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Greens Stun Labour in Historic Gorton & Denton Upset

  The Green Party's Hannah Spencer joyous after the results of the Gorton and Denton by-election were announced Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been dealt a significant political setback after the Green Party captured Gorton and Denton, a Greater Manchester seat Labour had held for nearly a century. The by‑election result pushed Labour into third place, behind both the Greens and Reform UK, highlighting growing fractures in Britain’s traditional two‑party landscape. Green candidate Hannah Spencer secured the victory with a commanding share of the vote, marking the party’s first parliamentary by‑election win in northern England. Reform UK finished second, while Labour’s unusually weak performance intensified pressure on Starmer amid ongoing political turbulence and calls for stronger leadership.  The loss of such a long‑standing Labour stronghold underscores shifting voter sentiment and raises questions about the party’s ability to maintain its traditional base. Analysts have...
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S&P 500 Inches Closer to Record High Amid Optimism About Fed’s Policy and Year-End Effect

 

The S&P 500 index closed just shy of a new record high on Thursday, with the broad index gaining 0.04%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.03%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%. Markets are ending 2023 on a hot streak, with all three indexes on pace for a ninth consecutive weekly gain. For the S&P 500, that would mark the longest streak since January 2004. The index is now within 0.3% of its all-time high, set in January 2022. With one trading session remaining in 2023, the S&P 500 is up 25%.

Investors are optimistic that the Federal Reserve can successfully cool inflation without inducing a major economic slowdown, which has powered the market’s recent advance. Now, some investors say the looming end of the calendar year is giving markets an extra boost. “Nobody who has caught this rally wants to incur a taxable event,” said Michael Green, chief strategist at Simplify Asset Management. “If nobody wants to sell, prices will push higher on low volume”.

The jobless claims data released by the Labor Department on Thursday indicated a gradual cooling of the economy. Initial jobless claims, considered a proxy for layoffs, were 218,000 in the week ending Dec. 23, slightly more than the 215,000 that economists expected.

Bond yields rose as prices fell, reflecting expectations of higher inflation and interest rates. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.849%, up from 3.7%.

Some investors are increasing their exposure to energy and industrial stocks, which could benefit from a strong economic recovery. Matt Dmytryszyn, chief investment officer at Telemus Capital, said his fund is boosting its position in shares of energy and industrial firms.


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