Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ian Smith

@iankmsmith.ft.com

8.2K followers 1.8K following 1.3K posts

Senior Markets Correspondent at the Financial Times. Previously insurance, markets, finance, stocks, pensions, you get the idea Stories: https://www.ft.com/ian-smith Contact: [email protected]

www.ft.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · Jun 6

“It’s a classic supply-and-demand mismatch problem, but on a global scale”

The pressure is building in the long-term government bond market on.ft.com/3Zk9Dhx

The mounting pressure on bond markets

[FREE TO READ] For the first time in almost a generation, governments are starting to face regular resistance from investors when they try to sell long-term debt

on.ft.com

6 18

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 4h

Don’t miss @katie0martin.ft.com on 🚀 on.ft.com/48QHpjV

Brace for a market melt-up

[FREE TO READ] Some say this is a ‘good’ bubble, but investors should remember that all bubbles burst in the end

on.ft.com

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 10h

Pimco's Andrew Balls: “If you have to drive from here to somewhere 50 miles away, don’t have 50 miles worth of petrol"

Big investors say the best option to shore up gilts (not the only consideration ofc) would be Reeves giving herself more room against her fiscal rules
www.ft.com/content/7345...

Pimco and BlackRock tell Reeves to build bigger fiscal buffer

Big bond investors say chancellor needs to go beyond slim £9.9bn of margin left against key borrowing rule

www.ft.com

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 11h

Past $4,000
www.ft.com/content/ed7f...

Gold price tops $4,000 for first time

Prices have doubled in less than two years as central banks stockpile bullion and investors pour in to gold funds

www.ft.com

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 1d

the big q: who is going to triumph, Timothée Chalamet’s Dylan or Jeremy Allen White’s Springsteen? 🍿

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 1d

Emerging markets: we're so back

Nice story from @jsphctrl.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/fbf7...

Emerging markets roar back with biggest stock rally in 15 years

‘Stars are finally aligning’ for EM assets, as weakening US dollar sends investors in search of yield

www.ft.com

Reposted by Ian Smith

Robin Wigglesworth @robinwigglesworth.ft.com · 1d

Fire up your nerdiest group chat — the FT Alphaville Pub Quiz returns to London later this month. on.ft.com/47j6xxF

The FT Alphaville Pub Quiz returns to London on October 23. Here’s how to get tickets

Strictly quizness

on.ft.com

3 1

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

💶⚓️

European Central Bank @ecb.europa.eu · 2d

Lagarde: The euro can be more than the currency of a continent and a symbol of unity – it can become a global anchor of trust.

Europe needs bold reforms to turn this vision into reality.

1 3

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

icymi the market:

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

That productivity gain in full
www.ft.com/content/934c...

Deloitte issues refund for error-ridden Australian government report that used AI

Big Four firm will repay final instalment after incorrect references and citations found in document

www.ft.com

1 6

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

💵🏝️https://www.wsj.com/finance/why-insurers-are-taking-your-money-to-the-cayman-islands-dc0bbf5c

Why Insurers Are Taking Your Money to the Cayman Islands

Some offshore jurisdictions don’t require insurers to hold as much extra capital in case investments turn sour.

www.wsj.com

1 1 3

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

More on a sensitive time for the JGB market
www.ft.com/content/9cc5...

Rout in Japanese bonds heralds ‘pivotal change’

Higher yields could be here to stay, but the JGB market has a history of confounding investors

www.ft.com

1 1 1

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

The bad news for countries with elevated borrowing costs 👀 is that Japan's long-dated yields continue to drag everyone higher on this
www.ft.com/content/5eea...

Japanese stocks soar and yen tumbles after Sanae Takaichi wins ruling party leadership

Investors expect more fiscal spending and pressure on central bank to keep interest rates low

www.ft.com

1 2 13

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

...if you got this far read our Big Read from June on the record purchases by central banks in recent years, the bedrock of the three-year rally
www.ft.com/content/97fd...

How gold became the world’s refuge from uncertainty

In an era where core assumptions about the global economy are being questioned, gold has once more become an anchor — especially for central banks

www.ft.com

1 1 4

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

(Kentish Man not Man of Kent)

1 1

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

As a Kent resident, it's really exciting to live through this local governance revolution
www.ft.com/content/277c...

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters

Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending

www.ft.com

3 3 20

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

“Clearly it is the right time for us to IPO and of course London is our home market"

LSE folks: 🥲
www.ft.com/content/5625...

Shawbrook to float in London in boost to struggling market

Specialist lender could be valued at £2bn in IPO that is set to be biggest in London this year

www.ft.com

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

French stocks fell on this, and the extra government borrowing costs France pays compared with Germany – a closely followed measure of market anxiety – reached close to its widest since 2012

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 2d

Breaking news: France’s prime minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned after rightwing allies indicated they would withdraw from his government. on.ft.com/4gWxifm

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

Thing is, investors told me, it's hard to call when to jump off the train: the same old issues, a lack of income or consensus valuation, means you're left with a price/vibes metric on this "precious" metal.

Up > 1% today to a new record just shy of $4,000 per troy ounce
www.ft.com/content/54dc...

‘Gold-plated Fomo’ powers bullion’s record-breaking rally

Price has rocketed nearly 50% this year, its best performance since 1979, as institutional investors pile in

www.ft.com

1 1

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

Also market participants told me and Leslie Hook that people are doing sell dollar forward/buy gold trades that seem to sum up 2025
www.ft.com/content/54dc...

‘Gold-plated Fomo’ powers bullion’s record-breaking rally

Price has rocketed nearly 50% this year, its best performance since 1979, as institutional investors pile in

www.ft.com

1 1

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

Comes after stellar run this year (cf chart by @raydouglas.bsky.social) and as people start to worry that inflating-away-our-massive-debts is the gameplan.

ETF flows have jumped and bankers say they are receiving a surge in calls from people wanting to take an allocation
www.ft.com/content/54dc...

1 2 3

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 2d

It's not just central banks buying gold...

‘Gold-plated Fomo’ powers bullion’s record-breaking rally, as investors pile in
www.ft.com/content/54dc...

‘Gold-plated Fomo’ powers bullion’s record-breaking rally

Price has rocketed nearly 50% this year, its best performance since 1979, as institutional investors pile in

www.ft.com

2 4 6

Reposted by Ian Smith

PoliticsHome @politicshome.bsky.social · 4d

NEW: The BBC has apologised for airing a false claim about Tony Blair's son's company being awarded a government contract to produce the new digital ID scheme

BBC Apologises For Airing Fake Claim About Digital ID Scheme

The BBC has apologised for airing a false claim about Tony Blair's son's company being awarded a government contract to produce the new mandatory d...

www.politicshome.com

15 77 190

Reposted by Ian Smith

Albumism @albumism.com · 4d

Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' hit #1 on the UK albums chart 50 years ago on October 4, 1975 | Listen to the album + discover where it ranks in our readers' poll here: album.ink/PinkFloydpoll

3 20

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 4d

Have I got fake news for you

Zoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · 5d

Oh my god.

Have I Got News For You just referred to this completely false claim as a fact!!

1 5 10

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · 5d

so true

bisphamgreen.bsky.social @bisphamgreen.bsky.social · 5d

payrolls Friday without payrolls

a man with a mustache is sitting on a swing in the park .

ALT: a man with a mustache is sitting on a swing in the park .

media.tenor.com