Week Ending 22nd January 2021 The coronavirus pandemic is still raging throughout large parts of the world and China is facing a resurgence of the outbreak, yet investors keep pushing luxury-goods stocks higher, undeterred by near-record valuations. The combination of robust Chinese spending growth and a strong start to the earnings season is seen supporting […]

The company says it is well positioned to capitalise on the Brexit deal and is set to create more jobs on Wearside. Nissan has hailed the Brexit deal, saying the agreement will give it a “competitive advantage” as it committed to produce new electric vehicle batteries at its Sunderland plant. Chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta […]

President-elect Joe Biden has revealed a $1.9trn stimulus package to help the US get through the coronavirus pandemic. The package includes $415bn for the virus response, around $1trn for households, and roughly $440bn for small businesses and hard-hit communities. Mr Biden said: “A crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight, and there’s no […]

US employers shed jobs last month for the first time since April, a sign that the economy is struggling under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic. The world’s biggest economy saw non farm payrolls decrease by 140,000 jobs in December, meaning the US has recovered just over half of the 22.2 million jobs that were […]

The FTSE 100 has clocked up its worst year since the 2008 financial crisis – underperforming against global rivals that have bounced back following a coronavirus sell-off earlier in the year. London’s leading share index closed at 6460.5 in a shortened closing session on New Year’s Eve, 14.3% down over the course of 2020. It […]

On Monday, EU ambassadors met to unanimously approve the post-Brexit trade agreement as part of Brussels’ own ratification process. It means the deal, covering £660bn of trade, can now move on to formal ratification by the European Parliament – although this is set to come after the deal is already in place in the New […]

China is set to overtake the US to become the world’s biggest economy five years earlier than previously thought, thanks in part to its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a think tank. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) says China will become the world’s major economic force in 2028. In an […]

Sterling claws back some losses, but remains down against the dollar and euro amid gloomy predictions of a deal being struck. The pound came under pressure and UK banking stocks were sold off in volatile trading on Friday as fears of a no-deal Brexit intensified. Sterling dipped by nearly two cents to just above $1.31 […]

Strained relations have already seen Beijing halt or impose curbs on other imports including beef, barley, sugar and timber. China has slapped taxes of up to 212% on Australian wine amid continued wrangling with the Canberra government, including its backing for an inquiry into the source of the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing argued the punitive anti-dumping […]

The legal text of a trade agreement is said to be “finalised” in almost all areas, “covering almost all subjects”. Confidential notes seen by Sky News reveal European Union officials think a Brexit deal is 95% agreed – but show the extent of anxiety over the potential impact if negotiations break down. The notes come […]