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☆ Shell and TotalEnergies listings: Europe risks losing its biggest oil companies to America
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Anna Cooban | Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —Two of Europe’s biggest oil companies, Shell and TotalEnergies, are considering abandoning their stock exchanges for Wall Street in a move that would deal a hammer blow to London and Paris. Shares of TotalEnergies and Shell trade on a price-to-cash flow ratio of 4.7 and 5.2 respectively, compared with a ratio of 8.4 for Exxon Mobil (XOM) and 7.6 for Chevron (CVX). Alastair Syme, managing director of global energy equity research at Citi, says Shell and TotalEnergies have long traded at a discount. Investors would “be much more comfortable” buying European energy companies if they were part of the more valuable S&P 500 benchmark index of US equities, according to Syme. London languishesStill, the slightest hint that Shell may consider leaving London will have rattled the city’s beleaguered main stock exchange.

Persons: Britain’s Shell, France’s, Alastair Syme, Syme, Patrick Pouyanne, “, ”, Wael Sawan, Sawan, London languishes, Chris Beauchamp, Shell, TotalEnergies, New York “ would’ve, ” Lindsey Stewart, Ben van Beurden, ” Syme Organizations: London CNN, Shell, CAC, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Citi, CNN, Investors, Bloomberg, London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, BP, Morningstar, Financial, Commodities Locations: London, Paris, New York, Chevron, Europe, United States, Switzerland, “

☆ UK’s Metro Bank and Lloyds join Barclays in announcing job cuts weeks before Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Staff at UK banks face layoffs in the lead-up to Christmas in what one labor union called “disgraceful” timing. Struggling Metro Bank said Thursday that it expected to slash headcount by 20% as part of efforts to save £50 million ($63 million) a year. But Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at stockbroker IG, said becoming more like the big banks Metro Bank sought to displace would “sorely diminish” the lender’s appeal. “Far from being a serious challenger to the UK’s established banks, Metro continues to flounder,” he wrote in a note. Metro Bank also said new stock issued as part of an emergency equity raise last month to shore up its finances would begin trading Thursday.

Persons: “, Daniel Frumkin, Chris Beauchamp, ”, Charles Schwab, Dominic Hook, upskilling, Andrew Coombs, Jaime Gilinski Bacal Organizations: London CNN — Staff, Metro Bank, Lloyds, Barclays, Metro, Citigroup, Vice Media, Continental, Unite, ” Citi, Bank of England Locations: United Kingdom

Money market traders are betting September's hike was the last, with almost 90 basis points of rate cuts priced by the end of 2024. European shares underperforming their U.S. counterparts was a common expectation amongst the survey's European respondents as the robust American economy looks more likely to achieve a 'soft landing' than Europe. European shares are much cheaper than those in the U.S., possibly reflecting the worse economic outlook. The STOXX Europe 600 trades at over 12 times 12-month forward earnings, a 35.6% discount to the S&P 500 (.SPX). "Still, as the broader economic slowdown takes hold of the continent's markets, we expect to see a rather challenging second half of 2024."

Persons: Chris Beauchamp, Thomas Monteiro, Germany's DAX, Fiona Cincotta, Cincotta, Investing.com's Monteiro, Monteiro, Samuel Indyk, Danilo Masoni, Pranoy Krishna, Rahul Trivedi, Sarupya Ganguly, Jason Neely Organizations: IG, European Central Bank, ECB, Investing.com, FTSE, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Europe, Germany, riskier, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Middle East violence rattles markets, oil jumps
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MARKET REACTION:- Oil prices surged, with Brent crude trading at $87.25 a barrel - up over 3% on the day. COMMENTS:MOHIT KUMAR, CHIEF EUROPE ECONOMIST, JEFFERIES, LONDON:“The coming days are likely to be driven by geopolitical risks, rather than fundamentals. “Second, OPEC countries do have spare capacity that they restrict willingly to maintain oil price at above $80 (per barrel), but they don’t necessarily think of tripling oil prices – which would only accelerate the energy transition. “This being said, potential retaliation against Tehran is a serious upside risk for oil prices. We will keep an eye on developments, but don’t speculate on a full-blast rise in oil prices for now.”

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Israel’s shekel, MOHIT KUMAR, JEFFERIES, ”, ” CHRIS BEAUCHAMP, Brent, WTI, CAROL KONG, JPY, ” MICHAEL HEWSON, ALVIN TAN, Blinken, “, ” IPEK OZKARDESKAYA, Israel Organizations: Oil, REUTERS, Brent, U.S, Treasury, British Airways, LONDON, Russo, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF, CMC, U.S ., OF, OF ASIA FX, RBS, SWISSQUOTE BANK Locations: Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Yom, EUROPE, Iran, Ukrainian, SYDNEY, Asia, Japan, Straits, Hormuz, OF ASIA, ” “, GENEVA, OPEC, U.S, Tehran

☆ Metro Bank: Shares in UK bank just plunged over 30%
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Shares in UK lender Metro Bank sank as much as 31% Thursday following a report that it was urgently seeking to raise funds to shore up its finances. Metro Bank opened in 2010 as the first challenger to Britain’s major main street banks — including Lloyds (LYG), Barclays (BCS) and HSBC (HSBC) — in more than 100 years. Metro Bank’s assurances did little to support its share price, which pared some of its earlier losses but was down by 31% again by late afternoon in London. The bank’s shares are down almost 66% since mid-September when UK regulators refused its request to change the way it calculates capital requirements on its residential mortgages book. A Metro Bank branch in the UK city of Sheffield, seen in April Mike Egerton/APThe ratings agency noted that Metro Bank had to refinance a £350 million ($425 million) bond by October 2024.

Persons: “, Fitch, ” Fitch, Mike Egerton, Chris Beauchamp, isn’t, ”, — Hanna Ziady Organizations: London CNN —, Metro Bank, Financial Times, Lloyds, Barclays, BCS, HSBC, —, Metro, Bank, UK Financial, Prudential Regulation Authority, Bank of England, IG, CNN, Financial, Metro Bank . CNN, Prudential, Banking Supervision, Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic Bank, Credit Suisse — Locations: ”, London, Sheffield, United States, United Kingdom, Basel

☆ Reactions: UK inflation cools in June, pound drops
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sterling dropped broadly, falling against the dollar, the euro and the yen, as interest-rate futures showed investors no longer expect UK rates to peak above 6%. COMMENTS:KEVIN BRIGHT, GLOBAL LEADER, CONSUMER PRICING PRACTICE, MCKINSEY & COMPANY, LONDON:"Inflation dipped more than expected; but the gulf between the UK and the Eurozone inflation levels remains. Despite most categories seeing a decline, food & non-alcoholic beverage inflation at 17.3% remains only 1.8% below its peak in March 2023. "Continued rising prices, higher interest rates and below inflation wage growth – are a triple blow to household budgets. NEIL BIRRELL, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, PREMIER MITON INVESTORS, LONDON:"Some good news on UK inflation at last, coming in below expectations for June and most importantly the core inflation rate fell more than thought.

Persons: Sterling, BoE, KEVIN, JOE TUCKEY, JORDAN, NOMURA, CHRIS BEAUCHAMP, Andrew Bailey, JEREMY BATSTONE, CARR, RAYMOND JAMES, ” KENNETH BROUX, It's, JOSEPH CALNAN, NEIL BIRRELL, Amanda Cooper, Andrew Heavens, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank of England's, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, MCKINSEY, COMPANY, LONDON, Bank of England, JORDAN ROCHESTER, CPI, IG GROUP, Bank of, SOCIETE GENERALE, U.S, EMEA, Thomson Locations: homebuilders, Bank of England, EUROPEAN

☆ Ocado hits five-month high after return to profit, keeping guidance
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ocado shares surged on Tuesday after the British online supermarket and technology group kept its financial guidance for the year as it reported a return to underlying profit in its first half. Shares surged 15.3% to their highest since February, beating the four-month peak set in June after a report of possible takeover interest from Amazon boosted the company's stock. Its Technology Solutions revenue jumped 59%. Ocado said there was no change to the financial guidance given at its full-year results in February. Ocado shares surged 32% on June 22 after The Times newspaper reported speculation of possible bid interest in the online supermarket from more than one U.S. suitor including tech heavyweight Amazon.

Persons: Chris Beauchamp, Ocado, I've, Tim Steiner Organizations: Technology Solutions, IG Group, Tech Solutions, Ocado, Marks, Logistics, Kroger, Casino, Jefferies, U.S, The Times Locations: United States, Japan, France, U.S

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) deepened losses by the close to fall 2.3% to its lowest level since late March, while the EURO STOXX 50 index (.STOXX50E) plunged 2.9%. Germany's two-year bond yield , which is highly sensitive to interest-rate expectations, rose its highest since autumn 2008, also pressuring equities. Technology stocks (.SX8P) fell 3.0%, while the real estate sector (.SX86P), which are often treated as bond proxies, tumbled 4.2%. German industrial orders rose significantly more than expected in May, due to large scale orders of ships, spacecraft and military vehicles. Embracer (EMBRACb.ST), the top loser on the STOXX 600, fell 13.8% after the gaming group raised 2 billion crowns ($182 million) in a share issue directed to institutional investors.

Persons: Chris Beauchamp, Janet Yellen's, Matteo Allievi, Shubham Batra, Shreyashi Sanyal, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Varun, David Evans Organizations: CAC, U.S, Technology, Treasury, Thomson Locations: U.S . Federal, U.S, China, British, Gdansk, Bengaluru

☆ UK FTSE 100 at three-month low as rate hike worries grip; Currys slumps
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 1.2%, hitting its lowest level since March 24. Currys (CURY.L) tumbled 13.3% to its lowest level in more than 20 years after the electricals retailer reported a 38% slump in full-year profit. The commodity-heavy UK benchmark has been underperforming its peers this year amid volatility in resource prices over an uncertain global outlook. Among individual stocks, United Utilities (UU.L) climbed 1.8% after Morgan Stanley raised the water utility firm's rating to "overweight" from "equal-weight." Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: tanked, Chris Beauchamp, Beauchamp, Morgan Stanley, Shashwat Chauhan, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: United Utilities, P, FTSE, U.S, U.S . Federal, IG Group, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Prudential, CAB, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, U.S ., Bengaluru

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) dipped 0.2%, reversing gains of some 0.4%, to kick off the first day of the second half of the year on the back foot. The broader healthcare index (.SXDP) fell 2.0%, leading falls among sectors. The moves helped Italy's financials-heavy benchmark FTSE MIB (.FTMIB) climb 0.8%, a bright spot among other bourses in the region. The broader STOXX 600 had gained 8.7% in the first half of the year, largely due to strong gains early into 2023. "A muted atmosphere prevails across stock markets this afternoon," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG.

Persons: Assicurazioni, Delfin, Italy's, Chris Beauchamp, Amruta Khandekar, Shreyashi Sanyal, Matteo Allievi, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Janane Venkatraman, Conor Humphries Organizations: Miners, AstraZeneca, Generali, British, MIB, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: China, Bengaluru, Gdansk

☆ VIEW Bank of England delivers hefty rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Traders scrambled to price in a peak to UK rates of as much 6% and its implications for the risk of recession, and rate-sensitive stocks like banks and homebuilders slid. MONEY MARKETS: UK 2-year gilts dropped sharply, then rose after the decision but were last unchanged at 5.04%. But even if the bank hasn't offered up any new guidance, the rate decision itself is revealing. The UK has the unenviable title of highest core inflation rate in the G7, and by quite some margin. "Having said that, their policy is now more data dependent, the bank had to deliver a rate increase.

Persons: homebuilders, Sterling, gilts, JAMIE NIVEN, JAMES SMITH, hasn’t, hasn't, BoE, SEEMA SHAH, CHRIS BEAUCHAMP, Bailey, PAUL OBERSCHNEIDER, BOE, ” ROBERT JEFFREE, GARY SMITH, EVELYN, Yoruk Organizations: Bank of England, MPC, Traders, CANDRIAM, ING, LONDON, IG GROUP, Treasury, EMEA, Thomson

☆ UK equities rise on upbeat global mood, BT Group tumbles on weak cash flow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"There's clearly a lack of real strategy and it's not enough to just say we're going to cut costs. Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L) earlier this week said it would cut 11,000 jobs globally over three years after it warned that a poor performance in its biggest market Germany would hit cash flow. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.6%, reflecting an upbeat mood in global markets on hopes that Washington is edging closer to a deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and avert a default. Among other movers, luxury group Burberry Group Plc (BRBY.L) fell 6.2% as continued weakness in the United States overshadowed a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter sales driven by a rebound in China. EasyJet Plc rose 1% after the airline posted a first-half loss in line with its guidance.

The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 (.FTSE) edged 0.1% lower, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) was flat as of 0814 GMT. "Gains in homebuilders is being counteracted by ex-dividend moves today," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group. Even as concerns over a potential U.S. recession have weighed on investor sentiment, defensive stocks such as pharmaceuticals as well as commodity-linked stocks have kept FTSE 100 afloat recently. Shares of Lloyds Group (LLOY.L), Unite Group (UTG.L) and Persimmon (PSN.L) among others were down between 1.7%-3% as the stocks traded ex-dividend. Reporting by Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru; Editing by Sohini Goswami and Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dow dives over 600 points as Credit Suisse selloff injects fresh unease into markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US stock futures sank Wednesday as worries about Credit Suisse's financial health revived fears over banks. Dow futures fell as much as 600 points premarket as the worries dented US investor sentiment. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures shed as much as 600 points in premarket trading and were down 530 points at last check. The drop came after a huge selloff in Credit Suisse shares undermined investor sentiment, with fears growing that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank will spiral into a full-blown banking crisis. The extended tumble in Credit Suisse's share price has fueled unease about the global banking sector after SVB, Signature Bank, and Silvergate Capital all imploded over recent days.

☆ Europe’s banking stocks suffer biggest drop in a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Europe’s benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Banks index, which tracks 42 big EU and UK banks, fell 5.6% by mid-afternoon — notching its biggest fall since March last year. The broader Stoxx Europe 600 index dropped 2.1%, while the bank-heavy FTSE 100 (UKX) was 2.2% down. A Brinks armored truck sits parked in front of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. It is unclear how many unrealized losses EU and UK banks are carrying on their books. Beauchamp added that the sharper falls in European bank stocks so far seen on Monday might partly reflect their stronger performance relative to US banks this year.

SummarySummary Companies Centrica, StanChart jump on upbeat earningsVodafone up on report exploring options for African UnitFTSE 100 up 0.2%, FTSE 250 flatFeb 16 (Reuters) - Britain's internationally-focussed FTSE 100 on Thursday closed above 8,000 points for the first time as upbeat earnings from Centrica and Standard Chartered countered global risk-off sentiment after hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) gained 0.2%, off an intra-day record high hit earlier in the day, but still at its highest ever closing level of 8,012.53 points. The exporter-heavy index has had a stellar start to the year, gaining 7.5% so far as positive corporate earnings and rising commodity prices supported the index. Data showed U.S. producer prices rose more than expected in January while jobless claims unexpectedly fell, fanning speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve would keep raising interest rates for longer than expected. Shares of Centrica (CNA.L) jumped to top the FTSE 100, adding 5.7%, after the British Gas owner's annual profit more than tripled and it announced an extension of its share buyback programme.

Analysts said the new cash may afford Bed Bath only a few quarters to revive its business, and a weakening economy would diminish any chance of a successful turnaround. Bed Bath declined to comment on Hudson Bay Capital's role in the share sale. "All is on hold," a maker of children's apparel said last week, adding that it had stopped shipping products to Bed Bath since early January. A shopping cart is seen at a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., June 29, 2022. Reuters reported late last month that Bed Bath had lined up liquidators to close additional stores unless a last-minute buyer emerged.

Hudson Bay Capital is unrelated to Canadian department store chain Hudson's Bay Co. Bed Bath & Beyond declined to comment earlier Tuesday on Hudson Bay Capital leading investment in the share sale. A shopping cart is seen at a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., June 29, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew KellyPrices on Bed Bath & Beyond bonds due in 2024 climbed to 24 cents on the dollar from around 5 cents, a level still indicating financial distress. Bed Bath shares rose 2.7% in extended trading, after closing down 49% on Tuesday.

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☆ Teslas are finally getting cheaper. It's a sign Elon Musk's back is against the wall.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tesla cutting prices by up to 20% on its models in a sign of trouble for Elon Musk. Interest rate hikes have also increased the costs of financing the purchase of a Tesla, making it harder for consumers already battered by inflation to make the switch. Moores added that when it comes to demand, "backlog orders have come down significantly for Tesla," making price cuts is "a good way to increase the immediate- and medium-term sales pipeline". Price cuts will of course be welcomed by consumers. Wedbush's Ives estimates that "all together these price cuts could spur demand" by 12-15% globally in 2023.

☆ Dow soars 700 points after December jobs and services activity reports boost hopes for Fed rate cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US stocks jumped Friday after December payrolls and services-sector data. The economic data showed signs of easing inflation, bolstering hopes the Fed will cut interest rates this year. The S&P 500 avoided a fifth consecutive weekly decline. Meanwhile, the Institute for Supply Management's services-sector report showed prices paid decelerated while services activity shrank for the first time since May 2020. Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman sees just a 5% chance the S&P 500 pares back the losses it's logged since March 2022.

☆ Europe’s recession may not be as bad as feared
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

On Wednesday, France’s statistics institute said consumer price inflation was 5.9% in December, down from 6.2% in November. A drop in energy prices drove the decline, the institute said. In Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, provisional data released on Tuesday showed that inflation had fallen to 8.6% in December, from 10% the month before. “If we are seeing a continued flight to value, then the relative cheapness of European stocks is a big plus,” he said. Benchmark prices for European natural gas futures have tumbled 10% since Monday to €69 ($73) per megawatt hour.

☆ Elon had to choose between Twitter and Tesla. He's choosing Tesla.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk has been forced to make a tough choice: Tesla or Twitter. He's picking Tesla, which represents nearly half his $156 billion in estimated wealth, and the Twitter poll gave him a handy escape pod. That red ink wasn't as much of a problem when interest rates were low, and Tesla's shares were soaring. But as the Federal Reserve has aggressively hiked interest rates to curb inflation, using Tesla stock to pay off the debt on the Twitter buyout is a problem for Tesla. "Tesla is so much an Elon stock, it stands or falls because of him," Beauchamp said.

[1/2] A worker shelters from the rain under a Union Flag umbrella as he passes the London Stock Exchange in London, Britain, October 1, 2008. An investor in Wood Group (WG.L), an oilfield services company, urged the company to buy back some of its own shares to avoid being a target. The domestically-focused FTSE 250 (.FTMC) is down by almost a fifth this year while the internationally-focused blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) is up 0.8% thanks to a drop in the pound. A currency advantage alone does not necessarily kick-start deals though, according to Owain Evans, co-head of UK M&A for Goldman Sachs. "Large corporates continue to look at 'bolt-ons', where they can draw on existing facilities to do those deals, that's why the mid-cap space is attractive to the strategics in this environment," said Celia Murray, head of UK M&A at JPMorgan.

☆ FTSE 100 slips as China COVID protests rattle markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies China protests drag global markets lowerEnergy, miners slip on lower commodity pricesReal estate down after dour dataFTSE 100 down 0.7%, FTSE 250 off 0.9%Nov 28 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 slipped on Monday, with energy and mining stocks leading broad-based losses, as investors globally fretted over China's economic outlook following rare protests in the country against its strict COVID-19 restrictions. The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) shed 0.7%, following two weekly gains that lifted the index to its highest levels in more than two months. Energy stocks were the biggest drags in the FTSE 100, with oil majors BP (BP.L) and Shell (SHEL.L) down around 1.5% each. Commodity prices dipped on worries about demand from top consumer China where protests against strict COVID-19 restrictions flared up. "It's a very hard thing to price, even the markets are not used to seeing demonstrations in China," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group.

☆ These 3 charts show the chaos that ran through markets during the 45 days that Liz Truss was UK prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Liz Truss resigned as UK prime minister on Thursday after just 45 days in the role. Truss quit as UK prime minister after just 45 days in the role Thursday, becoming the shortest-serving leader in the country's history. "First her policies went up in flames, then her brief career as prime minister," IG's chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp said. "The great political gamble of Liz Truss has spectacularly backfired but not before wreaking significant damage to the UK economy." Read more: UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned after the market rebelled against her aggressive economic growth plan.

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