Big news this week has been the fallback in oil prices to WTI at $61. All eyes in the US and globally on the tea leaves following the Fed’s remarks this week and of course the forthcoming employment data. Bank of England upbeat about UK employment and Governor Carney said yesterday that once Brexit resolved(sic) rates may rise faster than anticipated thereby skirting around the uncomfortable fact that the BoE has been consistent-that is consistent to date in overstating the economic downturn following the EU Referendum 3 years ago.
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The Role of Belgium in Europe – hold the front page!
This is, we stress, not a Jeremy Clarkson type diatribe (!) on Belgium’s role other than that of hosting the European parliament, Charles Michel the Belgian PM is setting out his stall as the bridge or le pont between Germany and France plus if that was not enough, positioning Belgian as the EU member that calls for a common European vision to counter populism. On top of that Belgium advocates peer group reviews for each country to evaluate the other EU members for their respect of the rule of law for the rights of their citizens and the health of their democracies. Phew! Does one detect a whiff of management consultants par excellence McKinsey?!Â
Call in their most famous export, Hercule Poirot tout de suite!
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Blame it on Brexit journalism suggests that fewer Brits are going abroad this year. Top foreign holiday destinations remain:
1.Spain
2. Turkey
3. Greece
4. USA
5. Cyprus
Heady excitement from the lady on the counter that the sales of Egyptian Pounds through the Post Office have increased 687% in the past year. From a low base and still a small slice of the tourism pie however…..
Walk like an Egyptian….
Discussion and Analysis by Humphrey Percy, Chairman and Founder
EU Stagflation With inflation blipping up and business activity turning down, the S word is back on the table. Not only manufacturing but also the services sector fell sharply in November with the Purchasing Managers Index at its lowest level this year. The EUR facing a rampant Dollar is increasingly undermined by its own weakening […]
UK Equities We wrote recently about a European wide Santa Rally in Equities despite the political headwinds in Continental Europe, but it looks as if the UK market has finally managed to break out on the top side of its range and without wishing to jinx it, may be set fair. One well known Fund […]
BRICS In case you missed it, and I very nearly did due to the sheer amount of soon to be again President Trump’s social media output, he was vociferous in his opposition to a BRICS inspired alternative currency to USD. While we have been following the long running Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa […]