What’s going on? HSBC posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings It admitted it’ll need to start expanding into Asia sooner. What does that mean? HSBC has had two big challenges lately: it’s been making less from lending due to ultra-low interest rates, while simultaneously having to set aside enough cash for bad debt allowances; Even though last quarter’s…
Tag: vaccine
Ep 133: Shell’s worse-than-expected Q4 performance
What’s going on? Shell’s Q4 earning missed analysts’ expectations with an 87% drop in profit But its dividend is upped. What does that mean? 2020 was hard for oil companies, with ongoing travel restrictions. Shell’s feeling surprisingly optimistic about the scenario of economic recovery by the 2nd half of 2021 with the vaccine. Shell reckons…
Ep 132: Russian Covid-19 Vaccine found highly effective in trial
What’s going on? Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine demonstrated high efficacy and safety in trial, boosting its ambition to roll out the vaccine abroad and curb the pandemic home. What does that mean? Effectiveness In the peer-review study, the vaccine showed: 91.6% effectiveness against symptomatic Covid 100% protection against severe cases 0 serious side effects Commercial…
Ep 124: Vaccines elevates investments in ETFs
What’s going on? Investments in ETFs in Europe reached their highest levels since December 2019. An exchange traded fund (ETF) is a basket of securities that trade on an exchange, just like a stock. What does this mean? Investors have been celebrating the potential coronavirus vaccines by loading up on stocks: ETFs in Europe: raked…
Ep 122: US home sales soar
What’s going on? US existing home sales hit a 14-year high in October. What does this mean? Demand Quantity: Sales of previously-owned US homes climbed by 4.3% YoY, bringing the annualized number of home sales to almost 7 million, which might have been even higher if the home supply weren’t at record lows Prices: are therefore…
Ep 121: Global Oil Demand Forecast Cut
What’s going on? The International Energy Agency (IEA) cut its forecast for global oil demand, despite the recently announced vaccine. What does this mean? Oil’s price has been rising since Pfizer and BioNTech reported the success of their coronavirus vaccine trial, renewing hopes for an uptick in demand. But the IEA doesn’t expect demand to rise significantly till late…
with HT 