On December 6, The US Department of Commerce released figures showing a hike in the size of the US trade deficit – its biggest monthly rise for more than one-and-a-half years. Looking forward, there appears to be little hope that the deficit will see a substantial improvement. Growth in consumer spending looks set to maintain…
On December 6, The US Department of Commerce released figures showing a hike in the size of the US trade deficit – its biggest monthly rise for more than one-and-a-half years. Looking forward, there appears to be little hope that the deficit will see a substantial improvement. Growth in consumer spending looks set to maintain…
It is money time for the European Central Bank: more QE or less QE? That is the question. A 6-month extension is on the cards and is already priced in, but the ECB could also opt for a longer extension that would hurt the euro or tapering bond-buys down, pushing the common currency higher. Apart…
The Euro was under some pressure as markets look to this week’s policy meeting at the European Central Bank. Analysts recently polled expect that the ECB will announce that it will extend the QE scheme, however, the uncertainty arises around the amount of monthly asset purchases. There is a difference of opinion as to whether…
If you factor in co-investments, separate accounts and direct investments – three channels investors are increasingly using to pump money into the private equity sector – 2017 is shaping up to be a record year for the asset class. The industry is on pace to raise a wallet-busting $691 billion in commitments this year, about 10…
The origin of the Greek financial crisis can be traced back to creative bookkeeping activities which the government used to fudge the convergence criteria for joining the Euro from its inception. At the height of the Global Financial Crisis, the underlying frailties of the Greek economy could no longer be concealed, the truth emerged and…
The US dollar is little changed against most of the major currencies. Sterling is the notable exception, losing about 0.75% to trade at three-day lows. It was on the defensive in early European turnover but got the run pulled from beneath by the unexpectedly poor data. UK industrial output fell by 1.3% in October. The median forecast was for a small…
Small caps are back in favor again this week with two days in a row of gains. Bullish sentiment surrounding the Trump trade is back in a big way. Investors have become very enthusiastic around small caps and given the composition of the Russell it’s no wonder the R2K has pushed higher by such a…
The British Pound edged lower overnight as UK Prime Minister Theresa May reversed a preference for staying mum on the administration’s Brexit strategy, asking the House of Commons to vote on her plan to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and officially start departure negotiations by the end of March. She also committed to revealing the official road-map…
The Brexit “Leave” decision is tying the hands of the British government and Prime Minister Theresa May. The worry is that the Brexit decision will induce many corporations to move their headquarters out of Britain. Shortly after the June vote to leave the European Union, former PM David Cameron floated the idea of cutting corporate…
