Working abroad has huge career benefits August 3, 2011 PEOPLE often describe international travel as “eye opening,” but rarely do they say it is good for your career. But research published in the Harvard Business Review shows that people who have international experience or identify with more than one nationality are better problem solvers and display more creativity. Better still, it seems that they [...]
Taking Aim to pass on your wealth August 3, 2011 WRONGLY written off as too risky by many, investing in a managed Alternative Investment Market (Aim) portfolio can be a powerful weapon in the arsenal of avoiding paying more inheritance tax (IHT) than you need. APATHETIC ADULTS Investec has exclusively released the details of a new study to City A.M. that reveals just one in [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS August 3, 2011 INVESTORS TAKE A MEGA BITE OF APPLE Clients of Barclays Stockbrokers have named Apple their favourite technology stock. 57 per cent favoured Apple over other technology stocks, 11 per cent Google, while 10 per cent said they would be interested in investing in Facebook and Twitter if and when they float. Cisco Systems, the US [...]
The optimal locations for HFT systems August 3, 2011 AS forex traders arbitraging across exchanges attempt to eke out every possible advantage, they are reaching the point where they are being held back by the laws of physics. For the HFT industry, the holy grail of zero latency eludes them. No matter how rapid trading software becomes at generating trades, the march towards zero [...]
FTSE sinks to a five-week low as miners and bank stocks fall August 2, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index sank to a five-week closing low yesterday as investor confidence was further undermined by the uncertain global economic outlook, with miners bearing the brunt of the sell-off. The FTSE 100 fell for a third day in a row and ended down 56.04 points, or 1.0 per cent, at 5,718.39, its lowest [...]
Massive rout spells trouble for Wall St August 2, 2011 THE Standard & Poor’s 500 index turned negative for the year yesterday as wrangling over the US debt ceiling faded and investors turned again to the stalling economy. The broad-based index fell for a seventh day and crashed through the key 200-day moving average in the longest losing streak since October 2008. Investors found little [...]
Strewth – Aussie dollar strength set to continue August 2, 2011 ESCAPING EUROZONE CONTAGION Despite the turmoil in the European Club-Med economies, where five year CDS rates and 10-year bond yields are on an upward trajectory, Australian credit markets have remained largely unaffected, and local bond issuance is solid. As James Hughes, senior market analyst for Alpari, points out, Australia has a strong balance sheet, comparatively [...]
EURO – SWISS FRANC PARITY ISN’T ABSURD August 2, 2011 CURRENCY strategists love to make dramatic pronouncements that capture the imagination of the trading public and seal their reputation as brilliant forecasters. At the height of the Eurozone credit panic last year, more than a few analysts predicted that the euro-dollar pair would hit parity within months. Of course, as negative opinion reached its crescendo, [...]
US troubles will keep yen high August 2, 2011 THE next chapter in Japan’s economic disaster is being written. With US debt a concern, investors have been turning to the yen as an alternative “safe haven” currency. In response, the spectre of intervention has been raised again, but try as they might the authorities won’t buck the currency markets. The export-focused Japanese authorities want [...]
THE TIPSTER August 2, 2011 IN WHAT has been a year of choppy and volatile trading for many asset classes, there is one trend that has persisted throughout the uncertainty. Every month this year has seen fresh all time lows set by dollar-Swiss franc as investors continue to favour the Swissie as a safe haven. The dollar has declined by [...]