January 23, 2020
Washout
Investors weren’t left feeling particularly fresh on Wednesday after global healthcare and consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Suda-fed them fourth-quarter sales that fell short of expectations.
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January 21, 2020
Trim Pickings
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) trimmed its growth outlook for the global economy on Monday, but it also softened previous risk warnings. The IMF – a sort of bank for countries and thus an authority on this sort of thing – now expects the world economy to grow 3.3% in 2020 and 3.4% in 2021, down from previous forecasts of 3.4% and 3.6%.
January 14, 2020
What’s In The Data Release?!
Investors didn’t think the UK economy would grow in November, but – in a twist no one saw coming – they opened a data release on Monday to find the economy had actually shrunk. With Brexit uncertainty having taken its toll over the past few years, the UK economy has had a tricky time of it.
January 8, 2020
Banking On The Bank
Stocks may have been shaken by recent US-Iran tensions, but they’ve not been too beaten down. Maybe it’s because investors are expecting the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) to step in and cushion any major slides…
January 6, 2020
Panic Attack
A US airstrike that killed a top Iranian military commander sent shivers through global markets on Friday. Zoinks. The airstrike marked a major escalation in military tensions between the US and Iran – and considering the Middle East’s importance to the global oil supply, it’s perhaps no wonder the commodity’s price jumped as much as 4% on Friday.
January 2, 2020
Greatest Hits
Investors had a nervous start to the year after last December’s market selloff, but they needn’t have worried about going down that Old Town Road again: every major asset class delivered positive returns in 2019, from US stocks’ 28% gain to bonds’ 10%.
December 30, 2019
Land Of The Rising Sum
Japan’s economy got a Godzilla-sized goody bag on Thursday (Dec. 5) as the country’s government announced $121 billion in additional spending – but things are getting a little too hot in India.
December 23, 2019
Powell’s Unmoving Castle
When the Fed cut interest rates back in October, it said it probably wouldn’t tweak them again for a while unless the state of the US economy changed significantly.
December 20, 2019
When The Chips Are Down
US microchip maker Micron announced a better-than-expected quarterly update late on Wednesday, and investors went all in on its stock, which rose 4% on Thursday. Micron’s rivals had previously suggested that a tough start to the year for chipmakers would end on a more positive note, thanks primarily to 5G rollouts and the release of major new smartphones.
December 19, 2019
Home Stretch
Some analysts expect the US dollar to weaken and the pound to strengthen next year – the latter thanks to the postponed business investment likely to arrive once Brexit is brexecuted.
December 18, 2019
Brain Freeze
Unilever – the Anglo-Dutch maker of consumer favorites like Ben & Jerry’s ice cream – announced on Tuesday that its half-baked sales growth would leave investors cold.
December 17, 2019
Be Good, For Goodness’ Sake
The UK and Europe had better watch out: their respective business activity surveys didn’t show anything nice on Monday, and – wait, let us just check ‘em twice… yep, both places will be on Santa’s naughty list this Christmas.
December 16, 2019
Peace Out
The US and China reached a truce late last week, bringing a trade war that’s rattled markets for almost two years closer to a resolution.
December 11, 2019
Last Christmas
Morgan Stanley – one of the world’s biggest investment banks – isn’t saving anyone from tears this holiday season: it just announced plans to make this Christmas the last one for 1,500 employees globally. The job cuts – which will mostly impact the technology, operations, and trading divisions – are part of a year-end efficiency push from the bank.
December 9, 2019
Roll Back The Barrel
Some of the world’s biggest oil-producing nations agreed on Friday to cut supply by another 500,000 barrels a day – and Saudi Arabia volunteered to go even further. The oleaginous OPEC group and its allies have cut production several times over the past three years: reduced supply boosts the oil price, theoretically meaning more profit all round.Some of the world’s biggest oil-producing nations agreed on Friday to cut supply by another 500,000 barrels a day – and Saudi Arabia volunteered to go even further. The oleaginous OPEC group and its allies have cut production several times over the past three years: reduced supply boosts the oil price, theoretically meaning more profit all round.
December 4, 2019
Popping Off
America struck back against France’s controversial new tech tax late Monday – and big US firms will be celebrating. While it failed to gain European Union-wide approval, France went ahead and introduced a 3% “digital services tax” anyway in August. La République is keen to ensure tech giants pay a fair level of tax relative to the amount of business they actually do in the country.
December 2, 2019
On The Pull
With Germany’s unemployment rate unexpectedly falling in November, the country might now dig its heels in more than ever against the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB has long been calling for Germany to boost its economy through extra public spending, but positive unemployment data might give the country’s policymakers even more reason to pay no attention.
November 29, 2019
Three’s A Crowd
Spain’s BME, home of the Madrid stock exchange, has been the center of attention this week: Germany’s Deutsche Börse and the Netherlands’ Euronext are both reportedly considering proposing mergers, while Switzerland’s SIX Group made its bid official.
November 26, 2019
London And Dusted
London’s transport authority TfL halted Uber in its tracks on Monday by revoking its operating license – and the ride-hailing company’s investors slammed on the brakes, initially sending its shares down 6%. Uber first hit London traffic in 2017, when TfL revoked its license. It’s since been granted two extensions, but TfL has now refused to renew that license again.
November 21, 2019
Rally Baba
Internet behemoth Alibaba – China’s answer to Amazon – completed its share sale in Hong Kong on Wednesday, revealing $11 billion in hidden riches. Alibaba is actually already a public company: it raised a record $25 billion by selling shares in 2014.
November 20, 2019
Broken Home
Investors were left out in the cold after home improvement retailer Home Depot reported weaker-than-expected quarterly sales growth on Tuesday, as well as a dilapidated forecast for the rest of 2019. Home Depot’s third-quarter sales in existing stores grew 3.6% compared to the same time last year.
November 18, 2019
Arm-and-a-leg-ageddon
Last week, Goldman Sachs hosted a conference for companies and investors to discuss how their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities would impact them – and how to make sure they don’t lose money if the apocalypse arrives.
November 15, 2019
Kwik-E-Walmart
The retailer, which makes most of its money in the US selling groceries, saw its stores’ third-quarter sales rise 3.2% from a year ago – more than analysts predicted
November 13, 2019
Defenders, Assemble
Shares of “defensive” telecoms companies have been out of favor with investors lately – but on Tuesday, Vodafone and Iliad reminded them that a good defense can be the best offense.
November 11, 2019
Disney Takes The Mickey
Media giant Disney reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit growth late last week – and Enchanted investors sent its shares up 4%. Disney’s last quarter was definitely more Beauty than Beast. Revenue from its iconic theme parks and broadcast networks grew – but the real Aladdin’s cave was its movie studio.
November 8, 2019
Snail Trail
Italy’s largest bank, Unicredit, and Germany’s second-largest, Commerzbank, both reported third-quarter results on Thursday. The two are slowly sliding in opposite directions: Unicredit up and Commerzbank down.
November 7, 2019
The Inadequate Driving Machine
German car manufacturer BMW may have reported rising third-quarter sales on Wednesday, but the carmaker hasn’t exactly lived up to its ultimate reputation: it’s expecting a “significant decrease” in its profit for 2019 as a whole.
November 6, 2019
Clash Or Credit
With one eye on securing a trade deal and another on looking like the winner, the US is thinking about removing tariffs on $112 billion worth of Chinese goods. The US-China trade war has cast a long shadow over the global economy lately, so any de-escalation in tensions should – at least for now – give it a bit more room to breathe.
November 4, 2019
Check The Drip
US oil majors Chevron and Exxon Mobil reported third-quarter results late last week, following European rivals BP, Total, and Shell. And despite falling profits, all but Chevron were drippin’ in finesse. It’s no secret that the price of a barrel of oil is lower now than it was this time last year.
November 1, 2019
Carpooling
Italian-American carmaker Fiat Chrysler and France’s Groupe PSA – owner of Peugeot and Opel – agreed a merger that would value the combined company at $50 billion. Europe might see if it can grab a lift.
