Chinese tech shares drop after Beijing tightens rules on internet competition August 17, 2021 China has marked its latest crackdown on the technology sector as the authorities announced new rules today to tackle unfair internet competition and companies’ handling critical data. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published a set of draft regulations banning unfair competition and restricting the use of user data. Shares of Chinese tech companies [...]
Hong Kong IPOs run dry amid concerns over China’s regulatory scrutiny August 16, 2021 The global financial hub has seen only one initial public offering so far this month, as Hong Kong’s investors are spooked by China’s tightening scrutiny across sectors. International investors have long used Hong Kong as gateway to China, but they are increasingly concerned by Beijing’s policies, ranging from technology and education to food and health [...]
UK competition watchdog to investigate Central England Co-op funeral deal August 16, 2021 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will investigate the deal by the Central England Co-op to snap up part of its rival in the funeral care business, the Midcounties Co-op. The UK competition regulator said today it is considering whether the merger deal “may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition” within [...]
FTSE: Ultra and Future soar but it’s not enough to lift London’s main index August 16, 2021 The FTSE 100 started off the week with a fall, as a rout on energy and mining shares could not be undone by a surge in the shares of Ultra Electronics and publishing house Future. The blue-chip FTSE 100 dropped 0.8 per cent, dragged down by miners Glencore, Anglo American and Rio Tinto and oil majors BP and Royal Dutch [...]
IPCC report: why the detail matters to energy investors August 16, 2021 | City Talk The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report will shock many people. The data speaks for itself and illustrates the most important challenge facing humanity over the next 100 years. We expect the IPCC report to shock government leaders and lead to actionable policies being implemented at the COP26 climate summit in November. These [...]
Chasing Tesla: how traditional carmakers are revving up their electric vehicle production August 16, 2021 | City Talk Equities generally had a strong year in 2020, but few parts of the market could match the runaway share price gains of the pure electric vehicle (EV) makers. Tapping into investor (and day trader) demand for two popular themes – tech and sustainability – such companies became extremely highly sought after. US group Tesla is [...]
Wall Street smashes records yet again August 13, 2021 Wall Street opened higher today to breach record highs once again driven by a string of strong earnings reports. The S&P 500 came out of the blocks quickly to hit an all-time high, but fell back slightly to rise 0.06 per cent to 4,463.75 points in the early afternoon session. Similarly, the Dow Jones sped [...]
US stocks climb to record highs as inflation clip higher than expected August 11, 2021 US stocks climbed to record highs today as investors were boosted by data showing inflation growth in America may have peaked. The Dow Jones hit a record high today, surging 0.57 per cent to 35,465 points. The blue-chip S&P 500 also trailed higher, up 0.19 per cent to 4,444 points. However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped [...]
US stocks lifted by infrastructure bill’s safe passage August 10, 2021 Wall Street opened higher this morning as investors were boosted by news that President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill had safely passed through the Senate. The blue-chip S&P 500 edged up 0.17 per cent to 4,439 points, while the Dow Jones climbed 0.5 per cent to 35,278 points. Tech shares lost ground as investors [...]
Fresh UK SPAC regime comes into force today August 10, 2021 The City watchdog’s new regime overseeing special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, in the UK comes into force today. Under the new rules implemented by the Financial Conduct Authority, investors will be able to dispose of holdings in a SPAC before an acquisition is completed. Previously, trading in SPACs was suspended as soon as the [...]