Switzerland’s central bank’s decision to drop a three-year-old cap on the Swiss franc against the euro spurred a currency frenzy on Thursday. The franc floated more than 25 percent against the dollar and jumped as much as 30 percent against the euro at points in the day’s trading. The move set off the potential for Read More
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By Lisa Twaronite TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian shares stumbled on Friday and the dollar skidded against the safe-haven yen after Switzerland’s central bank unexpectedly scrapped its currency cap – jolting markets already roiled by plunging commodities prices. Financial spreadbetters expected some of the gloom to spread to Europe, where they predicted Britain’s FTSE 100 (.FTSE) Read More
European equities rallied after a volatile session of trade on Thursday to close sharply higher, following action from the Swiss National Bank. The pan-European Euro Stoxx 600 Index (^STOXX) ended around 2.5 percent higher after switching between gains and losses for much of the session. This came as the Swiss National bank decided to abandoned Read More
By Shinichi Saoshiro TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian stocks mostly edged up on Thursday after a significant rebound in oil and copper prices brought a semblance of calm, while the dollar regained ground lost on disappointing U.S. retail sales. Spreadbetters saw the upward momentum for risk assets being retained in Europe, forecasting Britain’s FTSE (.FTSE) to Read More
European equities closed sharply lower on Wednesday as the turmoil in global commodity markets continued. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 (FTSE International: .FTEU3) provisionally ended 1.5 percent lower at 1,355.22 points, with the basic resources (STOXX:.SXPP) sector sliding as much as 6 percent and the energy sector (STOXX:.SXEP) closing down 2.7 percent. London’s FTSE 100 (FTSE Read More
By Herbert Lash LONDON (Reuters) – Global equity markets surged and the dollar hit a nine-year high on Thursday, lifted by the Federal Reserve’s confidence in the U.S. economy and hopes of aggressive new stimulus in Europe. Stocks on Wall Street rose about 1.7 percent and in Europe equities jumped close to 3 percent as Read More
European equities closed sharply higher on Tuesday, with a surge in retail stocks (STOXX:.SXRP) helping to boost investor sentiment. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 (FTSE International: .FTEU3) closed around 1.3 percent higher, with German stocks (^GDAXI) ending 1.6 percent up. The French CAC (Euronext Paris: .FCHI) closed 1.4 percent higher, while Italian and Portuguese stocks (Euronext Read More
By Alistair Smout and Atul Prakash LONDON (Reuters) – The FTSE 100 edged higher on Monday, underperforming continental European shares as heavily weighted oil and energy firms fell. However, falling oil prices boosted travel and leisure stocks, with cruise operator Carnival (CCL.L) rising towards the top of the index. Brent oil fell below $ 49 Read More
By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) – More weak data from Europe ensured shares worldwide were set to end their first full week of 2015 in the red on Friday, while both the dollar and oil prices dipped as investors waited for monthly U.S. jobs data. Friday’s jobs report is expected to show that non-farm payrolls Read More
By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) – The dollar hit a nine-year high and stocks worldwide headed for their first back-to-back rise of the year on Thursday, bolstered by Federal Reserve confidence in the U.S. economy and hopes of aggressive new stimulus in Europe. Wall Street was expected to start the day on the front foot, Read More