SGM-FX insights

UK Christmas cancelled due to soaring gas prices?   Those who find it hard to join the price of gas to a potential Christmas cancellation need to know that gas price rises have resulted in at least 2 large fertiliser companies closing. Those companies produce Co2 as a by product precipitating a shortage of Co2. […]

London’s Tube Map   For the first time this century the tube map has been redrawn with the long awaited Northern Line extension which puts new stations Battersea and Nine Elms on the network as of 0530am on Monday. In case you are confused having over enjoyed yourselves last night and spotted the redrawn tube […]

Reshuffle   Ahead of the Conservative party conference next month, the Prime Minister has pursued a cabinet reshuffle. Whilst Boris Johnson has maintained strong support amongst his own party, divisions within his cabinet have been evident amidst rising Covid-19 cases and a taxation hike. There were several changes within major offices of state. Liz Truss […]

US Core Consumer Price Index   Those like Federal Reserve Chair Powell who doubt the risk of inflation will be heartened by yesterday’s release which showed a slowing of a rise in core CPI at only 0.1% in August after a 0.3% rise in July. Inflation is not quite over as a risk however given […]

Vax on, Vax off   The relative calm regarding Covid-19 in the northern hemisphere has allowed economies to open up and realise the potential growth stored up over months of lockdowns and socio-economic restrictions. A good part of the true or at least the attributed root of the ability to open societies and economies once […]

Video Camera Glasses   Facebook and Rayban have co-operated on the development of glasses that will enable the wearer to answer the phone, check diary, read mail and surf the net. Well that’s OK then -providing you’re not driving at the time. They will cost USD 295 or GBP215 and will be widely available next […]

Australia   Locked down since July, New South Wales and crucially Sydney is preparing to ease restrictions from the end of September. Currently half of Australia’s 25 million population is locked down and pressure is increasing on the Australian government given its slowness in rolling out vaccines and with the onset of the summer down […]

Tax   The technical motion presented to the House of Commons yesterday has been passed by 319 votes to 248. The initiative will see the government move to impose a 1.25% hike in national insurance contributions and taxation on dividend incomes. The impact of taxation upon currency valuations is at present difficult to isolate and […]

US Dollar and Oil   The dollar rose 0.1% against the index basket to 92.25 and 10 year Treasury Yields reached 1.36% (the July 14 high was 1.42%). EUR stood at $1.1840. Oil WTI down almost a cent at $68.50 with evidence that consumption remains subdued in the major importing countries.   French Wine   […]

Labor Day   This could have been quite likely the most ironically timed public holiday in history. US markets and much of the US economy alike were closed yesterday for ‘Labor Day’ – a US public holiday celebrating the progress of workers’ rights and workers’ contributions to building today’s United States of America. However, Monday’s […]

Chip Shortage   Ahead of the Munich Car show when all the top brass of the auto industry traditionally gather after the summer holidays, the CEO of Daimler said that not only would the chip shortage extend through 2022 but would last into 2023. That is code for an early warning about Daimler’s production figures […]

Mexico   News that the Mexican market is now open to the UK’s pork industry is more symbolic than significant. Doing this trade deal may bolster the UK’s credentials for joining the trade pact CPTPP or to give it its full name, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership. In case you are […]