– The FTSE 100 rose by 22.19 points to 6,950.46 points. – The FTSE 250 grew by 43.15 points to 18,263.46. – The FTSE All Share increased by 11.32 points to 3,786.84 points. – The FTSE AIM All Share finished the day up by 2.73 points at 778.13 points. The OECD has cut its United States…
Over the last few weeks we’ve seen some pretty extraordinary moves in the bond markets. We’ve seen bonds trade over 2-3 percent daily trading ranges – ranges that would be considered extreme a few years ago for such non-volatile core investment instruments. We’ve seen investors increasingly concerned that stock market valuations look overblown, and there…
Inflation has returned to the Eurozone, with official figures showing that the price level rose by 0.3% in the year to April. This acceleration was driven by services, food and drinks, whilst energy costs slowed their descent. Howard Archer, Chief European Economist at IHS Global Insight said that “renewed dips into deflation for the Eurozone…
I used to be an accountant, but I’m alright now. Turned out I had one too many personalities: 1. There are lots of conventions in accounting, but if you think it’s a science simply because it involves numbers then you couldn’t be more wrong. You must have heard this one: I asked my accountant what…
The US economy contracted by 0.7% in the first quarter of 2015 relative to the same period of last year. The Bureau of Economic Analysis adjusted its previous estimate of 0.2% growth downwards after more detailed information on import levels and capital investment became available. Analysts remained positive about the rest of the year, with…
Begin by placing your market telescope to your eye the right way around so as to magnify distant objects of interest. It is surprising how many people you observe with the wrong end of the telescope stuck in their eye. Investment banks actually pay staff large salaries and bonuses to perform this task in the…
The human mind is absolutely stunning. We always find a way to patch a rotten system instead of spending the time developing a new healthier one. I just came across the news that the Danish government is preparing to go cashless starting next year. Well, not exactly cashless, but at least they plan to pave…
A few weeks ago I noticed an ad on the tube. It seemed to have a Bond-girl feel to it. Reminded me a bit of Ursula Andress in Dr. No. It made me think, no, I’m not ‘beach body ready’, plus I’m still single. I got myself a pie and didn’t think any more about…
One of the most puzzling questions central bankers have been asking themselves during the last few years is: why is inflation so low when the money supply has expanded so much? At the same time, and after realising it, then comes a second question: with inflation being so low, why isn’t growth much higher at…
HM Government has pledged that future increases to the income tax personal allowance will track increases in the minimum wage. With the minimum wage set to rise 3% this October, we can expect a commensurate increase in allowances around the same time, and some experts believe that this may be echoed upwards through the tax…
