Face it, trader: Santa does not exist November 7, 2010 THERE is consensus among sane-minded adults that Santa Claus does not exist. We have – just about – come to terms with the fact that there is no jolly red-suited fellow that wriggles down the chimney and fills our stockings each year. Yet strangely there are still traders who believe in his stock market rally. [...]
WALL STREET TO KEEP ON CLIMBING POST-FED’S QE November 7, 2010 With the Fed confirming the latest round of quantitative easing and the Dow breaking above the April high of 11,258, this now becomes the first level of support for the index. WorldSpreads offer a two-point spread on the Dow Jones index. US crude oil was given a boost by the Fed decision and positive US [...]
CITY INDEX November 7, 2010 Q.Dear Sandy, will the FTSE 100 continue to climb in November? A.Traders have been digesting a raft of information over the last few weeks. With the $600bn injection from the Fed and President Obama’s mid-term elections out of the way, the market has not reacted negatively, unlike what many traders had expected. When markets behave [...]
US data lifts investors’ spirits November 7, 2010 Shares are likely to open higher this morning, with investors remaining in buoyant spirits following on from Friday’s stronger than expected non-farm payrolls data from the US economy. GFT is quoting the FTSE 100 index to open up 14 points from Friday’s close, at a level of 5,889. The German DAX 40 is expected to [...]
WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD November 7, 2010 Wall Street navigated through three major landmines last week – the elections, the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting and jobs report – with barely a scratch. Now what? With earnings season winding down and a light economic calendar this week, the market will be left to its own devices to sort out its direction. A rise [...]
FTSE rockets to pre-crisis level as investors bet on US recovery November 4, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares closed at their highest in nearly 29 months yesterday as investors responded bullishly to the US Federal Reserve’s decision to pump more cheap money into the economy to boost flagging growth. Financial stocks, led by Man Group and mining and energy shares such as BHP Billiton and BP, surged higher as riskier [...]
Dow rockets after Fed stimulus boost November 4, 2010 US stocks extended a rally that started in September to close at two-year highs yesterday, a day after the Federal Reserve unveiled a plan to boost the economy. A bullish read on consumers also boosted shares as many retailers posted stronger-than-expected sales for October. The S&P retail index gained 1.7 per cent and apparel maker [...]
Chequing in with the best November 4, 2010 In a wonderful example of stating the obvious, the Office of Fair Trading yesterday published evidence that retail banking in Britain isn’t very competitive. For most people, that will probably come as no surprise. Though customer service has been getting better in almost every other industry, in retail banking limited weekend opening hours, unhelpful call [...]
Expat Expert: international protection plans November 4, 2010 Q.I am moving abroad with my family. How can I make sure I am fully protected? A.When you are working abroad, it’s worth checking that your existing critical illness cover still meets your family’s needs. You should check your existing insurance arrangements to ensure you are covered in the new country of residence and you [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS November 4, 2010 BRITS DON’T LIKE TO QUEUE ANY MORE British people are no longer as willing to patiently queue, according to research published today by the Payments Council. In fact, the average British adult can stand just 10 minutes and 42 seconds of waiting before getting frustrated. 83 per cent of people now turn to virtual alternatives [...]