Government loans aren’t hand outs January 7, 2013 LAST week, the government announced the expansion of its start-up loan scheme, headed up by serial entrepreneur James Caan. Originally aimed at 18 to 24 year olds, and with funding of £82m, the loans are now available to anyone aged up to 30 and the total amount of funding will increase to £112m. The inevitable [...]
It is the perfect time to get your pension affairs sorted January 7, 2013 INVESTMENT COMMENT MAY I suggest a New Year’s resolution? Spend some time thinking about whether you should top up your pension pot. It does not have to take long, and there are a number of good reasons why it is important to act sooner rather than later. One is that chancellor George Osborne announced changes [...]
Strategic investment in an uncertain 2013 January 7, 2013 GLOBAL equity markets have started the year strongly. Investors seem pleased that the US fiscal cliff has been averted, or at least deferred. Now the bigger and more important issue is the US debt ceiling, which will be reached in spring 2013. Until then, financial markets will likely remain volatile. In the longer term, we [...]
FTSE spikes in afternoon trading on US December employment boost January 3, 2013 BRITAIN’S FTSE rallied in the afternoon yesterday, as encouraging economic data out of the United States provided the momentum to lift the index to fresh 17-month highs. The FTSE 100 had edged lower in morning trade, but added 0.3 per cent in 15 minutes after the release of data showing that US private-sector employers added [...]
Wall St slides after minutes from the Fed January 3, 2013 US stocks dipped yesterday after signs the Federal Reserve has growing concern about its highly stimulative monetary policy, giving investors reason to pull back after a two-day rally. The minutes from the Fed’s December policy meeting, released yesterday, showed increasing reticence about adding to the central bank’s $2.9 trillion balance sheet, which it expanded sharply [...]
FTSE hits highest level in 17 months as smashes through 6,000 barrier January 2, 2013 BRITAIN’S top share index raced through the 6,000 level for the first time in 17 months yesterday boosted by a last-minute budget deal in the United States and solid global PMI data. London’s blue chip index closed up 129.56 points, or 2.2 per cent at 6,027.37, bettering the average return on the first day of [...]
Fiscal cliff deal sparks a new year rally in US January 2, 2013 US stocks kicked off the new year with their best day in over a year yesterday, sparked by relief over a last-minute deal in Washington to avert the “fiscal cliff” of tax hikes and spending cuts that threatened to derail the economy’s growth. In 2013’s first trading session, the S&P 500 achieved its biggest one-day [...]
FTSE 100 predicted to top 6,000 in 2013 despite US budget hangover January 1, 2013 BRITAIN’S FTSE 100 index closed down 27.56 points on the final day of 2012 trading as investors remained anxious over whether US lawmakers can agree crucial budget strategy and avoid the “fiscal cliff”. But despite the fall, to a close of 5,897.81, analysts predict the blue chip share index will rise 8 per cent by [...]
US stocks up at end of 2012 as deal talks drag January 1, 2013 US stocks finished 2012 with their strongest day in more than a month, putting the S&P 500 up 13.4 per cent for the year, as lawmakers in Washington continued to thrash out crucial “fiscal cliff” negotiations. The S&P 500’s gain for the year marks its best performance since 2009, as stocks navigated through debt crises [...]
Three trading resolutions for 2013 January 1, 2013 SUCCESSFUL traders constantly learn and try to improve. The New Year is a great time to reflect on how you could erase some of your bad trading habits, and here are some pearls of wisdom from three respected traders. RESEARCH DEEPLY There were periods of low volatility in 2012, making opportunities hard to find. As [...]