[ad_1] By Sudip Kar-Gupta PARIS (Reuters) – France’s manufacturing activity contracted in December at the fastest pace in more than four years, a monthly survey showed on Thursday, highlighting the headwinds facing the euro zone’s second-biggest economy. S&P Global said its HCOB final purchasing managers index (PMI) for the French manufacturing sector fell to 41.9 in December from 43.1 in November. The final reading matched an earlier flash PMI figure and was the lowest since May 2020. Any reading below 50 points to a contraction in activity, while above 50 shows an expansion. “The French industrial crisis deepens. The HCOB…
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[ad_1] China has risen to greater prominence in sovereign investors’ portfolios, with inflows surging 21 per cent year on year in 2024, according to a tracker of nearly 750 state-owned investors globally.The world’s second-largest economy attracted US$10.3 billion in investments from funds managed by central banks, sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds, up from US$8.5 billion in 2023, according to Global SWF. The growth came amid warming ties between China and the Middle East, as well as increased diversification goals among investors.“China is gaining importance among sovereign investors because of their need to diversify their portfolios away from developed…
[ad_1] Towards the end of her decade spent in banking, while working in private wealth management at Goldman Sachs, Ayesha Ofori had a realisation. “We had so few female clients,” she remembers. “I decided to investigate. Why aren’t women investing, or why don’t they have any money? And if they don’t have money, why not?”Ofori decided to do something about it. In 2024, she founded Propelle, an innovative investment platform for women that puts financial education, a community of women and actionable investment offerings all in one place. “I had all this knowledge,” she says, of her expertise. “I wanted…
[ad_1] Last year was remarkable for cryptocurrency. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) broke the $100,000 barrier, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology took center stage, and altcoins surged to new heights. But with 2024 in the past, a new question arises: What could the new year have in store for the ever-evolving world of crypto? While it’s all speculation, guessing what’s next is half the fun. Here are my three predictions for crypto in 2025. Image source: Getty Images. Bitcoin’s stunning rally in 2024 cemented its place as the world’s most valuable cryptocurrency, but I believe it’s far from…
[ad_1] MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s manufacturing sector ended 2024 on a strong note, with both output and new orders accelerating in December, a survey by S&P Global showed on Thursday, in a stark contrast with the rest of the euro zone. The headline HCOB Spain Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 53.3 in December from 53.1 in November, marking the 11th consecutive month above the 50.0 threshold that indicates growth. The preliminary survey compiled by S&P Global in the euro zone two weeks ago showed a contraction of economic activity in December. The performance of Spanish manufacturing was bolstered…
[ad_1] The Bank of Korea (BOK) in Seoul on Dec. 28, 2024.Kim Jae-Hwan | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesRisks posed by South Korea’s political turmoil to its economy could subside within half a year, but external pressures owed to possible tariffs on the country’s exports to the U.S. are “troublesome,” a key Bank of Korea official said.”We had two presidential impeachments before, and for both cases, the political turmoil or uncertainties have subsided within three to six months,” Soohyung Lee, Monetary Policy Board member at the Bank of Korea said Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”It’s possible that the political turmoil…
[ad_1] Defined contribution (DC) plans, among other retirement savings vehicles, are the most common ways that US workers save for retirement. DC plan programs in the United States totaled $8.9 trillion in assets as of Q3 2022 and represent 22% of total retirement assets in the country. Plan sponsors thus have a tremendous responsibility to provide and manage retirement benefits on behalf of their employees. To help plan sponsors, we curated seven topics that we believe are top priorities for retirement programs in 2023. 1. Saving for Retirement: Lower for Longer Investment Expectations Setting aside the 2022 bear market for…
[ad_1] AMSTERDAM, Jan. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — People’s drinking habits are changing, so do we still need abstinence months like ‘Dry January’ and ‘Sober October’ in the diary to choose non-alcoholic options? New research from Heineken (AS:) ® and University of Oxford Professor Charles Spence shows that despite the acceptability of low and non-alcoholic drinks being at a high, choosing one can still raise eyebrows. The study – which surveyed 11,842 adults across five developed non-alcohol beer markets UK, USA, Spain, Japan (over the legal drinking age up to 75 years old), and Brazil (18 “ 65 years old)…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The Diageo (LSE:DGE) share price began 2024 at just over £28 and finished at £25.37. That’s a 10% decline in a year where the FTSE 100 managed an overall gain of just under 6%. Investors searching for explanations don’t have far to look. But the big question to consider is how far the challenges the company has been facing are going to be durable, as opposed to temporary. Lower earnings, lower multiple One reason the Diageo share price fell is earnings per share were lower than they were in 2023. A decline of around 16.5%…
[ad_1] The stock market is set to gain over 20 percent for the second year in a row – a remarkable feat it has not achieved since the late 1990s. The S&P 500 is on course to rise over 20 percent this year, after gaining 24 percent in 2023.Back-to-back rallies over this benchmark would be the best performance for the index since the dot-com bubble in 1997 and 1998, according to data from FactSet. The S&P 500 tracks the performance of the 500 biggest companies in the US, including major tech firms such as Amazon and Apple, and banks including JPMorgan Chase…