Patents the smart option in mobile skirmishes October 12, 2010 IN the past few days Motorola has announced that it is suing Apple under several of its smartphone patents. Normally, a clash of such technology titans might raise eyebrows, but not in this market, and not now. In recent months there has been a spate of patent lawsuits between the big players, which was kicked [...]
Earnings season should bring upside surprises October 11, 2010 THIRD quarter earnings season is already well underway in the US with Alcoa last week reporting better-than-expected figures. And with the latest earnings reports being readied for the laminator in Europe this week, many analysts are anticipating a run of consensus-beating results. In light of very low company guidance, contracts for difference (CFD) traders could [...]
A SECOND QE WILL COST THE FED DEAR October 11, 2010 CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT The next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is a month away. Judging from the dollar, investors expect further stimulus from the US Federal Reserve. Equities began their current rally following the Fed Chairman’s speech at the end of August. Then, Ben Bernanke stated that the FOMC was ready to step [...]
Barking up the wrong tree: a spotty record for Dow’s dogs October 11, 2010 THERE is no such thing as the Holy Grail of investing or trading; there is no strategy that guarantees you an endless stream of profits. But if you are looking for an approach which doesn’t require you to be a mathematical or technical genius, then there are some medium-term strategies that have enjoyed some degree [...]
THE TIPSTER October 11, 2010 THE search giant Google has seen its share price rallying hard since the start of September, helped somewhat by recent broker upgrades. Google’s global audience has the potential to be recession proof. With this in mind there is something of an expectation for the company to deliver the goods on Thursday — at least virtually [...]
FTSE gains on hope of more banking stimulus measures October 11, 2010 Britain’s top shares rose yesterday as hopes that governments around the world would take steps to bolster economic recovery fuelled investor optimism. Meanwhile, bullish broker comment helped lift Petrofac and Weir Group, while Prudential, Autonomy and BP were hit by broker downgrades. The FTSE 100 closed up 14.79 points, or 0.3 per cent, at 5,672.40. [...]
Wall Street flat as earnings awaited October 11, 2010 US stocks drifted in the lightest trading volume of the year yesterday as few dared to place bets ahead of key companies’ results later this week. Expectations the Federal Reserve will flood markets with even more cash have been fully priced in to the market, so investors are now focused on third-quarter earnings season, with [...]
Hunting growth on the frontiers as the West sinks deep into solipsism October 11, 2010 PLAMEN Monovski doesn’t immediately come across as an aggressive investor in some of the world’s least explored markets. He sits almost demurely at a table overlooking a sunny, 12th-floor view of the City, sipping a cappuccino and speaking in genteel, accented tones, often punctuated by a mild smile. But don’t be fooled. Monovski has been [...]
Inflation figures set to increase market activity October 10, 2010 THE POSITIVE reaction in the US stock market to Friday’s disappointing non-farm payroll report should underpin this week’s European open. GFT expects the FTSE 100 index to start 7 points higher, at 5664, with similar modest gains for the German DAX 30, up 4 points to 6295, and the French CAC 40, up 5 points [...]
Darkening jobs outlook won’t hit recruitment firms equally October 10, 2010 DARK clouds have been gathering on the employment horizon for some time and the outlook for the UK jobs market has been getting steadily gloomier. Last week, a survey conducted by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG warned of a double-dip in the jobs market and said employment had flatlined. This week, official [...]