
Global stock markets under pressure after Trump's latest tariff blow
It follows big drops on Asian indices overnight after the Hang Seng in China fell 1.1% and Japan's Nikkei 225 was 0.7% down.
Mr Trump has signed an executive order setting new tariffs on a raft of US trading partners, which will take effect on August 7.
Big exporters to the US, such as Taiwan, will be hit with steep new levies.
While the latest tariffs are less harsh some of those announced on his so-called Liberation Day on April 2, it still sees many of US trading partners facing sharp rises.
The pound was also lower on Friday, down 0.5% to 1.314 US dollars and 0.3% lower at 1.153 euro.
Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Countries playing tariff poker with Donald Trump have had their bluff called with new US import tax rates announced for 92 nations shortly before the August 1 deadline came into play, with rates ranging from 10% to 41%.
'Mexico was the only reprieve of note, earning a 90-day extension to agree a deal.
'China already faces a separate deadline of August 12.'
The declines saw the FTSE 100 drop below the 9,100 level, having hit record highs in recent weeks, but Mr Nathan added this was 'to be expected after climbing 4% in July'.
Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Rostro trading group, said markets will be concerned over the impact of the tariffs and whether it will send global inflation soaring.
He said: 'Part of the problem for markets is the question of who will pay for these tariffs, with the best-case scenario being that foreign businesses bear the brunt through lower margins.
'However, that is not entirely the case, with US consumers starting to feel the pinch through higher prices, while earnings from the likes of General Motors, Ford and Apple have highlighted the fact that they are expected to lose billions at the hands of Trump's tariffs.'
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Times
44 minutes ago
- Times
Trump's ‘biggest deal ever' is no such thing, but I have faith in Europe
European funds and shares jumped for joy when the American president, Donald Trump, announced he had agreed 'the biggest deal ever struck by anybody' with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Unfortunately, the euphoria proved short-lived, as markets realised that this new deal means most companies in most countries will collectively pay billions more tax to trade in the world's biggest economy. However, slashing tariffs from 30 per cent to 15 per cent on most exports to America represents a substantial improvement on earlier fears. Closer to home, the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, also met Trump at one of his Scottish golf courses to — among other things — tee up American import taxes set at 10 per cent for our cars and zero for aircraft engines, which Starmer hailed as safeguarding our world-class automotive and aerospace industries. Coming down from the clouds of global politics and macroeconomics, this small, long-term DIY investor is glad I ignored many pessimistic predictions elsewhere to keep faith with British and continental funds and shares. This year's stand-out winner so far is a little-known London-listed investment trust, whose share price has soared 60 per cent since March. That's when I paid 53p for Seraphim Space Investment Trust (stock market ticker: SSIT) shares, as reported here at that time. They traded at 85p at close of play on Friday. One stellar attraction of this £239 million space technology fund is its focus on defence companies listed in Europe. These businesses are benefiting from increased demand from continental countries since America warned that everyone must pay more for our own security in future. But Seraphim's chief executive, Mark Boggett, emphasised that extraterrestrial technology can also have more peaceful applications. He told me: 'Satellite-driven weather forecasts are increasingly vital to modern agriculture, providing real-time, precise data that helps farmers make smarter decisions about planting, irrigation, pest control and harvesting. 'By reducing the uncertainty of unpredictable weather, these forecasts improve crop yields, enhance resource efficiency and build resilience. a Seraphim holding, is building its own satellite constellation to derive truly global data, enabling hyperlocal and highly accurate short-term weather forecasts. • A robot surgeon? I'll put my money on that 'These have achieved some impressive savings: 20 per cent less crop loss due to unexpected freezes or hail, and $41 saved per acre in wasted irrigation costs.' Less happily, bad weather in west Africa hit the cocoa harvest, pushing up the price of this commodity and hurting profit margins at the Swiss chocolate-maker Barry Callebaut (BARN). You might never have heard of this wholesaler but you have probably eaten its products, which are sold by better-known retailers such as the Cadbury-owner, Mondelez (MDLZ), and the KitKat-maker, Nestlé (NESN). The world's biggest chocolate-maker provides another example of how it can pay to be sceptical about talk of trade wars and instead believe that commercial relations will continue, despite shocks along the way. Barry Callebaut shares I bought for 766 Swiss francs in April now cost SwFr1,008. This is an increase of 31 per cent in little more than three months, which tastes sweet enough to me. On a sour note, Adidas (ADS), the German sports goods group, said Trump's tariffs would add €200 million to its costs because it makes 30 per cent of its trainers in Vietnam. That tripped up the share price, which plunged 18 per cent last week, causing this stock to fall out of my top ten. Ouch! • FTSE 100 slides as markets retreat on new Trump tariffs Higher taxes are bad for business, whatever opponents of free trade may say, because they transfer wealth from consumers and shareholders to governments. This explains why shares in the Dutch brewer Heineken (HEIO) slipped 7 per cent on Monday, despite it reporting higher than expected profits. Dolf van den Brink, the chief executive of the business, whose brands also include Amstel and Foster's, pointed out that the beer it exports from Mexico to America continues to face 30 per cent tariffs. He said Heineken is considering shifting more production to America, adding: 'We look at all options from continuing with our current set-up, a more hybrid version, or otherwise.' Amid all that anxiety and uncertainty, Heineken looks a bit hungover. But shares I bought for €45 in January 2014 were trading at €60 on Friday, yielding 3.2 per cent dividend income, so I intend to retain a glass half-full view of this global business. Similarly, easily my biggest European shareholding is the Paris-listed Franco-Italian firm EssilorLuxottica (EL), which makes a third of all the optical lenses on this planet. Its best-known retail brands are the American sunglasses makers Oakley and Ray-Ban, which now offer artificial intelligence-enhanced eyewear via a joint venture with the Facebook and Instagram owner, Meta Platforms (META). Sales of more than two million smart glasses since October 2023 suggest EssilorLuxottica is succeeding where earlier attempts at wearable technology failed. Google Glass, internet-enabled specs from the technology giant Alphabet (GOOGL), were largely withdrawn a decade ago and discontinued completely in 2023. • A 20% return in 4 months? I'm riding the investment trust wave But Oakley and Ray-Ban models, such as the classic Wayfarers, spare customers the embarrassment of feeling conspicuous and sales are rising strongly. While I have no wish to see share prices flashed up before my wondering eyes, this baby boomer likes the sound of discreet hearing aids, hidden away in stylish shades or spectacles. Either way, EssilorLuxottica shares I bought for €96 in March 2019 were coming through loud and clear at €259 on Friday and are now my fourth-most valuable holding. It all goes to show why it can pay to look through short-term fears and instead invest in long-term hopes that international trade will eventually return to something nearer business as usual. Even world-leading European healthcare companies cannot guarantee that shareholders will always enjoy healthy returns. Novo Nordisk (NOVO), the Danish pharmaceutical firm that was first to obtain authorisation for weight-loss wonder drugs, suffered a 25 per cent share price shrinkage last week. A profits warning wiped €60 billion off what had been Europe's most valuable company. Sad to say, there may be worse to come as Novo struggles with American tariffs, copycat drugs and the risk that it could become collateral damage in Trump's improbable bid to take over Greenland, which is a protectorate of Denmark. Yes, really. Mr Market is a manic depressive at the best of times, lurching from excessive exuberance to the depths of despair, and the drugs don't help. Despite the widespread popularity of Ozempic and Wegovy flab jabs, Novo has lost 66 per cent of its stock market value over the past year. What a downer! Fortunately, I first invested more than four years ago, when few Brits had heard of this business, paying 254 Danish krone per share in June 2021, allowing for a subsequent stock split. Then I sold a five-figure parcel at DK926 last August, as also reported here at those times. They fetched just DK309 on Friday. This raises the important point that it is never too soon to take a profit. If nothing else, we need to turn paper gains into real ones to compensate for losses elsewhere. Another Danish pharma firm, Bavarian Nordic Research Institute (BAVA), where I paid DK258 last August, had slumped to DK123 before it recommended a takeover bid at DK233 on Monday. We can't win them all. Full disclosure: Ian Cowie's shareholdings


Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
JEFF PRESTRIDGE: Why is it so difficult to get our pensions in one place?
Nothing is straightforward when it comes to pensions. Complexity rules. It's one of the reasons more than 40 per cent of working age people are not saving enough for retirement. Many just don't understand the myriad rules governing pension contributions, permitted tax breaks and how funds at retirement can be turned into hard cash. As a result, they desist from long-term saving when they should be embracing it. This complexity extends to when people attempt to put their pension affairs in good order. Long gone are the days when people retired after working all their life for one employer. Now, unlike our parents who had one works pension to see them through retirement, we have a mishmash of pensions – some good, others not fit for purpose. Some we may have forgotten about or struggle to track down. Research by financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown shows more than one in five people have lost track of pensions accumulated over a lifetime of work. To address this, consumer groups have repeatedly called for the setting up of an online dashboard, allowing people to see in one place key details on all of the pension plans they have accumulated over their working life. Such a dashboard would be a game-changer, allowing people to piece together their pension jigsaw – and enable them to make better choices when saving and at the point of retirement. Yet despite promises by previous governments to get it off the ground, it has yet to see the light of day. Although a quango called the Pensions Dashboards Programme has been tasked with delivering the scheme, the project trundles on at a snail's pace. Pensions minister Emma Reynolds says the Government is committed to getting a dashboard over the line. But I doubt it will be fully operational before the next General Election in 2029. In light of such slow progress, Labour should listen to those calling for new rules governing pension switches. Pension switching and consolidation of plans makes great sense for many savers, giving them greater control over their long-term finances and the opportunity to benefit from lower fund fees. It's not for everyone. Some older pensions can include valuable benefits that would be lost if transferred to another provider. Yet overall, it is good for consumers and should be hiccup-free. Sadly, it isn't. Many providers make life difficult for want-away customers by dragging out transfers over many weeks and sometimes months. Scandalous. PensionBee, a relatively new pension kid on the block, wants the Government to introduce a ten-day pension switching guarantee, backed by law. It would be similar to the seven-day current account switching service (CASS) launched 12 years ago to stop banks dilly-dallying on account transfer requests. CASS's data indicates that of the 11.9 million current account switches completed since 2013, 99.6 per cent have been within the required seven working days. PensionBee's Lisa Picardo says pension switching delays 'have real opportunity costs – hampering engagement, costing people real money, limiting their choices and undermining trust in the whole pensions system'. To prompt change, PensionBee has set up a petition calling for 'faster, electronic pension transfers'. Bafflingly, there's no specific mention of the ten-day switching guarantee, nor the compensation savers should (must) get if the guarantee is breached. And the petition's title – 'legislate to mandate offer of electronic pension transfers and higher standards' – reads like it has been dreamt up by an actuary who has spent too much time immersed in the complexities of pensions. I can only assume there is method in the madness. As I said at the start, nothing is straightforward when it comes to pensions. Find the petition at Cashless tills have invaded our shops Paying for goods with cash at a supermarket should be a given. But many stores are rapidly turning invasive self-checkout services into near cashless zones. Think 1963 horror film The Day Of The Triffids, about an invasion of carnivorous plants. For example, at Marks & Spencer's store at London Paddington (the railway station I commute into and from five days a week), there are only a handful among the phalanx of self-checkout terminals that now accept cash. Debra Morrison, chief executive of charity CLASP, based in my home town of Wokingham in Berkshire, is a passionate advocate for cash. CLASP provides invaluable support to people with learning difficulties, encouraging them to express themselves, participate in a wide range of events, and live more independently. Its work is enlightening. Debra says cash is vital for most CLASP members who need to budget carefully and don't use credit and debit cards. It is also key for the elderly and others who eschew other payment methods. Debra is backing an petition – find it online at – calling for an end to the discrimination of cash users at self-service checkouts. Financial inclusion is an imperative. I urge you to sign the petition. Shame on Barclays for axeing ANOTHER service I hadn't heard of Barclays' 'sterling home service' until a neighbour of my partner mentioned it a few days ago. The service, introduced during the 2020 lockdown, enables people to order cash and have it delivered to their home rather than trundle off in search of a cash machine or a Barclays branch still open (good luck there). It has been a godsend for Edna who was 90 a couple of weeks ago and is not as mobile as she once was. It has enabled her to pay cash for at-home care, food deliveries and other needs besides. Sadly for Edna and other elderly people, Barclays is withdrawing the service on October 9. It says it was only meant to be temporary – and given it is now only used by a 'very small number of customers' (its words, not mine), it must be given the chop. The bank says the Ednas of this world can still get cash in other ways: via an ATM, getting cashback at a retailer or by asking for an 'authorised user' to be added to their account who can get cash out for them. Interestingly, it didn't mention the other option: withdrawing cash over the counter at a local Barclays branch. I draw two conclusions from this. Either Barclays feels it has shut so many branches (1,236 since 2015) that such an option is not worth mentioning. In Edna's case, the local Barclays in Wokingham, Berkshire, shut two years ago – and is now an ugly, empty shell. Or, that the days of permitted big cash withdrawals over the counter at Barclays' branches are drawing to an end. PS: There is worrying evidence that banks and retailers are turning their backs on cheques. If you have had difficulties banking a cheque or making a payment by cheque, email me at


South Wales Guardian
8 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ammanford Indian restaurant wins prestigious national award
My Indian on 19-21 Wind Street was named the winner at the 2025 Prestige Awards. The award comes after My Indian was named in the Top 100 Asian Restaurants in the United Kingdom, an accolade presented at The House of Lords, Westminster Palace by 2025 Apprentice finalist, Anisa Khan. The restaurant was named in the Top 100 Asian Restaurants in the UK. (Image: My Indian) A spokesperson for My Indian said: 'It's a high honour. We are very happy. It's a very big achievement. It's only been around a year since we first opened. 'We are a family-run restaurant, and it makes us feel extra proud to win this award together and be crowned the best Indian Restaurant of the Year. It's a great achievement. 'We are lost for words. Everyone has been highly supportive. We are so chuffed and excited. The support and feedback from the Ammanford community has been outstanding. 'It feels good to give back to the community. We are proud to represent Ammanford and Wales with this award. We work as a family, we live as a family, and we achieve as a family.' My Indian was previously awarded best Newcomer of the Year at the 2024 Asian Curry Awards after attending a ceremony held at Grosvenor Hotel in London. The restaurant has 29 reviews on Facebook and a recommendation ratio of 100%. A review from this month (July 2025) said: 'Beautiful food and amazing service. Staff are so friendly, kind and can't do enough for you. The food was absolutely delicious. Will definitely be going again!' Another review from last month (June 20250 added: 'Amazing and the family, are lovely and attentive and friendly. 'The food is outstanding, and the service is impeccable. I Thoroughly recommend dining in this establishment you certainly won't be disappointed. 'We were a party of 13, and food was served promptly even though they were busy. Highly recommend trying here, you won't be disappointed, it's fantastic.' My Indian also currently has 87 reviews on Tripadvisor and an average rating of 4.8 stars out of five. Apart from Tripadvisor and Facebook, the South Wales Guardian tried My Indian and wrote a review about the restaurant.