Sterling falls to six-month low as UK tightens virus measures March 17, 2020 Sterling dropped to its lowest level against the dollar in roughly six months today as the UK ramped up its measures to halt the spread of coronavirus. The pound fell as much as 0.6 per cent to $1.219 this morning — its lowest level since early September. Against the euro it edged up 0.2 per [...]
Oil price goes below $30 a barrel following brief rise March 17, 2020 Oil prices have fallen below $30 a barrel due to coronavirus uncertainty and the Russia-Saudi Arabia price war. This comes after they staged a slight rise this morning as investors searched for a bargain. Brent crude fell to $29.82 a barrel having peaked earlier at $31. Stephen Innes, chief markets strategist at Axicorp told Reuters [...]
The coronavirus crisis calls for a two-week stock market trading holiday March 17, 2020 Last week was marked by a series of trading halts as stock markets swung from “limit down” to “limit up,” and the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its worst single-day loss since Black Monday in 1987. Uncertainty abounds, but one thing is for sure — no one knows what is going to happen next. It’s [...]
DEBATE: Is now a good time to invest in gold? March 17, 2020 Is now a good time to invest in gold? Monica Tepes, investment companies research director at finnCap, says YES. Now is a good time to buy gold if you believe that we are in the early stages of an economic crisis or in a prolonged period of low economic growth. In a risk-off environment and [...]
US stock markets suffer worst day since 1987 despite drastic Fed rate cut March 16, 2020 US stock markets suffered their biggest single day fall since 1987’s infamous Black Monday crash as investors shrugged off a dramatic Federal Reserve stimulus package that aimed to support the economy during the coronavirus outbreak. The US’s S&P 500 crashed 12 per cent over trading, the Dow Jones finished 12.9 per cent lower, and the [...]
Oil prices slide as coronavirus and price war roil markets March 16, 2020 Oil prices slipped below $30 a barrel in afternoon trading as an emergency interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve failed to calm fears about a global recession caused by coronavirus. The Brent crude oil price was last down 11.1 per cent at $30.10, its lowest price since 2016. West Texas Intermediate was down [...]
US stocks plunge again despite Fed coronavirus stimulus March 16, 2020 US stock markets have plunged despite the US Federal Reserve last night again slashing interest rates as investors anticipate a global recession caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The S&P 500 dropped more than eight per cent when Wall Street opened, causing a so-called circuit breaker designed to stop panic selling to kick in. Stocks continued [...]
EU watchdog tightens short-selling rules as coronavirus sell off worsens March 16, 2020 Hedge funds and other investors will have to give regulators more information about the stocks they are betting against, the European Union’s market watchdog has announced, warning that the stock market rout triggered by coronavirus could last weeks. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) lowered the threshold for reporting short-selling — essentially a bet [...]
Travelex owner Finablr in danger of collapse as shares suspended March 16, 2020 Payments company Finablr has warned it is in danger of collapsing as trading in its shares was frozen by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In a dramatic update to the stock exchange this morning, the Travelex owner said it had found around $100m (£81m) of undisclosed financing, which meant it no longer had any certainty [...]
London Stock Exchange gets US approval for Refinitiv deal March 16, 2020 US regulators have approved the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) takeover of financial data firm Refinitiv, the bourse said today. LSE said that the US Committee on Foreign Investment had determined that there were no national security concerns related to the $27bn (£22bn) deal, which was first announced in August last year. The all-share deal would [...]