Markets And Investments

  • Markets should get off to a good start
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    MARTIN ON THE MARKETS
    MARTIN SLANEY
    European stock markets are headed for a mildly positive start to the week, cautious ahead of some key events which could lure the markets out of their current tight trading ranges. GFT is forecasting the UK’s FTSE 100 to open up 11 points from Friday’s close, at around 5,637. The German DAX is expected to open up 10 points at 5,955 and the French CAC 40 is quoted around 3,930, up 3 points on the day. US CLOCKS GO FORWARD AN HOUR For starters this week please note that US clocks went forward one hour yesterday. That means for the next two weeks until the UK begins Daylight Saving Time, many... [Read more]

  • Middle East up as Dubai World debt plan imminent
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    FOCUS ON DUBAI
    Dubai’s index made its largest daily gain for three months yesterday as investors bet on a Dubai World debt offer favourable to creditors. Other Middle East markets rose, buoyed by firm oil prices... [Read more]
  • Triple witching can cause toil and trouble in the markets
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    This Friday promises to be one of the most volatile in the year
    JESSICA MEAD
    LONDON might no longer hold the prestigious title of the world’s leading financial centre – it only managed to tie with New York in a report by the City of London Corporation that was released on... [Read more]
  • Mergers can give you stellar profits
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    Be careful of price volatility and also ensure that you are fully protected just in case the deal falls through, writes Kathleen Brooks
    THE financial rumour mill went into overdrive on Friday after whisperings that Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corporation, the global media group, was thinking about buying back BSkyB, the... [Read more]

  • CITY INDEX
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    SPREAD BET GURU
    JOSHUA RAYMOND
    Q.Dear Josh, I have been hearing a lot about options, how do they work? A.Options are often considered complicated which, for me, is a misconception. There are two types of options, a call and a put... [Read more]
  • THE TIPSTER
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    GREGGS IS A RECESSION WINNER
    Kathleen Brooks
    GREGGS, the bakery chain, has had stellar sales during the economic downturn, as their good value products have appealed to price-conscious consumers. Greggs announces its results later this week,... [Read more]
  • Financial institutions and commodities help London’s top stocks to gain ground
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    BRITAIN’S leading share index added 0.7 per cent yesterday, buoyed by strength in commodity issues, supported by trade data from China, and in banks and insurers as Wall Street put in an early... [Read more]
  • Banking boost cheers up investors on Wall Street
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    BANK and technology shares lifted Wall Street yesterday on hopes a revival in business demand will boost corporate profits. Banks’ shares rallied to their highest in 16 months, adding to recent... [Read more]
  • Gain an insight into markets by looking at yield curves
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    Once central banks actually start hiking rates, investors will expect a flatter structure
    MOORAD CHOUDHRY HEAD OF TREASURY, EUROPE ARAB BANK WHILE not necessarily as zealous as Ronald Ryan – the preface of his 1997 book Yield Curve Dynamics contains the immortal line “God bless the yield... [Read more]
  • THE TIPSTER
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    EARNINGS AND BIDS DRIVING THE MARKETS
    Jessica Mead
    HOMEBUILDER Barratt Homes is proving an interesting punt at the moment after speculation that rival Persimmon is mounting a bid of 170p per share. Barratt would make an interesting purchase as it is... [Read more]
  • Gold isn’t the only metal to shine this year
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    Platinum and palladium should perform well in these markets
    Kathleen Brooks
    THE recent wobble in the financial markets highlights the fragile state of the economic recovery. One minute risky assets looked like they will perform strongly, and the next investors were rushing... [Read more]
  • Inflows into ETFs can guide future success
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    A year after the markets hit rock bottom, net new assets into funds show us where the next gold mine will be
    Jessica Mead
    ANNIVERSARIES are dominating the thoughts of investors this week. Yesterday marked 10 years since the Nasdaq crashed in the wake of the dotcom bubble. And a year ago this week, the US and UK stock... [Read more]
  • INVESTORS’ GLOSSARY
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    TIME DECAY This refers to the ratio of the price of a covered warrant relative to its time to expiry. A covered warrant is referred to as a wasted asset, which means its value deteriorates over time... [Read more]
  • LISTED PRODUCT NEWS
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    JESSICA MEAD
    DEUTSCHE OFFERS INDONESIA ETF Deutsche Bank's ETF division db x-trackers has launched the world's first UCITS III-compliant China and Indonesia ETFs. Listed in Singapore, the China ETF tracks the CSI... [Read more]
  • Use Fibonacci analysis to identify key levels
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    You might be a bit of a sceptic, but traders should get to grips with this technique
    Jessica Mead
    STERLING’S dramatic drop against the dollar last week hit headlines across the world as traders feared that the pound would hit parity against the euro and fall to new lows against the greenback. But... [Read more]
  • NEW RULES TO STABILISE EUROZONE
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    BORIS SCHLOSSBERG DIRECTOR OF CURRENCY RESEARCH, GFT The euro is a currency without a country and that has always been its weakness. Its members share a common monetary plan but practise disparate... [Read more]
  • The Kiwi can’t keep up this strength for long
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    The currency should let go of the Aussie’s coat tails
    COMMODITY currencies such as the Australian dollar and the New Zealand dollar have been in vogue over the past year as traders look to capitalise on rising commodity prices and take a punt on the... [Read more]
  • Rate cuts will undermine the South African rand’s health
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    The World Cup will not have a lasting effect on the home team’s currency
    Jessica Mead
    COMMODITY currencies such as the Australian dollar and the New Zealand dollar have been in vogue over the past year as traders look to capitalise on rising commodity prices and take a punt on the... [Read more]
  • The Tipster
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    The Aussie dollar doesn’t deliver after stronger economic data, and the Swiss franc continues to trade strongly as Europe’s woes remain
    Kathleen Brooks
    THE Australian dollar has been subdued, which is surprising since strong business confidence data earlier this week increases the chances of more interest rate hikes from the Reserve Bank of... [Read more]
  • FOREX FLASH
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    Kathleen Brooks
    Goldman upbeat on sterling The pound has been in retreat since yesterday, after trade data for January suggested that a weaker pound is not yet helping British exports. But this could be short-lived... [Read more]
  • Banks weigh on the FTSE as Credit Suisse warns of future funding crisis
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    BRITAIN’S top share index closed a touch lower yesterday, as a weakening in banks after a cautious research note from Credit Suisse slightly outpaced buoyant oil issues and drugmakers. The FTSE 100... [Read more]
  • Market sees strongest one-year rally since 1936
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    ONE year to the day after stocks fell to their worst close in more than 12 years, the US market spent most of yesterday spinning its wheels. Major US averages ended slightly higher as falling... [Read more]
  • Oil and minerals bolster FTSE index despite banking and drugmaker lows
    Tuesday, 9th March 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    BRITAIN’S top share index hit an 18-month closing high yesterday, led by oil stocks and miners, while drugmakers fell with AstraZeneca pressured after its cancer drug failed in trials. The FTSE 100... [Read more]
  • Nasdaq boosted by rising tech share performance
    Tuesday, 9th March 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    TECHNOLOGY shares pushed the Nasdaq higher yesterday on an otherwise flat day for US stocks. Cisco Systems, a Dow component, hit a 21-month high at $26.36 after JPMorgan Chase recommended the stock... [Read more]
  • Alternative exchanges give traders an edge
    Tuesday, 9th March 2010
    More providers are connecting to MTFs in an increasingly fragmented market
    Kathleen Brooks
    ANOTHER shake-up of London’s trading landscape is underway after the London Stock Exchange (LSE) announced on Monday that it would sell 9 per cent of Turquoise, its European trading facility, to... [Read more]
  • VIX SUGGESTS TRADERS ARE NOT WORRIED
    Tuesday, 9th March 2010
    DAVID MORRISON CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT THE first week of March saw stock markets strengthen further, taking us back up through significant retracement levels for a number of major global indices.... [Read more]
  • 2010 is the year for small caps
    Tuesday, 9th March 2010
    Trading the market tiddlers takes time but the rewards are worth it
    Jessica Mead
    AFTER small caps’ excellent 2009, many were left wondering whether such a performance could be repeated in 2010. Neil Hermon, portfolio manager of the Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust,... [Read more]
  • Stock markets head upwards
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    MARTIN ON THE MARKETS
    MARTIN SLANEY
    EUROPEAN stock markets are headed for a positive start to the week, building on the momentum gained from Friday’s better-than-expected US unemployment rate. GFT is forecasting the UK’s FTSE 100 to... [Read more]
  • Economic Diary
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    IT IS a busy week ahead on the economics front once again. While last week was dominated by central bank decisions from across the world and independent surveys, this week we will see a slew of... [Read more]
  • Media gets through its toughest trial yet
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    An advertising upswing is helping the sector
    Kathleen Brooks
    THE X Factor winner for 2010 is… ITV. The broadcaster has managed to survive the economic crisis, albeit with a slimmed down staff base, and actually managed to turn a £25m profit at the end of last... [Read more]
  • THE TIPSTER
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    Take a punt on crude oil this week
    JESSICA MEAD
    IT IS easy to forget that only about a year ago, crude oil was treading water around the $35 a barrel mark. Today, however, crude is back up to above $80 and has continued to edge its way higher. On... [Read more]
  • As inflation rises, so can your profits
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    When prices are going up rapidly, picking the right assets is crucial
    JESSICA MEAD
    WHATEVER the Bank of England might be telling us about a temporary spike in inflation, fund managers and analysts around the City are preparing themselves for a period of rising prices and adjusting... [Read more]
  • CITY INDEX
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    Spread Bet Guru
    Joshua Raymond
    Q.Dear Josh, how do stop losses work in relation to market gapping? A.I think it’s very important to understand how stop losses actually work, particularly in reference to market gapping. There are... [Read more]
  • Confidence in retail sector lifts Wall St
    Friday, 5th March 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    US stocks rose yesterday as better-than-expected monthly sales from retailers and a drop in the number of Americans filing claims for jobless benefits pointed to stabilisation in the economy. The... [Read more]
  • FTSE rises as commodities and financials set the pace
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    BRITAIN’S leading shares gained 0.9 per cent yesterday, boosted by strength in miners and oils, banks and life insurers, as upbeat US data lifted Wall Street. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 49.15... [Read more]
  • Fears over banking rules weigh on US
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    US stocks ended little changed yesterday as worries about bank regulation and a setback for drug company Pfizer offset signs of improvement in the labor market and services sector. Pfizer, the... [Read more]
  • Tough economic climate and fiscal laxity to keep pressure on sterling
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    JANE FOLEY RESEARCH DIRECTOR, FOREX.COM IN CONTRAST to last month’s meeting, today’s decision by the Bank of England has not been billed as a headline event. February’s meeting had a much higher... [Read more]
  • Middle Eastern funds offer long term promise
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    Don’t dismiss the opportunities to be found in this frontier market
    Jessica Mead
    WHEN it comes to investing in emerging markets, few might choose the Middle East and North Africa over the opportunities offered by Asian powerhouses such as China and India. Not only are political... [Read more]
  • Oil firms are a healthy addition to a portfolio
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    A broad-based exposure to the sector offers income and profits
    Kathleen Brooks
    THERE is a risk that once a company reaches a certain size it will over-stretch itself and as a result become bloated and less efficient. For the last two and a half years Anthony Hayward has... [Read more]
  • INVESTORS’ GLOSSARY
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    Kathleen Brooks
    BOLLINGER BANDS Bollinger bands are a technical analysis tool that was invented by trader John Bollinger in the 1980s. A Bollinger band consists of upper, middle and lower bands that are plotted two... [Read more]
  • LISTED PRODUCT NEWS
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    KATHLEEN BROOKS
    COMMODITY EXPOSURE Investors can get easy access to a wide range of global ETF products courtesy of iShares. The provider now offers ETFs on the MSCI South African, Australian and Canadian stock... [Read more]
  • Gains in banking shares lead the FTSE to a six-week high
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    BRITAIN’S top share index hit a six-week closing high yesterday and rose for a third straight session, led by banks with HSBC firmer after the previous session’s post results sell-off. The FTSE 100... [Read more]
  • Investors growing wary over job data
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    US stocks ended slightly higher yesterday as mergers and acquisitions supported selected sectors, but investors pulled back from recent gains in some big-cap technology and bank shares. The S&P... [Read more]
  • QE means the pound has further to fall this year
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    Whatever the path for UK monetary policy, sterling is expected to decline against the dollar
    Jessica Mead
    EVER since Dubai plunged into crisis last November, the question of which indebted sovereign state would be next to topple has been uppermost in investors’ minds. Greece – the likeliest suspect at... [Read more]
  • Eastern promise for traders in Turkey
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    In the medium term, the lira is poised to strengthen against the euro
    Kathleen Brooks
    ONE consequence of the Greek debt crisis has been a re-ordering of global risk sentiment. The problems plaguing the economies of southern Europe, including Greece and Spain, have brought into sharp... [Read more]
  • POUND COULD HIT PARITY WITH DOLLAR
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    Kathy Lien
    BORIS SCHLOSSBERG DIRECTOR OF CURRENCY RESEARCH, GFT LAST week I was on CNBC Europe when a viewer asked – will the euro go to parity against the dollar? I was surprised by the question, replying that... [Read more]
  • THE TIPSTER
    Wednesday, 3rd March 2010
    THE EURO IS DUE A SHORT TERM CORRECTION HIGHER, AND PROFITS CAN BE MADE
    Kathleen Brooks
    WITH all attention on the plunging pound this week, the euro has been relatively quiet. But euro-US dollar could come back to centre stage since the clock is ticking for the Greek government to... [Read more]
  • It’s the moment to buy oversold Greek stocks
    Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
    With a rescue plan on the cards, the smart money is heading back into Athens
    Kathleen Brooks
    FOLLOWING weeks of turmoil, it looks like the worst of Greece’s debt problems are over, at least for the time being. Talk of a rescue plan and encouraging news on the budget deficit are restoring... [Read more]
  • WAITING FOR OBAMA TO CALL THE TOP
    Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
    DAVID MORRISON CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT ON 3 March 2009, US President Obama became a stock market guru when he delivered the following to investors: “What you’re now seeing is profit and earnings... [Read more]
  • Success in Asia is not a given
    Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
    Look out for companies that are gradually shifting to eastern markets
    Jessica Mead
    BRITAIN’S largest insurer Prudential has sealed a deal to acquire American International Group’s Asian division (AIA) in a takeover that will place it at the heart of the growing Asian insurance... [Read more]
  • How to manage your wealth in 2010
    Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
    Forget about quick returns, in markets like these you should be thinking about the long-term
    HASSIUM ASSET MANAGEMENT YOGI DEWAN WE have seen a volatile start ot the new year, but whatever is happening in the markets, some things never change. When choosing what to do with your cash, the... [Read more]
  • London rises as miners and energy companies set pace
    Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    LONDON’S top share index rose one per cent yesterday as big gains from miners and energy stocks, boosted by firmer commodity prices, outpaced faltering banks following disappointing results from HSBC... [Read more]
  • Wall St gains after Pru’s deal with AIG
    Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    US STOCKS rose for a second straight day yesterday, boosted by AIG’s record-setting deal to sell a major Asian unit and on gains in semiconductor shares after SanDisk raised its revenue forecast.... [Read more]
  • Use options spread bets to capitalise on volatile markets
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    In an uncertain environment, these products can help you turn a profit,
    JESSICA MEAD
    JUST as we thought everything had calmed down and the recovery was back on track, the markets have spent the first two months of 2010 being buffeted by events in the Eurozone, weather disruption and... [Read more]
  • Profits can be made from jobs data
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    The non farm payrolls figure in the US could cause market jitters,
    Kathleen Brooks
    AT 1.30pm on the first Friday of every month a quiet hush descends of the City, as financiers, traders and analysts await US non farm payrolls data (NFP). This single piece of data, which measures... [Read more]
  • CITY INDEX
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    SPREAD BET GURU
    Joshua Raymond
    Q.Dear Josh, small cap shares can be very volatile. If I want to trade small caps, is it better to do so within a wider portfolio? A.First, it is good that you mentioned trading small cap shares as... [Read more]
  • THE TIPSTER
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    WEAK GROWTH WILL DAMPEN OIL DEMAND
    Kathleen Brooks
    Oil continues to struggle around the $80 mark, after weak economic data in the UK. If western economies stall then demand for crude oil will fall, which will lead to lower prices. Another factor that... [Read more]
  • Traders look to Bank for rates guidance
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    KATHY ON THE MARKETS
    KATHY LIEN
    It is going to be an exciting week in the financial markets with the Bank of England and the European Central Bank scheduled to make monetary policy announcements. Rate decisions are always a big... [Read more]
  • Economic Diary
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    DATA on Friday showing Britain grew by 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter dampened speculation that the Bank of England would change policy on Thursday. Purchasing managers’ indices (PMIs) out this... [Read more]
  • London’s top shares tumble as oil and mining companies slip
    Friday, 26th February 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    BRITAIN’S leading shares fell 1.2 per cent yesterday, sliding back in the afternoon in tandem with New York stocks, with miners and oils the main drag as commodity prices fell back pressured by a... [Read more]
  • Wall St rocked by weak labour data
    Friday, 26th February 2010
    THE NEW YORK REPORT
    US stocks recovered most of their losses but ended lower yesterday after weak employment and durable goods data added to recent worries about the strength of the economic recovery. Trading started on... [Read more]
  • Fiscal tightening is a delicate matter
    Friday, 26th February 2010
    Today’s GDP figure will do little to alleviate concerns of a double-dip recession in Britain
    JANE FOLEY
    TODAY we should get confirmation that Britain emerged from recession in the last quarter of 2009, when the expectation is that the previous figure will be revised higher. Not a single economist... [Read more]
  • Sovereign Oilfield collapses into administration as debt talks fail
    Thursday, 25th February 2010
    OIL
    OIL engineering company Sovereign Oilfield Group called in the administrators yesterday after talks with its lenders to renegotiate the terms of its debt failed. The Aberdeen-based company appointed... [Read more]
  • Banks boost FTSE on hopes that RBS results bring cheer
    Thursday, 25th February 2010
    THE LONDON REPORT
    BRITAIN’S top shares rose 0.5 per cent yesterday, led by banks and echoing gains on Wall Street as US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke assuaged fears of an earlier than expected interest rate... [Read more]