In a post-Brexit world, diversifying into new markets in Europe and beyond could - and should - be a viable option for Irish companies pursuing growth.

Calm market sentiment will see stocks rally a bit

A series of trade wars, growing financial pressure on heavily indebted emergent economies and a series of interest rate increases launched by the US Federal Reserve have combined to bring an end - for now at least - to one of the longest American stock market bull runs in history, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

As we move into the final two weeks of 2018, the contrasting fortunes of the domestic economy and international developments are continuing to become starker.

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Global equity markets gained as the latest tit-for-tat US-Chinese trade dispute was seen as barely denting world growth, while US Treasury yields rose in anticipation the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates this year and next.

Despite the best endeavours of Donald Trump and Brexit, stock markets are performing because central banks are still very dovish.

Cork businesses are being encouraged to explore Chinese markets by joining the county council’s trade mission to the Jiangsu region later this year.

Digital platforms are now the main drivers of international trade. Most of the global players are established in Ireland. They have been attracting the lion’s share of foreign direct investment into Ireland in recent years.

Oracle of Omaha made huge gains of 22% in 2017

Global stock indexes kept climbing as investors around the world grew more optimistic that a trade dispute between the US and China will be resolved without much damage.

Stocks on Wall Street plunged again today as for the second time in four days the Dow Jones industrial average sank more than 1,000 points.

Alan McQuaid reflects on a year that turned out well and he hopes for more of the same in 2018.

UK fund managers resumed raising their equity exposure in November, a Reuters poll showed, with over two-thirds expecting the global equity bull run to continue throughout 2018.

US stocks mostly slipped away from their latest record highs as the two former halves of Hewlett-Packard both tumbled, while falling interest rates helped phone companies but hurt banks.

The famous market volatility index, the measure of nervousness and price action, is at an historic low.

Stockmarkets and other global risky asset markets may not be overvalued because of a “structural decline in real interest rates which is likely to endure”, says Capital Economics.

One notable feature of currency markets in the past two years has been the relatively narrow trading range for the euro-dollar rate.

Irish exporters have been warned about further sharp currency fluctuations, should the EU-UK talks end in no trade deal and tough controls over workers.

US stock indexes have inched to record highs after a late-afternoon push erased losses from earlier in the day.

Rich investors are shunning stocks because of concerns about the political impact from Donald Trump’s administration and Brexit, according to Christian Nolting, chief investment officer at Deutsche Bank’s wealth management unit.

January normally starts off slowly as money managers assess the year in terms of which asset classes will perform, and which are overpriced.

The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged last night in its first meeting since president Donald Trump took office, but painted a relatively upbeat picture of the US economy that suggested it was on track to tighten monetary policy sometime this year.