Synopsis of the week The latest US reporting season kicked off with US Banks Citigroup and JPMorgan posting better than expected figures and an increase to their dividends. It appears US President Donald Trump can’t help himself from starting fights with everyone and every organisation he comes across, a list that now includes both the UK Prime Minister and NATO….
Synopsis of the week Last Friday’s bounce in equity markets has only lessened the losses on the week as equity markets have again struggled for confidence. As oil prices hit new multi-year highs last week, US President Trump called on Saudi Arabia to increase its output by 2 million barrels a day in order to counter the effects of Iranian…
Synopsis of the week Equity markets struggled as traders absorbed the latest move from the US in the tit for tat tariff war. Although it may take the Trump administration months to push through these suggested changes, it was a clear example that settlement is still some way off. The US Dollar index DXY hit new year highs, back to…
Synopsis of the week The ECB has confirmed that it will finish the current Quantitative Easing programme by the end of 2018.In the same statement, they also saw interest rates remaining unchanged until the summer of 2019. As expected, the US FOMC increased interest rates to 2% and accompanied this move with a statement suggesting we still could see another…
Synopsis of the week The DAX has had a second disappointing week in a row taking the German equity market back down to April levels, although still up 1.6% from the start of the year. Nestlé, Switzerland’s largest company has announced further job cuts here as they move Nespresso jobs to Spain, citing the strength of the Swiss Franc as…
Synopsis of the week ON / OFF US and North Korean Nuclear peace talks have spooked the markets as investors are left baffled as to what is happening. The Turkish central bank was forced to increase interest rates by 3% as the Lira collapsed against the US Dollar. The Euro has fallen in value over the last month leaving the…
Synopsis of the week This weekend has seen the US & China make progress on trade talks avoiding the threat of a trade war, at least for now. The US Dollar index continues to gather strength up by 5.25% in the last five weeks against a basket of all the other major global currencies. Oil prices have maintained their steady…
Synopsis of the week With the US reporting season almost finished and the European version past the halfway point, corporate data releases remain strong. Although European Economic data has cooled from last year, the US continues to charge ahead. Unemployment levels in the US are now 3.9% and this is a 17 year low. UK economic worries resurface again, weakening…
Synopsis of the week Good corporate earnings announcements and solid expectations help equity markets hold on for a second positive week in a row. Fridays intraday trading saw EUR/CHF trade above 1.2000 for the first time since the Swiss National Bank were forced to pull its peg on Thursday 15th January 2015. Falling inflation figures from the US, EU &…
Synopsis of the week Following the Assad regime’s use of Chemical weapons in Syria, Western forces successfully took out the infrastructure for their manufacture reportedly with minimal collateral damage. Conciliatory words from Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week have helped ease worries over trade wars between themselves and the US. Crude Oil continues its steady climb higher with prices breaking…
