A steep fall in the number of house loans approved in November does not seem to have hurt investors' outlook with the FTSE hitting a 30-month high yesterday.
The Scotsman says the trigger for yesterday’s market gains was falling oil prices and a strong outlook for the US economy despite the tidal wave that has hit Asia. Insurers in particular did better than some expected because the areas hit by the weekend’s tidal wave were relatively underinsured, limiting any potential payouts and/or losses insurance comanies may face. The latest disaster comes on top of one of the worst hurricane seasons in the US, which is expected to hit insurers’ and reinsurers’ bottom lines this financial year. The theme is continued by The Times, which notes just...
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