European markets fell into the red on Friday, and were headed for the worst weekly loss in months, as the U.K. reported its first cases of coronavirus and data showed softer growth in the eurozone. The Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP, -0.62% fell 0.5% to 413.07 after closing down 1%Read More →
More than three years of pre-Brexit uncertainty have taken a heavy toll on the U.K. economy, with gross domestic product some 3% lower than it would have been otherwise, according to most estimates. And the stock market, as measured by the FTSE 100 index UKX, -0.75%, has massively underperformed itsRead More →
German stocks had a slippery hold on record territory Wednesday, as equities across Europe struggled to make gains amid lingering concerns over the spread of China’s coronavirus. The German DAX 30 index DAX, -0.01% pushed into record territory earlier in the day, rising to a high of 13,640.06, before turningRead More →
Shares of U.K. gambling companies slumped Tuesday after a ban on credit-card use was announced. The slump, which hit companies including 888 Holdings 888, -1.51% , GVC Holdings GVC, +0.17% , William Hill WMH, -1.08% and Flutter Entertainment FLTR, -0.02% , came as the U.K. Gambling Commission announced a banRead More →
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth issued an unprecedented statement on the future of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” the queen wrote in a statement. “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desireRead More →
It’s been said that behind every great man is a great woman. In Prince Harry’s case, it’s three wealthy and media-savvy women. Prince Harry receives income from Prince Charles, but they have vowed to become “financially independent.” Prince Harry owes his fortune to three famous women: his mother, the lateRead More →
Receiving a pay rise is a pretty nice Christmas present. That’s what Denise Coates, the billionaire founder of the online gambling firm Bet365, got this week when her pay package jumped to a cool £323 million ($421 million). Coates was paid £220 million last year, but her basic salary hasRead More →
Getty Images The financial district of Canary Wharf European stocks on Tuesday edged back from record levels, over concerns about the prospect of a so-called hard Brexit. After reaching an all-time record on Monday, the Stoxx Europe 600 SXXP, -0.68% dropped 0.72% to 414.76. U.K. newspapers reported freshly elected PrimeRead More →
Boris Johnson has won the U.K. election and is set for the biggest majority since Margaret Thatcher. News of the predicted win sent the pound sharply up and is likely to see markets rise. Johnson’s Conservative party is on course for 368 seats, which would give him a majority ofRead More →
The U.K. election this Thursday could give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the ammunition he needs to secure a Brexit deal, sending a basket of battered domestic stocks soaring. As the last election in 2017 and the 2016 EU referendum demonstrated, British politics are unpredictable and the final election opinion pollRead More →
It may seem as if Britain has been mired in political turmoil forever, but the stalemate over Brexit and the U.K.’s future may come to an end next week when the public goes to the polls. Political uncertainty over the past 3½ years has caused unprecedented volatility in the poundRead More →
The private equity buyers of Inmarsat refused to bow to shareholder pressure and increase their $3.4bn bid for the U.K. satellite company on Monday, just one day before a scheduled court hearing to approve the deal. The buyout consortium, which includes Apax Partners, Warburg Pincus, Canada Pension Plan Investment BoardRead More →
British stocks climbed higher on Tuesday despite the Conservative Party’s lead narrowing in two separate election polls. The FTSE 250 MCX, +0.59% moved to 15-month highs, climbing 0.6% above 20,800 points, while the FTSE 100 UKX, +0.11% edged 0.1% higher. The pound GBPUSD, -0.2481% slipped 0.2% toRead More →
James Bond or Homer Simpson? Brits split over Brexit are even more divided on how they view their colorful prime minister, latest research shows. If Boris Johnson were a fictional character, supporters who backed the U.K. leaving the European Union see him as James Bond, according to a report byRead More →
Credit Suisse advised investors to take a “tactical pause” in U.K. stocks before the December 12th general election. In a strategy note, the brokerage flagged a number of short-term risks. It said domestic U.K. stocks are “significantly overbought,” said election uncertainty may cause the market to worry, and said theRead More →
Britain’s divorce from the European Union was once again in disarray on Monday after the House of Commons speaker John Bercow refused to allow politicians to hold a second vote on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. That means that plans for the U.K. to leave the EU in 10Read More →
European stocks traded modestly higher on Monday, with banks in the lead as investors braced for another week of Brexit headlines, while software company SAP AG gained after reporting its results. The Stoxx Europe 600 SXXP, +0.37% rose 0.3% to 392.98, despite sharp losses for Wall Street on Friday. TheRead More →
Wild gyrations seen this week for the British pound continued Thursday, with the currency falling anew after a key group of Northern Ireland politicians said they can’t support U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s current Brexit plan. The pound GBPUSD, -0.2495% slid 0.6% to $1.2755, from $1.2828 seen late Wednesday inRead More →
Technogym is set to make its foray into streaming-online-fitness classes via digital platforms on its machines — putting the company on a collision course with the popular Peloton Interactive. The Milan-listed athletic-equipment outfit, characterized by some as the Netflix NFLX, +0.87% of fitness, is reinventing itself, in an effort toRead More →
The eurozone economy keeps slowing — forecasts are regularly proving to be too optimistic. After its latest cut to GDP estimates, the European Central Bank now sees gross domestic product growing 1.1% this year and 1.2% in 2020, compared with projections issued in June for 1.2% GDP in 2019 andRead More →
Living by the ocean blue can help keep you from feeling … well, blue. A new U.K. study of almost 26,000 people finds that those who reside about half a mile from the beach have better mental health than those who live more than 30 miles away. Researchers from theRead More →
The U.K. Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to release its ruling on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson lawfully prorogued Parliament. The decision, due at 10:30 a.m. local time (5:30 a.m. Eastern), could potentially result in the immediate recall of Parliament, which at the moment is shut down until Oct.Read More →
Getty Images Mark Carney the Governor of the Bank of England arrives for a Financial Stability Report press conference at the Bank of England on July 11, 2019 in London, England. What’s a central bank supposed to do when it’s not sure whether a supply-side shock is coming in aRead More →
Reuters Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson shops at a bakery during a visit to Doncaster Market, in Doncaster, Britain, September 13, 2019. The British pound came under pressure Wednesday as inflation data grew softer than forecast in August. U.K. consumer prices slowed to 1.7% year-over-year growth in August from 2.1%Read More →
The Federal Reserve has never been more famous than it is today. It drew praise, and ire, for its handling of the financial crisis a decade ago, and the extraordinary measures it took subsequently to stimulate the U.S. economy have made it an important driver of financial markets. Meanwhile, PresidentRead More →
