Financial markets get it wrong again
![British Prime Minister Theresa May; the UK election has caught financial markets on the hop.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170609024822/http://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/g/w/n/l/3/m/image.related.afrIndexLead.320x210.gwnte7.png/1496976002619.jpg)
Financial markets and politics just don't mix. They seem to get it wrong a fair chunk of the time.
Financial markets and politics just don't mix. They seem to get it wrong a fair chunk of the time.
Meanwhile, the rest of Europe seems to be rebounding strongly
The family offices of two of Melbourne’s wealthiest dynasties are poised to merge in the latest example of consolidation.
Trump watched only about 45 minutes of Comey's testimony and spent most of it under the eye of his personal lawyer.
New loans to housing investors fell 2.3 per cent in April to the lowest level in seven months, suggesting tighter credit curbs imposed are having an affect.
This week Gilbert + Tobin announced its new partners, including ex McKinsey man Sam Nickless. KWM, Clayton Utz, HSF, Minters, Maddocks and others are also pushing innovation.
Several federal statutes criminalize actions that impede official investigations.
CPA Australia CEO Alex Malley accused the NSW Fair Trading minister of interfering for political purposes in a dispute over the body's legal recognition.
Newly established small caps manager Lennox Capital Partners has made its first hire.
BHP Billiton can return $US15 billion to shareholders over the next three years in addition to its stated dividend policy, according to UBS.
The certainty with which financial markets had treated the British election has disintegrated, with markets now pricing in more political risk.
When you order a $500,000 car, you want it now, right?
Gilbert Collard's battle for his political future against France's most famous female bullfighter is emblematic of Emmanuel Macron's dominance in the polls.
Theresa May could lose her majority as the swing to Labour grows and an exit poll tips she will gain just 322 out of the 650 seats.
Norwegian oil major Statoil has revived controversial plans for exploration drilling in the pristine waters in the Great Australian Bight, opening up an inevitable battle with environmentalists worried about the risk of an oil leak.
Everything from ice to ramen has a logo on it now. Social media "is, after all, free publicity", notes one bar owner.
Australian banks are tipped to grow less than 2 per cent over the next few years as Asian rivals eye double-digit growth
Political uncertainty makes a surprise return - UK exit polls inject some volatility into markets and the ASX isn't immune.
Theresa May's decision to call a snap election to "guarantee certainty and stability" ahead of spectacularly negotiations with Brussels may have backfired spectacularly.
Nairobi's new railway station, built by China, looks like an airport terminal, It's the terminus for a 500-km rail line, also built with Beijing cash.
It may just be that business may prove to be an ultimate force for good in seeing an end to a domestic political war that has also destroyed plenty in politics.
Fairfax's most valuable opportunity is an undiscovered option that I have described as "financial Amazon".
It's a case of two wheels good, four wheels bad as MotorCycle Holdings goes against the souring trend of ASX floats, delivering 85 per cent gains in 14 months.
Will the legal market see one of the most significant mergers in years? Sources are quietly confident. Plus: somebody please tell Parliament House to lock up its Magna Carta copy. Pronto.
Major banks have not increased savers' base rates for seven years, despite boosting earnings with regular increases in borrowers' rates.
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