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Markets

UK inflation up at 2.9%

UK inflation up at 2.9% According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) UK inflation is 2.9% in August up from 2.6% in July. The UK inflation target is: 2% Visit The Office for National statistics (ONS) here.  

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Markets

Record highs for Wall Street

Record highs for Wall Street. Yesterday (12/09/17) the three main US indices reached record highs. The DOW Jones Industrial Average closed at: 22118 The NASDAQ closed at: 6454 S&P 500 closed at: 2496 How much more room is there at the top. Can these record highs be improved upon again? …

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Markets

Record high for Brazil’s main stock market index

Record high for Brazil’s main stock market index. On Monday 11th September 2017 Brazil’s Ibovespa index hit a record high of 74000 points. This is the first time since 2008 that Brazil’s main index has reached this level. The Brazilian stocks have been rallying this year as the country recovers …

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News

Mercedes-Benz goes electric

Mercedes-Benz goes electric Not to be outdone by other car manufacturers with their electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz have jumped on the electric car bandwagon. The indication is that Mercedes-Benz will offer some 50 electrified models – hybrid and fully electric by 2022. We can now add Mercedes-Benz to the illustrious list …

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Investing

Companies going ex dividend

Companies going ex dividend on Thursday 14th September 2017 There are no companies in the FTSE 100 going ex dividend this week. Here is a list of FTSE 250 companies in the FTSE 250… Stobart Group Ltd (STOB) Sanne Group PLC (SNN) Computacenter PLC (CCC) Assura PLC (AGR) BBA Aviation …

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Markets

European stocks mixed & FTSE lower ahead of hurricane storms & North Korea tension

European stocks mixed & FTSE lower ahead of hurricane storms & North Korea tension London stocks closed lower on Friday as investors fret amid worries that North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch on Saturday to mark the celebration of its founding day. The FTSE 100 closed down …

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Markets

Uber update!

Uber update! Uber is reported to be under FBI investigation for allegedly using software against its competitors. See Wall Street Journal report here for more details. Uber never seems far from controversy?    

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Markets

Shares in Thomas Cook fall after pilots strike

Shares in Thomas Cook fall after pilots strike. The shares in Thomas Cook Group PLC (TCG) a FTSE 250 company fell 2.7% at 120.55 today (08/09/17). Pilots followed through on planned strike action over pay. This is quite significant as it is the first strike action taken by UK pilots …

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Finance

Euro up against the dollar

Euro up against the dollar. The euro has been on a roll recently. This year it is up 15% against the US dollar and just a few months off a three year high. So far, the pound holds on to gains and is currently (08/09/19 AM) up against both the …

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News

Equifax hacked!

Equifax hacked! Equifax has reported that the company suffered a data breach affecting 143 million US clients. Apparently some UK customers were also compromised. In a report Equifax said that birth dates, addresses and US social security numbers had been stolen. Advice Be aware! If you have used ever used …

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Markets
FTSE 100 companies going ex dividend this week

FTSE 100 companies going ex dividend this week on 28th September 2017… Worldpay Group PLC (WPG) Intertek Group PLC (ITRK) Smurfit Kappa Group PLC (SKG) Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets PLC Hargreaves Lansdown PLC  

Markets
Federal Reserve meeting update

Federal Reserve meeting update. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday (20/09/17) announced it will start reducing the size of its balance sheet. At something like $4.5 trillion it will now, after nine years finally start reducing the balance in October 2017 on a monthly basis. US interest rates were held at …

Markets
Dow Jones Industrial Average up again

Dow Jones Industrial Average up again I don’t know how many more times I will report on the rise of the Dow but it did it yet again yesterday (19/09/17). A new high was reached and at close the DJIA was: 22370 The outcome of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting …

Markets
Record breakers

Record breakers. The record breaking highs just keep on coming as the Dow Jones Industrial Average yet again sets another record high on 18/09/17. The Dow Jones closed up at: 22331 The S&P 500 closed up at: 2503 The NASDAQ closed up at: 6454 For how much longer can these …

Markets
Dow Jones flying high again

Dow Jones flying high again New record high set by the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The DJIA closed up at: 22268 – yet another new record high!

Markets
FTSE 100 companies going ex dividend this week

FTSE 100 companies going ex dividend this week on Thursday 21st September 2017 Old Mutual PLC (OML) Taylor Wimpey PLC (TW.    

Markets
Sterling continues upward march

Sterling continues upward march. The pound bashed through $1.36 against the dollar on Friday (am 15/09/17) as the FTSE 100 falls back. Will it hold on to these gains?  

Investing
J D Wetherspoon reports

J D Wetherspoon reports. End of year accounts from J D Wetherspoon report sales and profits up! Profit before tax is reported at: £102.8 million (up from £80.60 million in 2016). Sales up by: 4% (like-for-like). Where else can you get such good value? J D Wetherspoon PLC (JDW) is …

Markets
Asian stock markets end the week subdued

Asian stock markets end the week subdued Investors appear to largely shrug off the latest provocation from North Korea as another missile is fired over Japan. Japan’s NIKKEI index closed up to end the week at: 19909 and South Korea’s KOSPI index closed up at: 2386. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng …