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☆ You can buy an endangered monkey on Facebook in 20 minutes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It took BI 20 minutes to find endangered squirrel monkeys and other exotic species for sale. Used lawn furniture, homemade baked goods… endangered species. 20 minutes to monkeysIt took BI less than two minutes to identify Facebook accounts selling the bowmouth guitarfish horns. Advertisement"In just two mouse clicks, our researchers could locate substantial wildlife trafficking content," researchers behind the ACCO study wrote. "Facilitated by transnational organized crime networks, with links to drug, human, and weapon trafficking, illegal wildlife trade threatens not only wildlife populations," Allan told BI.

Persons: —, Crawford Allan, Allan, Jill Atkins Organizations: Facebook, Service, World Wildlife Fund, Coalition, Meta, Products, BI, Wildlife Fund, Wildlife, Alliance, WWF, United Nations, Sheffield University Management School, University of Sheffield

☆ Watches of Switzerland shares plunge 30% after guidance cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An employee arranges a display of Omega SA watches in the window of a Watches of Switzerland Group Plc store on Regent Street in London, UK, on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. One of Watches of Switzerland Group Plc's biggest investors cut its stake in the UK-listed timepiece retailer less than 24 hours after Rolex SA decided to buy a rival, Bucherer AG. Photographer: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWatches of Switzerland shares plummeted 30% on Thursday at 08:46 a.m. London time, after the luxury watch retailer cut its guidance for the 2024 fiscal year. Despite the market panic, analysts at both Jefferies and Investec reiterated their "buy" ratings on Watches of Switzerland stock in flash notes on Thursday. "However, the extent of the adjustments to the guidance range will be painful to navigate in the near term."

Persons: Jose Sarmento Matos, WOSG, —, Brian Duffy, Duffy, Investec Organizations: Omega SA, Switzerland Group, Switzerland Group Plc's, Rolex SA, Bucherer AG, Bloomberg, Getty, Switzerland, U.S, Rolex, Jefferies Locations: London, U.S, Switzerland

☆ These 3 stocks could rally by another 50%, analysts say, despite big jumps this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Three stocks — Liberty Broadband , U.K.'s BT Group and JD Sports Fashion — have risen by double-digit percentages this year. Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband is a telecommunication holding company that has an ownership interest in Charter Communications, the second-largest cable operator in the United States. The consensus price target of analysts polled by FactSet points to a 55% upside potential for Liberty Broadband shares from the current share price of $82. Deutsche Bank views Liberty Broadband as an attractive way to invest in Charter, estimating it trades at a 32% discount to net asset value (NAV). BT.A-GB YTD line Their price target of 220 pence implies an additional 79% share price increase over the next year from the current share price of 123 pence.

Persons: FactSet, Bryan Kraft, Benjamin Soff, Morgan Stanley, Openreach, Terence Tsui, Kate Calvert, Calvert, JD, Michael Bloom Organizations: Liberty Broadband, BT Group, JD, Wall, CNBC Pro, CNBC Pro Stock, Liberty Broadband Liberty Broadband, Charter Communications, Deutsche Bank, CHTR, BT, JD Sports, North America, Dick's Sporting Goods Locations: United States, Alaska, U.K, BT.A, Europe, North, Derby, Heerlen, Netherlands, U.S

☆ British tax cut spells trouble in store for next government
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt's big tax cut surprise could help the ruling Conservatives recover some favour among voters, but it threatens to store up budget problems for whichever party wins power after the expected 2024 election. Combined with his decision to make permanent the incentives for business investment announced earlier this year, Hunt's package of tax cuts would be worth about 20 billion pounds ($25 billion)a year by the 2028/29 tax year. "The giveaways announced today are funded by handing whoever wins the next election implausibly large spending cuts," Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said. Hunt is likely to remain under pressure from within his party to go further with more tax cuts in a final pre-election budget statement expected in March. "There's a material risk that those plans prove undeliverable and today's tax cuts will not prove to be sustainable," Johnson said.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Jeremy Hunt's, Hunt, Liz, Rishi Sunak, Labour Party's, Rachel Reeves, Torsten Bell, Investec, David Jones, Paul Johnson, Johnson, William Schomberg, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Wednesday, Labour, Conservative, Bank of England, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

Investors cautioned that tax breaks would not be sufficient to raise business investment while UK interest rates stayed high. But Wednesday, equity markets focused on Hunt's business boosts, such as a move to make full expensing on investment permanent. UK stock markets have underperformed their European and U.S. peers in 2023. The FTSE 100 index 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio is around 10.7, about half that of U.S. stocks, with Hunt's budget unlikely to move the dial too far. Reuters GraphicsSTERLING SOGGYThe pound struggled to gain any traction on the back of Hunt's budget.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kwasi Kwarteng, Leigh Himsworth, Simon Harvey, Philip Shaw, Thomas McGarrity, Fuller, Smith, Turner, Oli Creasey, It's, BoE, GILTS, Craig Erlam, Goldman Sachs, Naomi Rovnick, Samuel Indyk, Lucy Raitano, Amanda Cooper, Harry Robertson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, Traders, Investors, Fidelity International, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, BT, Investec, RBC Wealth Management, Reuters, BREWERS, Debt Management, Reuters Graphics STERLING, Thomson Locations: U.S, Cheviot, gilts, London

[1/5] Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street for the House of Commons to deliver his autumn statement, in London, Britain, November 22, 2023. "After a global pandemic and energy crisis, we have taken difficult decisions to put our economy back on track," Hunt told parliament on Wednesday in his Autumn Statement fiscal update. Hunt pointed to OBR forecasts showing the government would meet its targets for the public finances, leaving open the possibility of further pre-election giveaways to voters in his full budget statement expected in early 2024. Sunak this week promised "responsible" tax cuts, mindful of last year's "mini-budget" turmoil in financial markets triggered by his predecessor Liz Truss's plans for much bigger tax cuts. This time last year, the newly installed Sunak and Hunt raised taxes sharply to quell the bond market mayhem.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Stefan Rousseau, Hunt, Rishi Sunak's, Paul Johnson, we've, giveaways, Johnson, BoE, Philip Shaw, Liz Truss's, Muvija M, Paul Sandle, Sarah Young, William James, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, James Davey, Suban Abdulla, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Sumanta Sen, William Schomberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Labour, Labour Party, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Gross, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, Graphics, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ What Is Going On in Britain’s Economy? The Picture Is Foggy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Eshe Nelson | More About Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tuesday’s data showed that the labor market was continuing to cool, following the same trend as the previous month, with more unemployment and fewer job vacancies. The Bank of England has raised interest rates to their highest level since 2008, and officials have signaled they will remain high well into next year. But the latest labor market release needs to be taken “with a huge pinch of salt,” Philip Shaw, an economist at Investec, wrote in an analyst note. Policymakers at the Bank of England have “lost another important set of figures” to guide them in setting interest rates, he argued. Last month, the statistics office issued a particularly large upward revision to the size of the economy after pandemic lockdowns.

Persons: ” Philip Shaw Organizations: Bank of England, Investec, Statisticians, Labor Force Survey

☆ Bargain hunters dig in to 'cheap' European banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Naomi Rovnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Just before earnings season kicks off, European bank shares are sporting a dividend yield of almost 8%, making them cheaper on this basis than during the 2008 global financial crisis. European banks, which struggled during 2014 to 2022 as the ECB kept rates below zero, have had a major boost from hiking their loan costs in line with central bank rates. Analyst forecasts collated by European asset manager Amundi show European banks are expected to grow adjusted earnings per share by 25% this year, followed by a 6% gain in 2024. Generali's Morganti said he has moved his position on European banks from negative to neutral and was likely to add more. He did not forecast quick gains for European banks ahead, however.

Persons: Guy de Blonay, Sebastiano Pirro, Roger Lee, Amundi, LSEG, Michele Morganti, Italy's Unicredit, Banks, Pirro, Generali's Morganti, Naomi Rovnick, Joice Alves, Dhara Ranasinghe, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters Graphics Banks, Jupiter Asset Management, Algebris Investments, European Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Bank, Generali Investments, Monetary Fund, Thomson

☆ Birkenstock's IPO is set to boost another footwear stock by 65%, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Birkenstock 's recent initial public offering (IPO) is expected to help boost shares of British footwear brand Dr. Martens , according to Investec analysts. The analysts pointed out that Birkenstock's sales last year were slightly higher than Dr. Martens' projected sales this year. However, the German company sells over twice the volume of footwear as Dr. Martens, which has a higher average selling price. DOCS-GB YTD line Similarities and differences Birkenstock's business model and brand ethos have many similarities to Dr. Martens, according to the analysts. RBC said it has a "Sector Perform" rating, equivalent to "hold" at other investment banks, on Dr. Martens.

Persons: Birkenstock, Martens, Kate Calvert, Ben Hunt, Dr Martens Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, RBC Capital Markets, RBC Locations: London, British, Germany, U.S, Europe, Asia, Pacific

☆ Oil falls over $2 on demand fears, Saudi confirms cuts to year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Robert Harvey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oil pump jacks are seen at the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Oil fell on Wednesday, as pledges by Saudi Arabia and Russia to continue crude output cuts to the end of 2023 were offset by demand fears stemming from macroeconomic headwinds. Brent crude oil futures were down $2.02, or 2.22%, to $88.90 a barrel at 1228 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell $2.10, or 2.35%, to $87.13 per barrel. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said joint voluntary cuts by Russia and Saudi Arabia have helped to balance oil markets. As the trade currency of oil, a strong dollar makes oil comparatively expensive for holders of other currencies, which can dampen demand.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Brent, Callum Macpherson, Alexander Novak, Novak, John Evans, Robert Harvey, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, Mark Potter, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Wednesday, Saudi, Kommersant, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC

☆ Oil falls over $1 on demand fears, Saudi confirms cuts to year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Robert Harvey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oil pump jacks are seen at the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Oil fell on Wednesday, as pledges by Saudi Arabia and Russia to continue crude output cuts to the end of 2023 were offset by demand fears stemming from macroeconomic headwinds. Brent crude oil futures were down $1.51, or 1.66%, to $89.41 a barrel at 1206 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell $1.59, or 1.78%, to $87.64 per barrel. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry confirmed on Wednesday it will continue its voluntary 1 million barrel per day (bpd) crude supply cut until the end of this year. As the trade currency of oil, a strong dollar makes oil comparatively expensive for holders of other currencies, which can dampen demand.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Brent, Callum Macpherson, John Evans, Robert Harvey, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, Mark Potter, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Wednesday, Saudi, Kommersant, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC

☆ Reactions: Bank of England bashes pound after halting rate rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

A pedestrian carrying an umbrella walks near the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, July 30, 2023. Investors had already rushed on Wednesday to reel in their bets on further UK rate rises after data showed UK inflation cooled surprisingly quickly in August. Against the euro , the pound was down 0.5% at 86.74 pence, having traded around 86.70 pence before the decision. "The MPC still refers to its flexibility to react should things change, but the chances are this could be the peak in this UK interest rate cycle." "However, there is a risk that the ‘lag effect’ on interest rate hikes means that today’s decision may not be felt for another 9 to 12 months."

Persons: Hollie Adams, Sterling, THOMAS, Huw Pill's, HUGH GIMBER, PHILIP SHAW, DOUGLAS GRANT, JEREMY BATSTONE, CARR, RAYMOND JAMES, FRANCES HAQUE, JOE TUCKEY, RICHARD GARLAND, GILES COGHLAN, BoE, stagflation, Amanda Cooper, Dhara Organizations: Bank of England, City of, REUTERS, London, Investors, Bank of, Bank, MPC, SANTANDER, LONDON, Core CPI, PMI, CPI, EMEA, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, London, MANX, EUROPEAN, FRANCE, GROUP, OXFORDSHIRE

Chevron Chief Executive Mike Wirth also said he thinks oil will cross $100 per barrel in a Bloomberg News interview. Saudi Arabia and Russia this month extended a combined 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of supply cuts to the end of the year. Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Monday defended OPEC+ cuts to oil market supply, saying international energy markets need light-handed regulation to limit volatility. China, considered the engine of oil demand growth, is a key risk because of its sluggish post-pandemic economic recovery, though its oil imports have remained robust. "The high-for-longer mantra would ultimately have a negative impact on economic growth and would affect oil demand."

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Brent, WTI, Fiona Cincotta, Mike Wirth, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Callum Macpherson, Tamas Varga, PVM's Varga, Arathy Somasekhar, Natalie Grover, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, David Goodman, Timothy Gardner Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Citi, Monday, Chevron, Bloomberg, ANZ, XM, U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, Saudi, Investec, Europe, Houston, London, Singapore

☆ Oil prices continue to rally on tight supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oil tankers sail along Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. China, considered the engine of oil demand growth, remains possibly the biggest risk because of its sluggish post-pandemic economic recovery. "Lack of protracted progress, nonetheless, will be viewed as a major setback on the demand side," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM. "The high-for-longer mantra would ultimately have a negative impact on economic growth and would affect oil demand." "The question is, will the Saudis continue to maintain the deficit given the risk that higher prices must surely, at some point, stimulate US shale (oil output)," Investec analyst Callum Macpherson said.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Brent, WTI, Tamas Varga, PVM's Varga, Callum Macpherson, Natalie Grover, Florence Tan, Sudarshan, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, West Texas, XM, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Europe, China, London, Singapore

☆ Bank of England to raise Bank Rate to 5.50% in September, significant minority expect further hike: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Shaloo Shrivastava | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly all 65 economists in the Sept. 11-13 Reuters poll expected the BoE to hike its Bank Rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% this month, in line with interest rate futures pricing. Survey medians showed the Bank Rate was expected to peak at 5.50%, matching rate futures pricing, and stay there until mid-2024. While 28 economists expected the Bank Rate to peak at 5.75%, two said 6.00%. Nine of 16 gilt-edged Market Makers (GEMMs) that participated in the poll predicted a 5.50% peak rate and seven said 5.75%. A separate Reuters poll showed average house prices in Britain were predicted to fall 4% this year and flatline in 2024 before rising in 2025.

Persons: BoE, Maja Smiejkowska, Ellie Henderson, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Catherine Mann, Shaloo Shrivastava, Anitta Sunil, Purujit Arun, Maneesh Kumar, Pranoy, Ross Finley, Hari Kishan, Mark Potter Organizations: Bank of England, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, HSBC, MPC, Royal Institution, Chartered Surveyors, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Investec

☆ From holidays to mortgage waivers, UK homebuilders dish out freebies to revive sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Ajose Koilparambil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

If they have a 5% deposit, then deposit boost works well where we give an additional 5% so that they can secure a 90% loan-to-value mortgage," said a sales director with Persimmon. Some homebuyers are opting for exchange options, where the builder purchases the buyer's existing property and the payment helps fund the new-home purchase. "Mortgage holidays", offered by Persimmon and other builders, are also popular among homebuyers with builders contributing towards home-loan payment during a specific period. Reuters GraphicsKNOCK ON MARGINSThe incentives, while aimed at boosting demand, come at a cost for homebuilders struggling to keep costs low. Persimmon said last month sales incentives and marketing costs shaved off 2.1% from its half-year gross margins.

Persons: Toby Melville, Barratt, Persimmon, Aynsley Lammin, Peel Hunt, Sam Cullen, Cullen, Taylor, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Sweta Singh, Saumyadeb Organizations: REUTERS, British, Reuters Graphics, Bank of England, Reuters, Peel, Thomson Locations: Bristol, Britain, British, Bengaluru

☆ Europe's Gabon-exposed stocks slide after military coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Danilo Masoni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Shares in European oil producers, miners and other companies with large exposures to Gabon plummeted on Wednesday after a military coup raised concerns over their operations in the resource-rich African country. "Shares are reacting to concerns over the backdrop in Gabon," said Investec equity analyst Alex Smith in London. However, Assala Energy, which current owner Carlyle (CG.O) has agreed to sell to Maurel, said its oil production in Gabon was unaffected. "Note Gabon production represents around 20% of group production. Oslo-listed Panoro Energy (PENR.OL) and BW Energy (BWE.OL) were down 5% and 7%, respectively, and U.S.-based Vaalco Energy (EGY.N) fell 13.8%.

Persons: Maurel, Eramet, Alex Smith, Ali Bongo, Carlyle, Investec's Smith, Danilo Masoni, Alun John, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: MILAN, Military, REUTERS, Staff, Rights, Assala Energy, Energy, BW Energy, Vaalco Energy, Thomson Locations: Gabon, London, France, Frankfurt, Germany, Gabonese, Mouila, OPEC, Oslo, U.S, Gabon's

☆ Why inflation makes Britain’s debt the costliest among rich economies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Interest payable on UK central government debt hoovered up £7.7 billion ($9.8 billion) last month alone, hitting a record for July, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday. That’s double the share in Italy, whose dependence on inflation-linked debt comes second only to that of the UK among advanced economies, according to Fitch Ratings. According to Fitch, Britain now spends more to service its debt than any other developed economy, as a percentage of government revenue. In a statement Tuesday, Hunt said: “As inflation slows, it’s vital that we don’t alter our course and continue to act responsibly with the public finances. Only by sticking to our plan will we halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt.”

Persons: That’s, ”, Ellie Henderson, Fitch, ” Ruth Gregory, Jeremy Hunt “, Gregory, Hunt Organizations: London CNN, National Statistics, United, Fitch, “, Investec, AAA, Capital Economics, CNN, Conservative Locations: Ukraine, United States, Italy, Fitch, Britain, London

☆ UK inflation slows to 6.8% but services are getting even more expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

That is the smallest annual rise since February 2022 and reflects falls in the price of gas and electricity after an energy price cap, set by the energy regulator, was lowered at the end of June. “Although remaining high, food price inflation has also eased again, particularly for milk, bread and cereal,” said ONS deputy director of prices Matthew Corder. Food price inflation slowed to 14.9% in July, from 17.4% in June, with prices still rising strongly but less than in June. In less good news, services inflation accelerated last month to 7.4%, from 7.2% in June. “With labor costs being the bulk of the expense for services providers, the Bank of England may deem that more work has to be done to ensure that services price inflation is contained,” said Ellie Henderson, an economist at Investec in London.

Persons: ”, Matthew Corder, Ellie Henderson, Jamie Dutta Organizations: London CNN —, National Statistics, Bank of England, Investec, Financial Locations: “, London

July 26 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. China's blue chip equity index rose nearly 3% for its best day this year, and Chinese property stocks surged 8% for their biggest rise this year too. Hong Kong's main property stocks index jumped 14%, the biggest rise since March last year. The mainland property index is still down 13% this year and the Hong Kong-based index is down 25%. All this comes ahead of the first of three major central bank policy decisions this week - the Federal Reserve is expected to raise rates 25 basis points on Wednesday, followed by a similar move from the European Central Bank on Thursday and the Bank of Japan holding the line on Friday.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, It's Organizations: MSCI's, Big Tech, Microsoft, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Thomson, Reuters Locations: China, Hong, Hong Kong, MSCI's Asia, Japan, Asia, Australia, Singapore

☆ UK homebuilders under pressure as lofty mortgages deter first-time buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Ajose Koilparambil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Midcap firms Bellway (BWY.L) and Crest Nicholson (CRST.L) have also pointed to high mortgage rates hampering demand from first-time buyers. Even a potential revival of the government's 'Help to Buy' scheme, which offered incentives to first-time buyers, will not be enough to improve affordability, analysts have said. Persimmon (PSN.L), one of Britain's biggest homebuilders heavily exposed to first-time buyers compared to its FTSE 100 peers, has offered new customers a "10 months mortgage free" deal. Still, the housing sector faces an uncertain path to recovery, given the ultra-elevated mortgage rate levels. Meanwhile, investors will look out for updates on demand when a couple of high-profile homebuilders report half-year results next month.

Persons: Barratt, BDEV.L, Nicholson, Steve Turner, Bellway, Peel Hunt, Sam Cullen, housebuilders, Cullen, Persimmon, Rob Perrins, Jeremy Hunt, Aynsley Lammin, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Sweta Singh, Saumyadeb Organizations: Berkeley, Reuters, Home Builders Federation, Bank of, Times, Housing, Thomson Locations: Berkeley, England, Wales, Bank of England, Bengaluru

U.S. stocks have made big gains this year, but the performance across global stocks has been uneven so far. So where will global stocks go in the second half of the year? Five of the strategists polled expect global markets to fall, while another five say the stocks will beat their U.S. counterparts. Global market bulls Those who expect global stocks to beat the U.S. are most bullish on the U.K., Europe and Japan. Global market bears Andreas Bruckner, European equity strategist at BofA Global Research, predicts that Europe's Stoxx 600 will end the year at 390 — a nearly 15% decline from Monday's close.

Persons: Christian Abuide, Karim Chedid, Liz Ann Sonders, Charles Schwab, Andreas Bruckner, Mark Haefele, Bruckner, Roger Lee, Lee, Haefele, Carrier Organizations: CNBC Pro, U.S, Lombard, iShares, BofA Global Research, UBS Global Wealth, Nasdaq, UBS, RBC Wealth Management Locations: Japan, China, U.S, Europe

☆ The biggest risk to markets is if the U.S. avoids a recession, strategist warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Stock markets could suffer if the United States economy sidesteps a recession that many believe is just around the corner, according to Investec equities strategist Roger Lee. Lee said the market is bracing itself for a recession within the next year, a prediction he called the "most widely forecast recession in history." Paradoxically therefore, the greatest risk to U.S. markets is if the recession risk recedes. The implications of this could potentially lead to a downturn in both equities and bond markets, according to the strategist. "Paradoxically therefore, the greatest risk to U.S. markets is if the recession risk recedes," Lee added.

Persons: Roger Lee, Lee, Investec's Lee, —, treasuries, it's, Jeff Cox Organizations: HSBC, CNBC, Dow Jones, Treasury Locations: United States, U.S, London, America

☆ 'Tourflation'? Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen could be making inflation worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Beyoncé performs onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at PGE Narodowy on June 27, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland. "One of the things of course that struck me is how enormously high prices for concerts, for gigs have become," he told CNBC Make It. "I suspect that there is an impact on inflation overall from concert prices becoming more expensive. That's not necessarily due to one particular artist," he said, adding that concert prices themselves do, however, appear to have increased. Taylor Swift performs onstage during night one of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 05, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Persons: Beyoncé, Kevin Mazur, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Natalie Merchant, Klaus Baader, It's, Filip Andersson, Andersson, it's, Philip Shaw, haven't, Baader, John Shearer, Shaw Organizations: PGE, Getty, Ticketmaster, U.K, Societe Generale, CNBC, Danske Bank, Nissan Locations: Warsaw, Poland, U.S, Sweden, Stockholm, Swedish, Nashville , Tennessee

☆ This Wall Street bank's stock is expected to double over the next year, Jefferies says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Shares of global bank Barclays are forecast to more than double over the next 12 months, according to Jefferies. The British bank's stock has underperformed and is valued below its peers over the past few months. The disparity has led to the bank reportedly hiring consulting firm BCG to undertake a strategic review to address weaknesses in the share price. The bank's analysts predict that Barclays can potentially buy back £2.2 billion worth of shares in 2024 and 2025, along with £1.5 billion this year. As the bank's earnings increase, its share price could also rise, providing a better return for shareholders.

Persons: Jefferies, Joseph Dickerson, Benjamin Toms, Roger Lee Organizations: Barclays, BARC, Jefferies, RBC Capital Markets, RBC, Investec Securities Locations: London, United States, British, U.K

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