TOKYO Asian shares edged up to near their highest in two years on Thursday, while the dollar benefited from waning expectations that the European Central Bank was poised to end its easy policy. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS was 0.2 percent higher in early trade, pushing against its loftiest levels since June 2015. Japan’s Nikkei stock index .N225 was down 0.2 percent, while […]
Oman is most likely to face a “forced currency devaluation” in coming years due weak oil prices and low financial buffers, according to a new report. In its report issued on Wednesday, BMI Research, a Fitch Group Company, said that the “probability of such a move is rising.” Oman’s crude oil price have declined to $45.9 per barrel driven by weakness in global energy markets since early-2017, […]
In what was the clearest sign to date that the Fed is targeting the stock market bubble with its rate hikes (recall two weeks ago Goldman caused a stir when it suggested that the Fed had made a policy error by being overly dovish with its rate hike, which instead of tightening financial conditions, had the effect of a 25bps rate cut), today not one but two […]
By Caroline Valetkevitch | NEW YORK NEW YORK A U.S. stock rally fueled by optimism President Donald Trump will boost the economy may be near its peak, according to a Reuters poll of strategists who forecast U.S. shares will gain less than 3 percent between now and year-end. The run up since the Nov. 8 U.S. election has left the S&P 500 .SPX at levels many consider […]
A wonderful skyscraper is getting ready and will hang like a fruit above the Earth. Analemma Tower, proposed to be the world’s tallest building, will be a marvel in motion, as it comes pointing to Earth. Its residents will be going over a world tour above the world’s top cities at an altitude of more than 30, 000 miles. What makes the skyscraper so special is that it […]
When Charles Li was asked last week about the recent wild gyrations of some stocks in Hong Kong, the head of the Hong Kong Exchange compared the market to a city that is reasonably well-run but has “a few dark alleys and little corners”. “We all need to relax,” he added. “This is a great market. You don’t want the regulator to solve all your problems.” Investors […]
In this Friday, March 24, 2017, photo, new Samsung Galaxy S8, left, and Galaxy S8 Plus mobile phones are displayed in New York. The Galaxy S8 features a larger display than its predecessor, the Galaxy S7, and sports a voice assistant intended to rival Siri and Google Assistant. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Samsung seems to be playing it safe with its first major smartphone since the embarrassing recall […]
So much flip-flopping from Dennis Gartman in just the past week, it is enough to make one’s head spin. After missing Friday’s move lower, on Monday morning Gartman said he was actively looking to “re-establish net short positions” when S&P futures were sharply lower to which we said “at the rate the S&P is covering its opening losses, he should be able “find a point” where the […]
Bloomberg suffered its second-ever drop in the number of ubiquitous terminals dotting global trading desks as it fell victim to cost cutting by the finance industry. The number of Bloomberg’s distinctive black terminals, used daily by bankers, traders and money managers, fell by 3,145 last year to just under 324,500, down nearly 1 per cent from 2015, according to a report on Tuesday from Burton-Taylor International, one […]
After nine months’ gestation, the Brexit process has started. Both sides of the referendum have political points; Brexiters can say the UK economy is growing and there has been no market implosion, while Remainers can say UK assets have drastically underperformed the rest of the world, and the costs of the historic sterling devaluation are yet to be counted. Now, it is time to work out what […]
Spring offers ideal sightseeing weather, with destinations ranging from Japan and Rome to Cuba and Australia. David Whitley rounds up where to go this Spring. newslide April 2017 Japan The spring months are when Japan turns pink, with the famous cherry blossom trees bursting into life across the country. April is the peak of cherry blossom season and hits that sweet spot where temperatures are comfortable for […]
Wednesday 04:40 GMT Overview Asian markets were mixed, with energy stocks benefiting from a recovery in crude oil prices, while the UK pound dropped after Prime Minister Theresa May dispatched the letter that will trigger Britain’s exit from the EU. Hot topic The pound weakened 0.3 per cent to $1.2409 in Asia trade, bringing its losses over the past two sessions to 1.2 per cent, in response […]
SYDNEY Asian shares inched ahead on Wednesday while the dollar and commodities rallied as investors shook off disappointment about U.S. President Donald Trump’s failed healthcare bill and focused on an improving outlook for global growth. The cheerful mood did not extend to the pound which was on the skids as the British government sent a letter to Brussels formally starting the country’s exit from the European Union. […]
By Valerie Volcovici and Jeff Mason | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an order to undo Obama-era regulations to curb climate change, keeping a campaign promise to support the coal industry while calling into question U.S. support for an international deal to fight global warming. Flanked by coal miners, Trump enacted his “Energy Independence” executive order at the Environmental Protection Agency. A coalition of […]
After the biggest downturn in a generation, there are reasons to think the worst of the commodities slump might be over. The Financial Times’s Commodities Global Summit began on Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland. Here are the main talking points from the first day. There was no shortage of talk on Opec, which in November agreed its first reduction in supply in almost a decade. Executives from some of the world’s […]
The triggering this week of Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty to facilitate Britain’s exit from the EU is undoubtedly a momentous event. At issue in the forthcoming talks will be whether Britain can win back control over immigration and lawmaking without wrecking trade relations in its biggest market and damaging London’s status as the pre-eminent international financial centre. A minimum of two years of difficult and […]
Agricultural trading bosses gathered in Lausanne, Switzerland for the FT’s Commodities Global Summit have warned against closed borders and potential trade wars as rising protectionist rhetoric casts a shadow over their ability to access global markets. David MacLennan, Cargill chief executive, says raising tariffs will hurt the world economy, and Carl Casale, head of CHS, a leading US grain co-operative, highlights the damage it would wreak on […]
The Gulf emirate of Qatar is tiny, but it’s made a name for itself by placing big bets. Thanks to vast reserves of natural gas, its 2.6 million residents enjoy the world’s highest per-capita income: $129,700 a year. Qatar has acquired more than $335 billion worth of assets around the globe, buying up trophies such as London’s Shard, the tallest building in Europe. The emirate has also […]
Cuban president Raúl Castro is preparing to step down next year, Venezuela has cut millions of dollars in aid and Donald Trump’s election has cast a shadow over the nascent US-Cuba detente. Unnerved by the changes, Havana’s domestic reform drive has ground to a halt as the Communist party battens down the hatches. Marino Murillo, the senior official leading Cuba’s reforms, has not been heard in public […]
Dawn is the time to see Angkor Wat. Waiting in the dark as the exquisite 11th-century temple is conjured out of the Cambodian jungle feels ridiculously thrilling. As the sun rises above the tall, minutely carved, lotus-like towers, and the ornate magnificence of the buildings is reflected in the great ornamental lakes, you get a sense of how 19th-century French explorer Henri Mouhot must have felt when […]
“The new tax rate will bring Saudi Aramco in line with international benchmarks,” Saudi Aramco’s chief executive officer, Amin H. Nasser, said in a statement. Continue reading the main story The tax cut was announced a couple of months after intensive discussions with international bankers in Riyadh about how the offering should be structured. Bankers and independent specialists said the cut would help increase the cash flow […]
Tuesday 08:45 GMT What you need to know ● Markets recovering their poise after “Trump trade” wobble● S&P 500 futures higher and helping European to open on the front foot ● Energy stocks underpinning bourses as oil prices gain ground● Dollar steadies after sliding to four-month lows, Treasury yields nudge up● Gold prices ease back as haven flows dwindle——————- Hot topic Investors are rediscovering their risk appetite […]
The Australian Federal Court has handed down its decision in Telstra’s proceedings against the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s final access determination (FAD) on wholesale copper pricing, with the judgment reaffirming the regulator’s decision. The ACCC’s FAD, published in October last year, cut the prices that the telecommunications giant can charge wholesale customers for use of its legacy copper network during the transition to the NBN […]
The bagpiper striding across the bottle label wears flowing green tartan, a luxuriant black moustache — and a red turban. Bagpiper whisky, distilled by Diageo through its United Spirits subsidiary in India, is one of India’s most popular brands, available even in a tetra pak. But at Rs300 ($4.50) for a 750ml bottle, it is not a brand that will power a rapid return on Diageo’s £1.9bn […]
