Macro observations With 9 months now passed since the UK’s referendum on EU membership, this week we will finally see the UK government officially notify the EU of its wish to leave the bloc, culminating in the triggering of Article 50 and the point of no return. While the announcement in itself is likely to…

This morning sees the UK 100 blue-chips deliver a standard response to Trump trade concerns; losses for risk-asset names like Miners (GLEN, RIO, BHP), Oil (RDS, BP) and Banks (LLOY, HSBC, BARC) easily outweighing gains for the safe haven precious metals miners (FRES, RRS). The index’s test of key support going back not just to…

This week’s UK 100 winner is retailer Next (NXT), its shares putting on a whopping 6.8% to deliver a bullish break from a 2-month sideways channel (£38-£40). This helped them outperform blue-chip peers by more than 3% in a week in which the index itself fell over 1% from record highs. What has investors excited…

Many people are touting Article 50 to be the big market mover next week. They might just be wrong. On Monday morning, we’ll have the market reaction to the first major legislative vote for the young Trump administration in the US. You may be forgiven for thinking that an event all the way across the Atlantic might not have…

Kingfisher (KGF) shares have dived underwater to the tune of 3.5%, but failed to resurface in the wake of a busy set of FY 2016 results. Underlying pre-tax profits +14.7% on sales +8.7% suggests nice margin expansion, even if flattered by a Brexit-weakened GBP. A dividend +3.3% is also good news. And although the Chairman…

Macro observations After the twists and turns of last week’s central bank updates, a relatively light week for macroeconomic data thrusts the spotlight onto speakers on both sides of the Atlantic to provide foreign exchange markets with direction, while the build up to the official triggering of Article 50 begins in earnest. The single most…