Analysis, Explained, Long Term Savings, Market Watch
Disruptors
A recent portfolio review for a client led a very interesting discussion. My client has small part of his investment flowing into an energy fund. Though the fund is all encompassing (from fossil burning to wind farms), the recent and dramatic changes in the price of a barrel of oil has impacted the funds value […]
Oil Price Winners and Losers
There have been significant revenue losses in energy exporting nations, and in the last few days, US oilfield services firm Halliburton announced that it would have to cut 8% of its global workforce due to a “challenging market environment”. That said, the news has not all been doom and gloom, with many consumers feeling the […]
Last chance for Civil Service Pensions
Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension transfers (a.k.a. QROPS) give individuals the ability to transfer frozen pensions out of the UK. They can be massively useful for expats, and for those that intend to retire abroad. From April 2015, anyone with a civil service pension frozen in the UK, will lose this ability due to Government changes. […]
ECB Bond-Buying Legal
Official figures have shown, inflation in the eurozone has turned negative, with prices in December 0.2% lower than the same month a year earlier. The tip into deflation adds pressure on the European Central Bank (ECB) to take further action to stimulate the area’s economy. Recent news could be a step towards the necessary stimulation, […]
Wall Street Slumps And They Are Not Alone
A fall in US retail sales, disappointing company results and falling commodity prices have seen stocks on Wall Street suffer as investors react. Retail sales were down 0.9% in December which is far worse than analysts expected. Shares in JP Morgan and Wells Fargo have slipped due to disappointing fourth quarter profits. In the back […]
Investments, Market watch, Stock Market, World Business, World Economy
China Beats Export Expectations
Trade figures for China in December have exceeded expectations with exports up 9.7% and imports down 2.3% from the same period last year. Final figures for 2014 mean that exports rose 6.1% over the year, and imports rose just 0.4% according to state news agency Xinhua. Analysts believe that imports will fall more than 7% […]
Growth Prediction Cut by World Bank
The forecast for global growth has been cut by The World Bank as it warns that the US cannot drive economic recovery alone. In June, the bank forecast 3.4% growth this year and 3.5% next year, however they have revised those figures in the latest report to 3% for this year and 3.3% next year. […]
Swiss Banks To Introduce Negative Interest Rates
Switzerland, the world’s safe haven, will bring in a negative interest rate in an attempt to cut the value of large sums of money left in the country. Switzerland’s National Bank (SNB) is imposing a rate of minus 0.25% on “sight deposits” – a form of instant access account which contains more than 10m Swiss […]
Record Breaking Black Friday Sales in the UK
In November, UK retail sales rose 6.4%, their fastest annual rate in more than 10 years as a result of the Black Friday affect. A scene made familiar by the US, took off in the UK this year, with retail stores offering Black Friday discounts that provided record sales. Electrical goods sales were up 32% […]
Crisis For UK Oil Industry
“Close to collapse” is how one industry leader described the UK’s oil industry. Oil companies and service providers are cutting staff and investment to save money. With oil prices currently below $60 a barrel, and with no price rise in sight, it seems that projects in the North Sea are struggling to make a profit. […]
New Plans To Save The Russian Rouble
New measures are being put in place in Russia to try and stabilise the rouble or at least try to stem its recent slump against the dollar. If necessary, the central bank plans to provide additional capital to Russia’s banks and financial companies. There are also plans to hold more foreign exchange auctions if required. […]
Wages On The Rise In The UK
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has indicated that wage growth in the UK is picking up. Average earnings between August and October were up 1.6% on the year before, excluding bonuses. Including bonuses, they were up by 1.4%. This is the first time in six years that both figures have been above the rate […]
