The news out of the United Kingdom rocked global markets. In an historic referendum vote, citizens of the U.K. narrowly voted for a “Brexit” — a British exit from the European Union. Since joining the European Union in 1973, a fair number of Britons have been skeptical of the governing body. British attitudes toward European unity have been… complicated, to say the least. Winston Churchill advocated for “a kind of United States of Europe” during a speech in Zurich in 1946, while simultaneously setting the precedent for an arm’s length relationship with the continent throughout his career. Read More
The news out of the United Kingdom rocked global markets. In an historic referendum vote, citizens of the U.K. narrowly voted for a “Brexit” — a British exit from the European Union. Since joining the European Union in 1973, a fair number of Britons have been skeptical of the governing body. British attitudes toward European unity have been… complicated, to say the least. Winston Churchill advocated for “a kind of United States of Europe” during a speech in Zurich in 1946, while simultaneously setting the precedent for an arm’s length relationship with the continent throughout his career. #-ad_banner-#Now that the votes are cast, questions remain about what this will mean for trade, immigration, travel and a host of other issues. What is certain right now, however, is that the market is treating this development in a negative light. On Friday, the FTSE 100 (the main British stock index) closed down about 3.15%, while its currency (the pound) fell to levels not seen since 1985. Meanwhile, European exchanges fared even worse. The German DAX was down 6.8%, the French CAC 40 was down 8%… Even the Japanese Nikkei Index was down nearly… Read More