Helicopter Bernanke hints at QE3 March 27, 2012 THE dollar had a roller coaster ride yesterday as Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke gave an indication that a third round of quantitative easing could be on the cards. Speaking at the National Association for Business Economics Conference in Washington, DC, Bernanke stated that, though there has been some strengthening of labour market conditions, long-term [...]
THE TIPSTER Swiss franc finds itself in neutral territory against the dollar March 27, 2012 WITH the dollar taking a hit this week, the Swiss franc has rallied to four-week highs against the greenback. But right now, the pair is in the middle of nowhere, with good support waiting below to offer buy opportunities at SFr0.8950 and strong resistance sitting above at SFr0.9150. Might be best to wait and see [...]
Bernanke’s words boost US markets March 26, 2012 THE S&P 500 rebounded from its worst week so far this year to retake a four-year high yesterday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signalled supportive monetary policy will remain even though the job picture has begun to improve. The three major US stock indexes climbed 1 per cent or more and all 10 S&P [...]
FTSE posts a two-week high on upbeat data and US policy March 26, 2012 BRITAIN’S benchmark share index posted its biggest daily gain in two weeks yesterday, as expectations of looser US monetary policy and brighter German data gave investors fresh reason to push the market towards a retest of recent eight-month highs. The FTSE 100 closed up 47.81 points, or 0.8 per cent, at 5,902.70. A surprise improvement [...]
INNOVATIVE SHOE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY COULD ALLOW NIKE LEAP TO NEW HEIGHTS March 26, 2012 FX 360 ONE of the more bizarre footwear trends to recently hit the streets of New York is the foot glove fitness shoe that literally has space for all the five toes mimicking the look and feel of someone walking barefoot. These fitness shoes, which have become all the rage among long distance runners, are [...]
Potential pitfalls ahead for the euro March 26, 2012 THOUGH Europe seems to have moved past its calamitous period of bumbling from one disaster to the next, there are still potential pratfalls ahead for the euro. The two biggest obstacles this week are signs of German slowdown and wobbles in the expansion of the Eurozone’s rescue infrastructure – also heavily dependent on the German [...]
THE TIPSTER BELLWAY HOPES TO BUILD ON BOVIS GAINS March 26, 2012 WHEN Bellway Homes brings its trading update to the market today, shareholders will be looking for any cracks in the brickwork. The recent figures release from its peer Bovis should give guidance as to what’s to be expected, and positive coverage across the sector from Credit Suisse will only add to the hope that the [...]
Six things to consider when trading soft commodities March 26, 2012 1 COMMODITY CATEGORIES Though most spread betters of commodities tend to focus on the energy sector and on hard commodities such as gold and silver, you can also take a position on softs. Typically listed are: cocoa, coffee, corn, lean hogs, live cattle, oats, soy, wheat and sugar. Commodities are then often split into various [...]
Dragon’s top tips for taming the lion March 26, 2012 AS A youngster growing up in Australia my first ambition was to be a bushranger just like Ned Kelly. This nineteenth century outlaw was our own Robin Hood, except that he fought against police injustice wearing his bullet-proof helmet and vest made from steel. Eventually caught and sentenced to hang, his last words were “such [...]
Analyst picks for 26 March 2012 March 26, 2012 CURRENCY STRATEGIST JOEL KRUGER My pick: Looking to buy euro-Swiss franc Expertise: Combining fundamental and technical analysis Average time frame of trades: 1 month to 3 months We don’t usually incorporate fundamentals into our trade ideas, but it’s hard to ignore the Swiss National Bank’s SFr1.2000 floor. Still, the market is technically in the process [...]