Markets
Oil hits $70 a barrel as Iran, Trump trade threats
As it stands, there have been no reported USA casualties, however, Iranian State TV have suggested that 80 Americans were killed in the attack, therefore making the damage thus far somewhat unclear. By late morning in Asia, however, equities had trimmed losses, the yen had stabilized somewhat and USA bonds tempered their rally as investors paused for breath, and as a US official said the United St... [Full Article...]
Samsung Flags One-Third Drop in Q4 Operating Profit on Chips, Smartphones
The world's biggest memory chip maker has struggled since late 2018 as a weak global economy curbed spending by data center customers and rising inventories of memory chips squeezed prices, ending a two-year industry boom. Samsung's shares were traded up 0.7% in a wider market .KS11 that was down 0.8%. Its board chairman Lee Sang-hoon was also jailed last month for sabotaging union activities, p... [Full Article...]
It’s official: GDP rate seen slumping to 5%
The Indian economy is estimated to grow at 5 per cent in 2019-20 as against 6.8 per cent in the previous fiscal, according to government data. In recent months, the government has taken several steps to try and arrest the slowdown, including a cut in corporate tax rates, while the central bank has offered a monetary stimulus. [Full Article...]
Rolls-Royce records highest sales in its history this year
Rolls Royce sales grew by 25% compared to the previous year. Worldwide demand past year for our Cullinan SUV has driven this success and is expected to stabilise in 2020. One of the marque's vehicles driving that success was the 2019 Cullinan SUV, an ultra-luxury auto that starts around $325,000, according to Edmunds . [Full Article...]
Canada: International trade deficit narrowed to $1.1 billion in November
Canada's economy exported $48.7 billion during the month, a decline of 1.4 per cent, while imports came in slightly higher at $49.8 billion - but still a decline of 2.4 per cent from October's level. The soft trade report follows a series of weak economic data releases over the past several weeks, potentially adding to pressure on the Bank to Canada to consider an interest rate cut in the first ha... [Full Article...]
Iran attack fallout: USA stocks plunge, oil surges
Qassem Soleimani last week. So far, this has been the highest point of US-Iran confrontation, which began soon after Donald Trump took office. Soleimani's killing was the most dramatic escalation yet in spiralling tensions between Iran and the U.S., already hit by serious differences over Tehran's ambitious nuclear programme. [Full Article...]
Google warns Oracle court win could 'upend' software development
The case has now rolled on for almost a full decade, first kicking off in August 2010 over Google's unlicensed use of Java APIs in Android, by far the most used mobile operating system in the industry, with various stat-botherers saying it runs on at least seven of every 10 smartphones in use globally. [Full Article...]
Travelex 'being held to ransom' by New Year's Eve cyber attackers
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police has now confirmed that hackers behind the attack are demanding payment. In a statement, the force said: "On Thursday, 2 January, the Met's Cyber Crime Team were contacted with regards to a reported ransomware attack involving a foreign currency exchange. [Full Article...]