FTSE loses ground as investors fear weak third quarter earnings data October 22, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index lost ground yesterday, extending declines on concerns about upcoming third quarter earnings. Drugmakers dipped, with Shire down 1.8 per cent and AstraZeneca off 0.5 per cent. The firms kick off the heavyweight sector’s results season tomorrow. According to Thomson Reuters Starmine data, of the eight per cent of European companies that [...]
Top trader who wants to help the underdog October 22, 2012 ATRAIT common among successful traders is a thirst for knowledge. More knowledge means more trading ideas, according to Lex van Dam, who (in)famously handed eight trading novices $1m (£500,000 at the time) of his own cash to trade the markets at the end of 2009. With training from van Dam, the group outperformed professionals during [...]
A Romney victory could heighten China tensions October 22, 2012 FX360 WITH the US presidential election looming, the subject of employment and the health of America’s economy has predictably been high on the agenda. With the country’s manufacturing base suffering, there is a swathe of US voters looking for someone to blame for the unsettling situation. The Republican challenger Mitt Romney has pointed the finger [...]
The darling of the high street October 22, 2012 THE rocket that has gone off beneath Debenhams’s share price shows little sign of running out of fuel. Having breezed past a 2009 high around 100p per share, it now sits at levels not seen since late 2007. Overseas expansion and a store revamp have helped drive sales growth, providing a welcome change from the [...]
The markets are still a swing voter October 22, 2012 DOES the stock market vote Republican or Democrat? The US presidential elections are now only two weeks away. And as with any major event, there is no shortage of people who think that it will have an effect on the markets one way or another – usually in line with their own political bent. Traditionally, [...]
Analyst picks for Tuesday 23 October 2012 October 22, 2012 CURRENCY STRATEGIST CHRIS VECCHIO My pick: Long euro-dollar and New Zealand dollar-dollar Expertise: Fundamental and technical analysis Average time frame of trades: A few hours to a few days Two weeks ago I explained that I had taken a new long New Zealand dollar-dollar position at $0.8175. Alongside stimulus measures expected from China as its [...]
UK set to celebrate the official end of the recession after Games boost October 21, 2012 THE UK is this week expected to officially exit recession, with news from the Office of National Statistics set to confirm the double dip is over. The ONS will publish its first estimate of third quarter GDP, with analysts predicting impressive growth, due in part to the Olympics. Howard Archer, of IHS Global Insight, said: [...]
Jittery market awaits deluge of Q3 earnings October 21, 2012 US earnings started the quarter on the wrong foot, and things have only got worse. Expectations for the third quarter were dismal, with forecasts for a decline in profits from a year ago. But a recent flurry of high-profile reports has investors scowling at the weak revenue numbers, adding to worries about the state of [...]
Diversifying your holdings will protect you from blips October 21, 2012 IT IS an apt time for investors to revisit how they are managing risk within their portfolio; not only because of last week’s twenty-fifth anniversary of Black Monday, but also because of current risks, like the Eurozone crisis. Risk isn’t inherently bad. The more risk you take, the more return you might get. Of course, [...]
What Black Monday taught me about stock valuation October 21, 2012 TEN days after Black Monday a colleague returned from a holiday in central Africa, oblivious to what had been going on. He saw the ashen faces around him and exclaimed “at these valuations, why the hell aren’t you all buying?” He was right. The market crash had been a wonderful buying opportunity and the UK [...]