Brexit Uncertainty Is Fucking Up The Economy

September UK #PMI surveys indicated the second-largest monthly fall in business activity since the global financial crisis, pointing to a second successive quarterly drop in #GDP 1/ pic.twitter.com/X8Du68hbyU

— Chris Williamson (@WilliamsonChris) October 3, 2019

Thomas Cook Ceases Trading

We are sorry to announce that Thomas Cook has ceased trading with immediate effect.

This account will not be monitored.

Please visit https://t.co/WWiKkzLYQJ for further advice and information.#ThomasCook pic.twitter.com/Nf1X3jn97x

— Thomas Cook (@ThomasCookUK) September 23, 2019

As per the BBC:

"Thomas Cook has collapsed after last-minute negotiations aimed at saving the 178-year-old holiday firm failed.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the tour operator had "ceased trading with immediate effect".

It has also triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation, aimed at bringing more than 150,000 British holidaymakers home.

Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook's chief executive, said the firm's collapse was a "matter of profound regret".

Commenting as the company entered compulsory liquidation, Mr Fankhauser also apologised to the firm's "millions of customers, and thousands of employees".

The tour operator's failure puts 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide, including 9,000 in the UK."

My sympathies to those who have lost their jobs.

Lagarde Wins Vote To head ECB - She Was The Only Candidate

WATCH: Christine Lagarde wins crucial vote to lead European Central Bank, paving the way for her to become the first woman to hold the post https://t.co/lQLDdFXFZv pic.twitter.com/q9hZp72Tbm

— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) September 17, 2019

Trump Calls For Negative Interest Rates - #Volfefe

The Federal Reserve should get our interest rates down to ZERO, or less, and we should then start to refinance our debt. INTEREST COST COULD BE BROUGHT WAY DOWN, while at the same time substantially lengthening the term. We have the great currency, power, and balance sheet.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019

....The USA should always be paying the the lowest rate. No Inflation! It is only the naïveté of Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve that doesn’t allow us to do what other countries are already doing. A once in a lifetime opportunity that we are missing because of “Boneheads.”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2019

NatWest Site Down

⚠️ Our website is currently unavailable. We're working hard getting it back up and running for you.

Online Banking and our mobile app are still working. Sorry if this is causing you problems - we’ll post an update when we have more information. pic.twitter.com/3wBWnjTyOT

— NatWest (@NatWest_Help) August 28, 2019

Eddie Stobart Suspends Shares and Ditches CEO

The BBC reports that Eddie Stobart has suspended trading of its shares and announced that chief executive Alex Laffey will stand down with immediate effect, as the firm looks into an accounting error.

In a statement, the firm said that it also intended to review the group's current dividend policy.

The transport logistics company revealed a £2m discrepancy in its accounts last month.

Sebastien Desreumaux, currently head of iForce, will take over from Mr Laffey.

A review of its statements by new chief financial officer, Anoop Kangits, found that the 2018 adjusted operating profit figure of £55.3m was overstated by about 4%.

Publication of the firm's financial results for the six months to 31 May 2019 has now been delayed to early September.

The firm added that half year profits were likely to be "significantly lower" than suggested in a recent trading update, and that it is "applying a more prudent approach to revenue recognition".

Ironically the company's largest shareholder is troubled fund manager Neil Woodford, who holds a 22.9% stake.

A Sunk Cost Is a Sunk Cost - H2S To Be Scrapped?

"Just because you spent a lot of money on something, should not mean that you just carry on ploughing more and more money into it"

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says it's possible HS2 rail project could be scrapped, as government review is announcedhttps://t.co/uS6B9WDvuN pic.twitter.com/q6q4tHYQcD

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) August 21, 2019

Stamp Duty Not Being Shifted To Sellers..Apparently!

BBC News - I won't shift stamp duty to sellers, says chancellor https://t.co/QSRMOu8J2p

— Andrew Goodall (@agoodall4) August 19, 2019

We Have Now Entered The Countermeasures Stage of The Trade War

Reuters: #China finance ministry says China must take necessary countermeasures to #US additional tariffs on $300 bln of Chinese goods

— Vincent Lee (@Rover829) August 15, 2019

Economists and Forecasters Are Useless

Inflation in Britain accelerated to 2.1 per cent in July, confounding forecasts for a slowdown.

Economists had expected inflation to drop to 1.9 per cent from 2 per cent in June.

However, official data showed an increase in the Consumer Price Index, driven by rises in the prices of games, toys, hotels, clothing and footwear.

Cretins!

BREAKING Unemployment rises by 31,000 to 31.3m in last three monthshttps://t.co/SzNa5ln8R6 pic.twitter.com/KvQ1tu9hwR

— Mirror Breaking News (@MirrorBreaking_) August 13, 2019

Brexit Impasse Crippling The Economy

0.2% fall in GDP in Q2 2019, following growth of 0.5% in Q1 https://t.co/RWAY7m2xzE pic.twitter.com/2io09bHRRL

— Office for National Statistics (@ONS) August 9, 2019

Muddy Waters Puts The Boot Into Burford

Muddy waters described Burford as a “poor business masquerading as a great one”.

For good measure it noted that "BUR’s governance strictures are laughter-inducing."

The FT reports that Burford has lost £1.7bn of market value over two days. Its shares were down 46 per cent at the close.

German Economy Fucked - There Goes The EU!

German industrial production is collapsing wiping out the last 4 years of growth.

Likely Germany will have a recession 2019Q2 & 2019Q3 negative as weakness is spreading from Automobile to other sectors.

Troubled times for what was the #EU and #Eurozone most sucessful economy. https://t.co/IqnB4kTuVt

— Dilip Shah (@DilipShah_) August 7, 2019

HSBC Appears To Be In The Shit

In the latest Radio Times, by @paullewismoney #HSBCfraud pic.twitter.com/VrUpcCRXWR

— Mr Ethical (@nw_nicholas) August 7, 2019

So the CEO of HSBC was fired yesterday and the rumor is this: the BOE found out that they were lending to the PBOC to prop up the currency. If this is true, this is nuts.

— JoelHeyman (@JoelHeyman) August 6, 2019