Can companies really balance the needs of all stakeholders? May 24, 2021 | City Talk The question of whether companies can combine profits with purpose continues to be a thorny one. In March, management change at French food producer Danone underlined the difficulties some companies face in trying to become more sustainable businesses. The CEO-chairman, who had made a powerful statement of intent by formally turning Danone into a “purpose-driven [...]
Wall Street edges higher as FTSE 100 falls flat despite recovery hopes May 21, 2021 Wall Street opened higher this afternoon as investors turned their attention to key business surveys at the end of a volatile week of trading. The Dow Jones rose 0.11 per cent on open and the S&P 500 gained 0.23 per cent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq pushed 0.59 per cent higher. It came after the London’s [...]
City PM TV: A Market Snapshot May 21, 2021 Despite some giveback earlier this week, price action in markets has been reasonably encouraging for the bulls, especially in the past 48 hours. In particular, a number of major asset prices have tested, held, and rallied from key support levels this week (including the S&P500, the NASDAQ100, and Bitcoin). In the case of Bitcoin, the [...]
Pound pushes past $1.42 on economic recovery hopes May 21, 2021 The pound pushed higher today and was on track for its third consecutive week of gains against the dollar after upbeat economic data lifted hopes for the UK’s post-pandemic recovery. New figures released this morning showed UK business activity expanded at its fastest rate since 1998 in May as the lifting of lockdown restrictions boosted [...]
FTSE 100: Early gains fade as mining stocks drag down index May 20, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.3 per cent this morning as declining mining stocks cut out early banking gains. The blue-chip index had advanced 0.4 per cent in early trading, with home retailer Kingfisher adding 3.6 per cent after raising its first half profit outlook. But those gains were dragged down by mining stocks including Fresnillo, [...]
Wall Street and FTSE 100 drop as inflation worries mount May 19, 2021 Wall Street opened lower this afternoon as rising inflation sparked fears of scaled back support ahead of a key meeting of the US Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones dropped 0.3 per cent and the S&P 500 was down 0.7 per cent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.7 per cent. It followed losses for the FTSE [...]
Investor confidence booms for UK and European markets May 19, 2021 Investor confidence has risen for both UK and European markets, with the accelerated roll out of vaccines likely to be driving the renewed optimism. Investor confidence in the UK rose another four per cent to a record high for the year, while confidence in Europe is up 28 per cent compared with April 2021, according [...]
FTSE 100 reshuffle: Are Royal Mail and ITV in pole position for promotion? May 19, 2021 Royal Mail and ITV look to be strong contenders for promotion to the index of the UK’s 100 biggest public companies during next month’s FTSE reshuffle. ITV, which has been boosted by the return of ad revenue, is considered a strong outsider to inch back into the top flight, according to analysis from Hargreaves Lansdown. [...]
Retirement planning? Sorry, we’re too busy watching Netflix May 19, 2021 | City Talk The Covid-19 pandemic has led many people around the world to reassess their priorities and goals. Many countries have seen infection rates soar through various waves of the virus, resulting in widespread lockdowns with large parts of their economies closed and people forced to remain at home. In a more uncertain world, people have also [...]
Wall Street rises on retail boost as jobs data helps FTSE 100 tick up May 18, 2021 Wall Street opened marginally higher this afternoon after better-than-expected retail results boosted optimism about rising consumer confidence. The Dow Jones ticked up 0.07 per cent at the open, while the S&P 500 edged 0.06 per cent higher. The tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.28 per cent at the opening bell. The modest gains came after Walmart and [...]