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Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Thursday newspaper round-up: Nuclear energy, NI rise, Crispin Odey

(Sharecast News) - Boris Johnson is to put nuclear energy at the heart of the UK's new energy strategy, but ministers have refused to set targets for onshore wind and vowed to continue the exploitation of North Sea oil and gas. Amid deep divisions among senior Conservatives, the strategy will enrage environmentalists, who say the government's plans are in defiance of its own net-zero targets and neglect alternative measures that experts say would provide much quicker relief from high energy bills. - Guardian Britain's employers are being forced to shoulder a £9bn tax rise after the government pushed ahead with raising national insurance on Wednesday despite stiff opposition. Company bosses said the 1.25-percentage-point rise in national insurance contributions (NICs), which is paid by workers and their employers, would add to already severe pressure from runaway inflation and soaring business costs this year linked to Covid, Brexit and Russia's war in Ukraine. - Guardian

Returns for one of Crispin Odey's funds have soared after his short bet on government bonds paid off. The financier's Odey European Inc hedge fund jumped by about 15pc in March after he shorted government bonds that mature in 2050 and 2061. The short bet has lifted the fund's return to 53pc for the year to date, Bloomberg reported. - Telegraph

The Russian government has been accused of effectively defaulting on its foreign debts for the first time since the Bolshevik Revolution after being forced to use roubles to make payments to creditors. Insurance on Russia debt signalled a record 99pc chance of default after foreign banks rejected payments in dollars for two bonds following the tightening of sanctions by the US. - Telegraph

America's senior financial regulator has increased pressure on Amazon to be more open over its global tax affairs by rejecting the technology group's move to block a shareholder vote on greater transparency. The ecommerce powerhouse was accused of being "out of step" with investors and regulators after seeking to quash a campaign for it to share more information about where and how it pays taxes. - The Times

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Sunday newspaper round-up: Debt interest, Autumn Budget, RC Fornax
(Sharecast News) - Rachel Reeves has been left facing a £50bn bill as a result of higher debt interest payments following a rout in the bond market. And City exports caution that the bill could keep climbing. Hence, the Chancellor may soon have to choose between either bending her own fiscal rules, enacting tax increases or cutting spending. The rout has seen the tiny £10bn buffer left by Reeves to meet her main fiscal rule, which requires that tax revenues cover day-to-day expenditures, evaporate. - The Financial Mail on Sunday
Friday newspaper round-up: Energy bills, ticket touting, BlackRock
(Sharecast News) - The number of people in England and Wales who sought help with energy bills jumped by 20% last year, according to Citizens Advice, which assisted 60,000 households struggling with the soaring cost of gas and electricity. That number was double the figure for 2020, the national consumer advice charity said, with problems with billing being the single most common type of issue raised with its service providers. - Guardian
Thursday newspaper round-up: Job vacancies, civil servants, Darktrace
(Sharecast News) - Vacancies for permanent jobs in the UK declined at their fastest pace for four years last month, according to a new survey that adds to the gloomy economic mood. Amid febrile markets and weak economic data, the monthly jobs report from the consultancy KPMG and the recruitment firm REC shows many firms reluctant to hire. - Guardian
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Shein, JPMorgan Chase
(Sharecast News) - The UK's advertising watchdog has banned a campaign by an online investment company predominantly targeting Muslims that featured images of euros and US dollars and the words "The United States of America" in flames alongside a call to "join the money revolution". Wahed Invest Ltd, an online investment platform, ran six posters on various Transport for London (TfL) services, including the London Underground and on buses, last September and October. - Guardian

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

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