Insurance companies all under one umbrella March 7, 2011 THOSE hoping for huge short term gains to be had from shorting companies with significant underwriting and re-insurance exposure to either the Middle East and north Africa (MENA), or to Christchurch may be disappointed. Listed companies are understandably cagey about just how much exposure they have to those areas, and syndicates with underwritten liability are [...]
FED CARRIES ON WITH QE REGARDLESS March 7, 2011 CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT EQUITY markets are attempting to shrug aside the civil unrest taking hold across north Africa and the Middle East. Yet the attendant rally in crude oil has taken both Brent and WTI contracts well above $100 per barrel, and this is not looking like a temporary phenomenon. Despite this, stocks rebounded [...]
Hedging your portfolio with CFDs March 7, 2011 IF YOU don’t already, perhaps you should consider hedging your portfolio with contracts for difference (CFD). Provided you have enough time to actively manage your positions and are familiar with their workings, CFDs are worthy of some serious consideration. For many investors, the idea of using leverage to hedge is enough to put them off [...]
THE TIPSTER CASHING IN ON UNREST March 7, 2011 THE satellite telecoms operator Inmarsat has suffered on the back of poor fourth quarter earnings, but increasing concern over the potential for unrest to spread further still through the Middle East and north Africa stands to keep the company’s services very much in demand. The downturn could therefore prove to be somewhat short-lived and profit [...]
Traders cautious as oil price may herald recession March 6, 2011 With fighting in the Middle East and North Africa intensifying, I expect a fairly flat open to stock markets in Europe this morning. GFT is quoting the FTSE 100 index to open unchanged from Friday’s close below 6,000, at a level of 5,990. Elsewhere the German DAX is called down 5 points at 7,173, and [...]
Information is a valuable commodity March 6, 2011 WITH the rapid and continuing expansion of spread betting in the UK, providers are continually seeking ways to differentiate themselves from the rest. One of the big ways that providers are trying to stand out is in the quality and range of the seminars and the education programs that they provide. David Jones, chief market [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD March 6, 2011 COMPANY NEWS ● Ireland’s biggest bookmaker Paddy Power will announce its end of year results on Monday. ● So will the financial spread betting and CFD provider IG Group. Both will be betting on good results. ● On Tuesday, Weir Group, founded in 1981 by descendants of Robert Burns, will hope to have engineered strong [...]
THE TIPSTER March 6, 2011 HOUSE builder Taylor Wimpey has recently posted profits ahead of expectations despite revenues staying unchanged. This has been put down to average selling prices increasing, which is a very pleasing sign for the firm which has seen a strong uptrend in share price since last December. Although the board remains cautious about the future it [...]
You can cash in on placid markets too March 6, 2011 REMEMBER the first time you heard the excitement around non-farm payrolls; the fuss that pushes back Friday afternoon drinks? Most do, and it’s not until you realise they’re a big deal and can set the market alight that you too start to get excited by them. Trading the dollar and American stock indices always seem [...]
TRADING TIPS FROM THE FRONT OFFICE March 6, 2011 CONSULTING ANALYST, INTERTRADER DID you ever see the trading pit scene from the film “Trading Places”? Well in real life it is every bit as crazy and then some. In 2007, I visited the oil pit in New York. I got some rather unusual trading advice from a 20-year veteran of the pits. The floor [...]