DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Dollar set to eke out weekly gain as traders weigh U.S. rates, yen wobbles
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar was steady and poised to snap a two-week losing run on Friday as U.S. labour and manufacturing data kept traders pondering on when and by how much the Federal Reserve would cut rates this year. The dollar was steady and poised to snap a two-week losing run on Friday as U.S. labor and manufacturing data kept traders pondering on when and by how much the Federal Reserve would cut rates this year. The Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet at the end of July where markets anticipate a very low chance of the central bank cutting rates. Ryan Brandham, head of global capital markets for North America at Validus Risk Management, said the U.S. economy is getting closer to where a rate cut may be appropriate. In other currencies, the Australian dollar eased 0.11% to $0.66985, while the New Zealand dollar was 0.22% lower at $0.6032.

Persons: Ryan Brandham, Mary Daly, Daly, recouping, Sterling Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Traders, U.S, Federal, North America, Validus Risk, Fed, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Dallas Fed, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of England, New Zealand Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, Britain

☆ European markets open lower as investors digest ECB decision
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — European markets opened lower on Friday as investors considered the latest ECB interest rate decision. All sectors were lower, with travel and leisure stocks tumbling 2.66%, and mining stocks declining 1.93%. European markets have retreated throughout the week with the Stoxx 600 closing lower for the last four consecutive days. The picture was similar across the world, with Asia-Pacific markets declining on Friday as they followed Wall Street lower. U.S. markets closed lower on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average snapping a six-day winning streak.

Organizations: Bank of England, LONDON, Dow Jones, European Central Bank, ECB Locations: City of London, London, United Kingdom, Asia, Pacific, U.S

☆ This strategist is finding value outside of the U.S. — here's where
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investors looking for stock investments on the cheap should look abroad, according to Schroders investment strategist Bob Armstrong. Europe's Stoxx 600 index and the Japanese Nikkei 225 hit record highs earlier this year, along with the S & P 500 . FactSet data shows the former trades at 15 times trailing 12-month earnings, while the latter has a multiple of 23. The S & P 500, meanwhile sports a 27 times earnings multiple. Year to date, the Nikkei is up nearly 20%, outpacing the S & P 500's 17% jump.

Persons: Bob Armstrong, Europe's, Armstrong, Armstrong didn't Organizations: Nikkei, CNBC, Tokyo, European Central Bank and Bank of England, Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF Locations: U.S, Europe, Armstrong, Russia, Ukraine, Japan

☆ Bank of England reports problems with CHAPS payments system
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Blurred buses pass the Bank of England in the City of London on 7th February 2024 in London, United Kingdom. The Bank of England said on Thursday that a "global payments issue" was affecting the interbank payments service CHAPS, delaying some high-value and time-sensitive payments including some house purchases. "We are mindful of the impact this is likely to have and are working closely with a third-party supplier, industry and other authorities to resolve the issue as promptly as possible," it said in a statement. Retail payment systems and cash machines were unaffected, the BoE added. The CHAPS system - which is operated by the BoE - has suffered technical problems before, including in August last year and in 2014 when the Real-Time Gross Settlement system, which underpins CHAPS, did not work normally for several hours.

Persons: BoE, underpins CHAPS Organizations: Bank of England Locations: City of London, London, United Kingdom

☆ How the UK plans to prevent another Liz Truss 'mini-budget' crisis — which triggered huge bond sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — The new U.K. government is on Thursday set to propose legislation to prevent "significant uncosted measures" from being announced without an analysis of their impact on public finances. The OBR would be able to produce its analysis at the time of its choosing, according to notes on the bill released Wednesday. The notes contain a veiled reference to what became known as the British "mini-budget crisis" under former Prime Minister Liz Truss and ex-Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng. Shortly after taking up their posts in early September 2022, Truss and Kwarteng announced a raft of tax cuts in an unscheduled fiscal announcement that was described by analysts as "seismic." Both Truss and Kwarteng resigned over the turmoil after less than two months in their respective offices, and the majority of the measures were reversed.

Persons: Liz Truss, Kwasi Kwarteng, Kwarteng, Truss Organizations: Labour, Finance, U.S, Bank of England Locations: British

☆ Yen jumps on suspected intervention, sterling hits one-year high
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The yen rose sharply on Wednesday in what traders suspected was likely the result of yet another intervention from Japanese authorities to prop up the battered currency from multidecade lows. The euro was last down 0.8% at 171.15 yen, while sterling fell 0.76% to 203.75 yen. Combined with the estimated amount spent a day earlier, Japan is suspected to have bought nearly 6 trillion yen via intervention last week. That sent traders paring back bets of a rate cut from the Bank of England in August, providing a small boost to sterling , which was last up 0.43% to $1.3029. But the more important data is the inflation data, and that's telling the market that the Fed is in a position to cut fairly soon."

Persons: Geoff Yu, Masato Kanda, Michael Brown, Kyle Rodda Organizations: Mellon, Kyodo, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, Monetary, MPC, Tuesday's, Federal Reserve, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Locations: London, Tokyo, Japan, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ U.K. Inflation Steady as Economists Puzzle Over ‘Taylor Swift Effects’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Inflation in Britain held steady in June as the Bank of England inches toward its first interest rate cut in years and economists pondered whether a global pop star helped keep services prices higher. Food inflation also slowed, with prices rising just 1.5 percent compared with a year ago. But the June inflation data came in slightly higher than expected. Core inflation, which excludes energy and food prices, was expected to dip but remained at 3.5 percent in June. Traders reduced their bets on an August rate cut, giving it about a 35 percent chance.

Organizations: Bank of England, National Statistics, Traders Locations: Britain

☆ British pound breaches $1.30 for the first time in a year as Labour seen ushering in stability
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — The British pound on Wednesday broke above the $1.30 level against the U.S. dollar for the first time in a year, as investors bank on a coming period of growth-friendly policies and political stability under the newly elected Labour government. Sterling was 0.5% higher against the U.S. dollar at $1.303 at 1:04 p.m. in London (8:04 a.m. U.K. inflation came in at the Bank of England's 2% target for a second straight month, figures published earlier Wednesday showed. However, the inflation print slightly reduced market bets on an August rate cut from the central bank due to the stickiness of the key services print. The U.K. currency has also been supported by the recent landslide parliamentary victory for the Labour Party, according to analysts.

Persons: Sterling, Joe Tuckey Organizations: U.S, Labour, Bank of England's, Labour Party Locations: London

☆ New inflation warning: Get used to high interest rates, IMF warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The International Monetary Fund has warned that stubborn inflation could keep interest rates higher for longer than expected, increasing fiscal and financial risks around the world. Persistently high prices for services — which include haircuts, hotels and restaurants — as well as escalating trade tensions are propping up inflation and raising the prospect that interest rates will stay high for a while yet, the IMF cautioned Tuesday in its latest World Economic Outlook. The warning highlights that the global economy is not yet in the clear when it comes to inflation, which explains the caution on the part of central banks in cutting interest rates. However, services inflation came in higher than expected. The agency blamed sticky services price inflation for “holding up progress” on reducing overall inflation.

Persons: Jerome Powell Organizations: London CNN —, Monetary Fund, Bank of England, European Union, IMF Locations: —, United States, China, India, E.T

☆ UK launches new rules for listings in bid to boost growth for London's stock exchange
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority announced Thursday new rules for the country's stock market listings in a bid to boost growth following a slow down in IPOs. "They aim to support a wider range of companies to issue their shares on a UK exchange, increasing opportunities for investors," the regulator added. One key change is the removal of the 'premium' and 'standard' listing segments. Shareholder approval for key events, like reverse takeovers and decisions to take the company's shares off an exchange, is still required," the FCA said. Some rules around eligibility for listings will also change, such as the removal of a requirement for companies to provide track records of their revenue.

Organizations: Bank of England Locations: London, IPOs

☆ Dollar adrift ahead of U.S. inflation test; sterling firms
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar fell a touch on Thursday although moves were largely subdued ahead of a U.S. inflation report due later in the day, while sterling firmed on receding expectations for an August rate cut from the Bank of England (BoE). The dollar fell a touch on Thursday although moves were largely subdued ahead of a U.S. inflation report due later in the day, while sterling firmed on receding expectations for an August rate cut from the Bank of England. BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill on Wednesday said price pressures in Britain's economy were persistent and that the timing of a first rate cut was an "open question". His colleague Catherine Mann signalled she is unlikely to vote for an interest rate cut in August. Against the greenback, the euro gained 0.04% to $1.0834, and the Aussie dollar rose 0.01% to $0.6754.

Persons: BoE, Huw Pill, Catherine Mann, Carol Kong, Jerome Powell Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, ANZ, MPC, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Federal Reserve, U.S, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Bank of Japan Locations: U.S, Asia, Japan

☆ UK economy returns to growth in May, beating expectations as British pound hits four-month high
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the primary central business district CBD of London. The City of London is widely referred to simply as the City is also colloquially known as the Square Mile. LONDON — The U.K. economy grew by 0.4% in May, flash figures published by the Office for National Statistics showed on Thursday, with the British pound jumping to a four-month high against the U.S. dollar after the announcement. The British economy exited a shallow recession in the first quarter of the year, then flatlined in April. Goldman Sachs last week upgraded its growth forecast for the U.K. following left-of-center Labour's thumping victory in the country's general election.

Persons: Sterling, Keir Starmer, Goldman Sachs, Ashley Webb, Price, BOE Organizations: Office, National Statistics, U.S, Gross, Labour Party, Capital, Bank of England's, Bank of England, European Central Bank Locations: London, United Kingdom, The City, British, U.K

☆ 'Get Britain building again': New UK finance chief restores housing targets
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — Britain's new finance chief on Monday outlined a spate of measures to revitalize the U.K.'s languishing economic growth and address national housing shortages. "I have repeatedly warned that whoever won the general election would inherit the worst set of circumstances since the Second World War. A former Bank of England economist, Reeves was appointed as Britain's first female chancellor of the exchequer — equivalent to a finance minister — on Friday, when newly-invested Prime Minister Keir Starmer named his first cabinet. Ahead of her first speech, she championed economic growth as both a party priority and the "national mission." Housing and planning were center stage in Reeves' Monday speech:"First, we will reform the national planning policy framework, consulting on a new growth-focused approach to the planning system before the end of the month.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, Reeves, —, Keir Starmer, Housebuilding Organizations: Treasury, Labour Government, LONDON, Bank of England, Conservative, Labour Locations: London, England

☆ Stocks, property, bonds, the pound: Here’s what a new Labour government means for investing in the UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Labour party's pledge, for example, to increase taxes on the compensation that private equity fund managers received raised a few eyebrows, and led to questions on what this could mean more broadly. In a note Friday, analysts at Jefferies said, despite concerns raised by a strong showing for the right-wing Reform UK Party, the Labour Party's U.K. election win would help make the U.K. appear "relatively stable." "A widely predicted Labour win in the UK could usher in an era of greater stability for the UK … which should help bolster investor sentiment towards the UK," she said. "U.K. bank stocks in the end are one of the biggest proxies for U.K. economic growth," he said. If results are as expected, attention will shift away from the U.K. election quickly, Shreyas Gopal, strategist, and Sanjay Raja, senior economist at Deutsche Bank, said in a note published Wednesday.

Persons: Vuk Valcic, hasn't, Jefferies, James McManus, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, McManus, Liz Truss, Streeter, Richard Donnell, Nutmeg's McManus, CNBC's Silvia Amaro Friday, Mark Fielding, Fielding, Shreyas Gopal, Sanjay Raja, BoE, Francesco Pesole, Pesole Organizations: City of, Labour Party, Conservatives, U.S ., Labour, CNBC, Stock, Reform UK Party, Hargreaves, Deutsche Bank, ING, Bank of England, ECB Locations: Bishopsgate, City, City of London, London, France

☆ UK Labour Party's Rachel Reeves has 'orthodox' approach to fiscal policy, former BOE governor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUK Labour Party's Rachel Reeves has 'orthodox' approach to fiscal policy, former BOE governor saysJohn Gieve, former deputy governor of the Bank of England, weighs in on which fiscal measures he's anticipating from Rachel Reeves, who's expected to become Britain's first-ever female finance minister in Keir Starmer's incoming Labour government.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, BOE, John Gieve, who's, Britain's, Keir Starmer's Organizations: Labour, Bank of England

☆ Revolut CEO confident on UK bank license approval as fintech firm hits record $545 million profit
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — The boss of British financial technology giant Revolut told CNBC he is optimistic about the company's chances of being granted a U.K. banking license, as a jump in users saw the firm report record full-year pre-tax profits. Several small financial institutions have been able to win approval for a banking license with few customers, he added. "U.K. banking licenses are being approved for smaller companies," Storonsky said. A bank license would enable it to offer loans in the U.K. One conditions set by the Bank of England for granting Revolut its U.K. banking license, was to collapse its six classes of shares into ordinary shares.

Persons: Revolut, Nikolay Storonsky, we'll, Storonsky, SoftBank Organizations: CNBC, British, EMI, Prudential, Authority, Bank of England, Financial Times

☆ European markets head for negative open as inflation worries persist
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A photo shows the bell during a bell ceremony of the Euronext Brussels Stock Exchange in Brussels on March 18, 2024. LONDON — European stocks are expected to open in negative territory Thursday as global inflation worries continue to rattle markets. Global market attention is shifting toward fresh U.S. inflation data on Friday, with May's personal consumption expenditures price index, the U.S. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, due to be released. Data releases in Europe Thursday include Italy's latest consumer and business confidence numbers, and Spanish retail sales. An EU leader' summit begins in Brussels on Thursday and the Bank of England publishes its latest Financial Stability Report.

Persons: Germany's DAX Organizations: Euronext Brussels Stock Exchange, LONDON, CAC, IG, Global, U.S, U.S . Federal, U.S ., Bank of England Locations: Brussels, U.S ., Asia, Pacific, Europe, EU

☆ France's shock election has rattled nerves and raised debt crisis talk
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Poster of Christophe Versini for the Rassemblement National (National Rally) party, with Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella on it, on June 24, 2024. Recent polling suggests the far-right Rassemblement National (RN, or National Rally) party, led by Jordan Bardella, could win the most seats in the National Assembly, followed by the left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP, or New Popular Front). French bond yields — which move inversely to prices — have been relatively contained. Even then, he added, the spread of French bond yields over their German counterparts looked set to remain higher than before Macron called the election. There is little concern over France enacting its own "Frexit," he said, with even National Rally having moved away from actively proposing leaving the euro area or the European Union.

Persons: Christophe Versini, Jordan Bardella, Magali Cohen, Emmanuel Macron, Sunday's, Giorgia Meloni, Viraj Patel, Patel, Liz, Truss, Andrew Kenningham, Macron, Kenningham, François Mitterrand, Christian Keller, CNBC's, Keller Organizations: Rassemblement National, Afp, Getty, National Assembly, Societe Generale, BNP, Vanda Research, Capital Economics, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Barclays, European Union Locations: Germany, Italy, Europe, France, Britain

☆ Taylor Swift's economic clout has now come for Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Katie Balevic | Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over the last year, Swift's Eras Tour and its affiliated film cemented her economic prowess in the United States, injecting billions into the economy. AdvertisementLocal businesses are seeing Swift's impact weeks ahead of her concerts. Jo Hale/Getty ImagesEuropean economists monitoring inflation rates in the service sector are examining Swift's tour to see what impact it will have on Europe's economy. Barclays' Consumer Spend research found that Swift's tour is expected to boost the UK economy by £997 million ($1.26 billion). Economist George Moran told the Times, however, that he thinks it's unlikely Swift will impact decision-making at the Bank of England.

Persons: —, Taylor, Swift, Taylor Swift's, Ben Julius, Julius, Taylor Swift, Jo Hale, Lucas Krishan, Krishan, Kevin Mazur, George Moran, Moran, Nomura Organizations: Service, Business, Tourist Italy, Wembley, Getty, European Central Bank, Barclays, Consumer, New York Times, Securities, Rights, Bank of England, Times Locations: Europe, United States, Italy, Milan, London, Central, Paris, France

☆ Europe stocks look set to extend gains after BOE rate hold, Swiss cut; UK retail sales beat forecast
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jack Taylor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON — European stocks are heading for a cautiously higher open Friday as investors monitor a slew of central bank decisions and data releases. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index is on course for a weekly gain of more than 1.5%, its best performance since early May. Attention this week turned to central bank action, as the Swiss National Bank announced it would cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 1.25%. The SNB became the first major central bank to cut rates during this cycle back in March. The Bank of England meanwhile kept interest rates unchanged at a 16-year high of 5.25%.

Persons: Jack Taylor Organizations: Getty, Equity, European Union Parliament, Reuters, Swiss National Bank, Bank of England Locations: Godalming, United Kingdom, France

☆ Dollar scales multi-week highs as other cenbanks more dovish than Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Even so, Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda stressed on Friday that Tokyo stands ready to take further "resolute" action against "speculative, excessive volatility". The dollar index was little changed at 105.66, on course for a slight weekly gain that would extend its winning streak to three weeks. Sterling was flat at $1.2657, sticking close to the $1.2655 low from Thursday, a level last seen on May 17. The BoE kept rates on hold, but some policy makers said the decision not to cut was "finely balanced". The European Central Bank kicked off its rate cutting cycle earlier this month.

Persons: Tony Sycamore, Sycamore, Masato Kanda, Sterling, BoE Organizations: U.S, Federal, Swiss, Swiss National Bank, Bank of England, Bank of, IG, U.S . Treasury, European Central Bank, Fed Locations: Japan, China, Tokyo

☆ Bank of England holding rates was 'very expected,' asset management firm says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBank of England holding rates was 'very expected,' asset management firm saysAmr Abol-Enein of CI Capital Asset Management discusses the Bank of England's decision to keep its main interest rate unchanged at 5.25% on Thursday.

Persons: Amr Abol Organizations: Email Bank of, Capital, Management, Bank of Locations: Email Bank of England

☆ Switzerland makes second interest rate cut as major economies diverge on monetary policy easing
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A view of the headquarters of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), before a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland, March 21, 2024. The Swiss National Bank on Thursday trimmed its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%, continuing cuts at a time when sentiment over monetary policy easing remains mixed among major economies. The figures assumes a SNB interest rate of 1.25% over the prediction period. Switzerland already has the second-lowest interest rate of the Group of Ten democracies by a wide margin, following Japan. It became the first major economy to cut interest rates back in late March and was earlier this month followed by the European Central Bank, and questions are now mounting over whether it will proceed with a third rate cut this year.

Persons: Kyle Chapman Organizations: Swiss National Bank, Reuters, Swiss, U.S ., Nomura, European Central Bank, Ballinger Group, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss, London, Japan

☆ Not expecting a Bank of England rate cut, CIO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNot expecting a Bank of England rate cut, CIO saysFaisal Hasan, CIO and head of asset management at Al Mal Capital, says the Bank of England would like to "wait for more stable data" before cutting rates.

Persons: Faisal Hasan, Al Mal Capital Organizations: of England, Al, Bank of Locations: Bank of England

☆ Bank of England Holds Rates Steady, Despite Slower Inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Bank of England held interest rates on Thursday at their highest level since 2008 even as inflation in Britain slowed to 2 percent in May, an important milestone. Policymakers kept rates at 5.25 percent, where they have been for 10 months. “It’s good news that inflation has returned to our 2 percent target,” Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, said in a statement. This month, the European Central Bank cut rates for the first time in about five years but warned that it would take a cautious approach to future cuts. The U.S. Federal Reserve also indicated it would reduce rates just once this year, down from an earlier projection of three cuts.

Persons: ” Andrew Bailey, we’ve Organizations: of England, Bank of England, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Locations: Britain

Search resuls for: "Bank of England"

25 mentions found