. Well-educated, good-looking, quietly ironical (and quite funny), absorbed in the work at hand, and keenly intelligent, Tony seemed to be in it for the Republic, rather than himself — a rarity in a town built on often unearned self-promotion. Read more: Joe Biden could favour Ireland [...]