Search Results for: Oil price
French energy giant Total’s profits rise 20% to $5.1bn
February 11th, 2016
French oil major Total has reported a 20% increase in annual net profit to $5.1bn, compared with $4.2bn a year earlier. As with other oil firms, the rise in net profit came thanks to its oil refinery business, which ...
Gold demand resilient in 2015 as central banks and consumers spur strong H2 recovery
February 11th, 2016
Global gold demand in 2015 was virtually flat compared to 2014 at 4,212 tonnes (t), according to the World Gold Council’s latest Gold Demand Trends report. Despite a challenging start to the year, gold demand rebounded in the second half ...
Asia markets close mixed; Hong Kong shares tumble
February 11th, 2016
Asian markets closed mixed on Thursday as investors digested remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and oil remained volatile. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index, which resumed trading today after being shut from Monday through Wednesday for the Lunar New ...
Yellen – Fed not likely to reverse course on rates despite risks
February 11th, 2016
The Federal Reserve is unlikely to reverse its plan to raise interest rates further this year, but tighter credit markets, volatile financial markets, and uncertainty over Chinese economic growth have raised risks to the U.S. economy, Fed Chair Janet ...
The five fears stalking the global banking industry
February 10th, 2016
China, emerging markets, the eurozone, oil and commodities all pose a threat to the banking sector this year Banking shares have come under pressure this week as investors express fears that the sector will be badly hit by a global ...
Nikkei extends losses with banks, commodities stocks under pressure
February 10th, 2016
Monkeys threw a wrench into Asian markets in the Lunar New Year’s first week of trading, with sharp sell-offs in Japan, Singapore, and Down Under on Wednesday. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 lost 56.37 points, or 1.17 percent, to close at ...
Tax rise risk from George Osborne’s ‘inflexible’ budget target
February 9th, 2016
Chancellor George Osborne’s “inflexible” budget surplus target may mean sudden tax rises or spending cuts, independent economists suggest. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said that Mr Osborne’s pledge to run a budget surplus “in normal times” from 2019-20 ...
No Agreement on OPEC Meeting After Venezuela Meets With Saudi Arabia
February 9th, 2016
The prospects for an emergency OPEC meeting to initiate coordinated production cuts took a hit this weekend. Venezuela’s oil minister Eulogio del Pino flew to Riyadh to meet with Saudi officials, which followed a recent trip to Moscow to ...
Australia, Japan sell-off amid global rout; Nikkei drops 5.4%
February 9th, 2016
Australian and Japanese markets closed sharply lower on Tuesday, after another sell-off in U.S. and European stocks overnight as many Asian markets remained shut for the Lunar New Year. China and Taiwan are closed for the week, while markets ...
Gold hits new 3-month high on global economy concerns
February 8th, 2016
Gold hit three-month highs on Monday, extending its biggest weekly rise since July 2013 as sliding stock markets, global growth uncertainty and a softer dollar prompted investors to seek safety in hard assets. Spot gold reached a peak of ...