The U.K. government believes “significant differences” still remain with the EU, as the two sides make a final push to clinch a post-Brexit trade deal. Talks are ongoing in Brussels on Monday afternoon, but both sides remain divided over three issues: fisheries, competition rules and governance of their potential deal. They have been stuck on […] Read more
Data giant S&P Global has agreed to buy IHS Markit in a deal worth $44 billion that will be 2020′s biggest merger, creating a heavyweight in the increasingly competitive market in financial information. The mega-deal, which includes $4.8 billion of debt, is a sign that deal-making activity is accelerating as breakthroughs in developing Covid-19 vaccines improve the economic outlook. […] Read more
Deutsche Bank upgraded its global growth outlook for 2021 but cautioned that two key risks could still spoil the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis. In the bank’s latest report out Wednesday — entitled “Hope on the horizon” — Deutsche Bank researchers updated their calls due to what it called “the incredibly positive” coronavirus vaccine news […] Read more
Despite the upturn in the global economic outlook following multiple coronavirus vaccine breakthroughs, gold’s bullish cycle will continue, according to analysts at Citi and Goldman Sachs. The traditional safe haven asset hit an all-time high in August of $2,074.88 per ounce, amid fears that the coronavirus crisis looked set to continue indefinitely. However, demand for the […] Read more
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s decision to allow key pandemic relief programs to expire is like stripping lifeboats from the Titanic, according to Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics. Mnuchin announced Thursday that he will not extend the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending programs that used Congress’ CARES Act funds beyond Dec. 31. The move is […] Read more
United Arab Emirates — The International Monetary Fund downgraded its outlook for Middle East and Central Asian economic recovery, predicting a 4.1% contraction for the region as a whole — 1.3 percentage points worse than its previous assessment in April — in its latest regional outlook report released Monday. Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s […] Read more
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that he would seek a no-deal Brexit unless there is a fundamental change of approach from the European Union. “Unless there’s a fundamental change of approach, we’re going to go to the Australia solution, and we should do it with great confidence,” Johnson said, accord to Reuters, after negotiators failed […] Read more
The forthcoming U.S. election matters not only for the American people and the country’s economy; the outcome of the vote in November will also have a significant impact across the Atlantic. Europe’s financial markets and economic prospects will be affected by whoever enters (or remains) in the White House after the vote, according to economists […] Read more
Turkey’s lira fell to a fresh record low against the euro on Tuesday, extending losses from the previous session, as investors worry about the country’s dwindling foreign exchange reserves, growing foreign-denominated debt, central bank intervention and potential sanctions from the EU. The lira was briefly trading at a record low of 8.1733 to the euro just after […] Read more
Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday it will write down the value of its assets by up to $22 billion in the second quarter, after revising down its long-term outlook for oil and gas prices. It comes after the energy company announced in mid-April an ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by […] Read more
