The market turbulence in reaction to the coronavirus is showing no sign of easing, and the measures taken to manage both the spread and the economic impact are getting more extreme.

Yesterday evening, the Federal Reserve (US central bank) lowered interest rates to zero, its second emergency cut since the crisis began. The Fed also announced an increase to its bond buying programme- known as quantitative easing- and a range of other measures designed to ensure that the financial system continues to function through these uncertain times. Wit...

Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his first Budget on 11 March, against a backdrop of uncertainty following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent financial losses. It was the first of two Budgets to be delivered in 2020, with the second to follow in the autumn.

A drop in oil prices sent international shares tumbling when stock markets opened this morning.

Concerns about the impact of the coronavirus on global economic growth have weighed on demand for oil. Over the weekend, talks took place between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers about cutting output to support oil prices, but they failed to come to an agreement. In response, Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s de facto leader, said it would raise production and lower prices in an effort to preserve its market sha...

Coronavirus (now referred to as Covid-19) has caused global equity markets to fall dramatically during February.  While these falls have seen dramatic headlines such as “trillions wiped off global stocks”, it is worth noting that many of the leading global stockmarkets remain higher than they were 12 months ago.  FTSE 100 is an exception, being slightly lower by 2.2%.

Despite this longer term positivity, it is likely that you will be feeling unsettled about your investment and these short-term falls.  It is just worth reminding yourself ...

As the United Kingdom finally left the EU on 31 January 2020, there is now a transition period until the end of the year, while the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements.  The current rules on trade, travel, and business for the UK and EU will continue to apply during the transition period.

Globally, all attention has been on China where the coronavirus has now spread to 27 countries and territories worldwide, with 17,488 confirmed cases and 362 deaths (as of 3 February 2020).

The FTSE 100 ended January at 7,286.01 which was 3.4% low...

October came and went with Brexit being extended again and the opposition parties finally agreeing to Boris Johnson’s request to go to the polls with a general election now called for 12 December.

The FTSE 100 ended October at 7,248.38 which was 2.2% lower than September’s closing figure.

In the US, the Dow Jones 30 was 0.5% higher ending October at 27,046.23.

Regarding currency, £ Sterling ended October at 1.29 US Dollars.  This was 5.3% higher than the closing figure at the end of September.

Against the Euro, £ Sterling ended October a...

September saw further drama for UK politics with Boris Johnson’s five-week suspension of Parliament deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court. Judges unanimously upheld an earlier decision by Scotland’s highest civil court. This means Parliament will be meeting during the Conservative Party conference, following another lost vote for a temporary suspension.

In terms of global stock markets, the FTSE 100 bounced back from a tough August, closing September at 7,408.21, which was 2.8% higher than the August closing level.

In the US, the Dow Jones ...

In a dramatic move, Britain's new Prime Minister Boris Johnson set in motion the suspension of the UK Parliament - which means MPs have much less time to debate Brexit, the process of the UK leaving the European Union. Parliament is to be suspended for five weeks ahead of 31 October, the day the UK is due to leave the EU.

Boris Johnson wants to start a new parliamentary session, with a fresh programme, from 14 October. Instead of a normal three-week autumn recess, parliament will now wrap up some time around 10 September.

With so little ti...

In July, Boris Johnson became the leader of the Conservative party and moved into “No. 10” as our latest Prime Minister. His priority being for the UK to leave the European Union on 31 October 2019, with a “no deal” exit firmly back on the table.

This caused the pound to fall to a 2-year low against the US dollar. While this is bad news for those of us enjoying an overseas summer break, it was positive for the FTSE 100, which closed July at 7,586.78, which was 2.2% higher than the June closing level.

In the US, the Dow Jones 30 enjoyed a s...