The Federal Reserve spikes the markets’ punch bowl

Car giants VW and Ford are pooling their resources to focus on electric vehicles and driverless cars. What are the odds of success? Matthew Partridge reports.

The resignation of Mexico’s finance minister has cast a shadow over Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), Mexico’s “leftist firebrand” leader.

High debt, fierce competition and one-off factors have pushed tour operator Thomas Cook to the brink of bankruptcy.

The release this week of second-quarter economic figures revealed that China’s economy is growing at its slowest pace in 27 years.

In a further sign of the mania gripping the bond market, Germany issued €3.15bn of zero-interest ten-year bonds last week.

The new president of the European Commission, Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen, has her work cut out.

But will dabblers in it meet with a sticky end? Emily Hohler reports.

It is now a virtual certainty that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at the end of this month. And liquidity-addicted markets do love easy money.

If the next phase of the internet revolution is at hand, it could mark a return for value investing.

Smart cities are no longer futuristic fantasies. Chris Carter analyses their rapid development and explains how you can profit from them.

Strident pessimism over a no-deal Brexit is creating the ideal conditions for Keynesian stimulus, says Bernard Connolly.

London house prices are falling at the fastest rate for ten years. John Stepek explains what’s behind the slide, and what it would take to create a UK-wide house-price crash.

Inheritance tax – Britain’s most detested tax – is set for an overhaul.

The truth is dawning on the markets that, with Boris Johnson as prime minister, we are heading for a No Deal Brexit whether we like it or not.

Walter Forbes manipulated his company earnings created $500m of fictitious profits and ended up wiping $14bn from the value of his company’s share and bonds.

There are plenty of reasons to be gloomy about the stockmarkets. But the trend remains up, says Dominic Frisby. And you don’t want to bet against the trend.

This surge in the bitcoin price seems no more likely to endure than the last one, says Matthew Partridge.

We don’t need new fund structures to tackle liquidity concerns with open ended funds– the ideal vehicle already exists – investment trusts.