US stocks fall in Columbus Day light trade October 8, 2012 US stocks slipped in light trading yesterday, pulling back from recent five-year highs ahead of an earnings season expected to be weak. Trading volume was the lowest so far this year in a full session as the US government and the bond market were closed for the Columbus Day holiday. About 4.1bn shares changed hands [...]
Pessimism will engulf US corporate earnings October 8, 2012 EARNINGS season is underway. This week, investors will learn about the health of some of the biggest US companies. There is an air of pessimism. According to analyst surveys, earnings last quarter are expected to drop 2.4 per cent, and we may see more losses reported than profits for the first time in four years. But [...]
America’s fiscal cliff may bring a new level of pain October 8, 2012 THE term “fiscal cliff” may have only been coined as a phrase by Ben Bernanke as recently as eight months ago, but it’s likely to be used more frequently as we head into the year-end. If US legislators fail to act, a combination of sharp tax hikes and public spending cuts could have the potential [...]
The Tipster | Chequered outlook for Burberry October 8, 2012 CONCERNS over a slowing global economy have affected Burberry’s performance in Asia, a key growth market for the luxury retailer. The stock, down 36 per cent from its all-time highs in April, has come under further pressure after the World Bank reduced growth forecasts in Asia. Capital Spreads quotes a price of 1,011.4p-1,013.6p for Burberry. [...]
Obama’s isn’t the only job at risk October 8, 2012 BARACK Obama’s re-election hopes were given a boost on Friday with a strong non-farm payroll print, coupled with a significantly improved unemployment rate. With less than a month until the US presidential elections on 6 November, the crucial employment survey gave the Obama camp an unbelievable fall in unemployment – falling to 7.8 per cent [...]
Analyst picks for 9 October 2012 October 8, 2012 CURRENCY STRATEGIST CHRIS VECCHIO My pick: Long New Zealand dollar-dollar Expertise: Combining fundamental and technical analysis Average time frame of trades: A few hours to a few days The Aussie-dollar long trade, after violently gyrating between gains and losses for two weeks, was closed for 100 pips: the surprise Reserve Bank of Australia rate cut [...]
Burberry and WH Smith in the spotlight October 7, 2012 A RAFT of economic information due out tomorrow will shed light on whether the UK is gradually pulling out of its double-dip recession. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) will release its sales data for September, following a gloomy August where the Olympics failed to boost spending and like-for-like retail figures fell 0.4 per cent compared [...]
Wall Street may be heading for a pullback as earnings season starts October 7, 2012 WALL Street may be bracing for a pullback as US earnings season begins this week – if the clouds of profit warnings from bellwethers ranging from FedEx to Hewlett-Packard lead to a downpour of lower profits, or even losses. Thanks to aggressive stimulus plans from central banks around the world, the Standard & Poor’s 500 [...]
Turtles can turn into gazelles in a good incubator October 7, 2012 IT IS one of the saddest scenes in nature. On a deserted beach, mother turtle struggles up the sand, and laboriously digs a hole to lay her eggs. Sometime later, hundreds of tiny baby turtles scramble out and start heading down the beach towards the water. The birds, in a frenzy, scoop up such an [...]
British SMEs should export their way to prosperity October 7, 2012 FOR entrepreneurs limited by our shores, now is time to leave Britain on the nearest plane, train or automobile. Not to emigrate to a more business friendly environment (at least, not just yet) – but to embrace what made this country great: international trade. Research commissioned by Barclays reveals some good news for companies weighing [...]