Weak housing data drag equities down August 24, 2010 US stocks slumped, with the Dow and S&P 500 on track for a fourth day of declines as an unexpectedly large drop in home sales ratcheted up concerns about the economic recovery. Sales of US existing homes in July plummeted 27 percent to their slowest pace in 15 years, an industry group reported. The drop [...]
The pound’s rally stalls August 24, 2010 FOREX traders diligently looking at the cable chart in recent weeks might be rather gloomy about the outlook for the pound. Yesterday it broke below a key level against the dollar, which suggests there could be further weakness to come. That level was $1.5490, the 200-day moving average, which indicates that sterling has lost its [...]
AUSSIE RALLY CHALLENGES FX WISDOM August 24, 2010 DIRECTOR OF CURRENCY RESEARCH, GFT ONE of the ironclad rules of FX trading is that political turmoil triggers instant selloffs in the country’s currency as speculators run first and ask questions later. Last weekend Australia held an election that resulted in a hung parliament for the first time in 70 years. With 76 seats needed [...]
Thai growth shrugs off the political turmoil August 24, 2010 THERE aren’t many economies that can experience three months of political protest without it denting growth, but that is exactly what HAS happened to Thailand. The protests, which lasted from March to May, saw the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, otherwise known as the Red Shirts, try to oust prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. [...]
THE TIPSTER August 24, 2010 WITH the yen hitting a nine-year high against the euro, people have wondered if it can go any further. But coupled with poor economic data continuing to come out of Europe, the trend is likely to continue. Cantor Index offers a euro-yen spread of ¥106.70-¥106.72. The single currency continues to lose ground as risk appetite [...]
FOREX ANALYST PICKS August 24, 2010 FOREX STRATEGIST DAVID RODRIGUEZ My pick: Stay short euro-dollar below $1.2750 Expertise: Algorithmic trading Average time frame of trades: Two-10 weeks I remain short the euro-US Dollar pair from $1.2850 and I believe we will see continued declines throughout the near-term. A hold below $1.2750 keeps my bearish bias intact, as this represents key short-term [...]
Why the unconventional approach to global income can pay dividends August 24, 2010 FOR a manager of a billion-pound global fund that is more than a century old, Bruce Stout, fund manager for Murray International Investment Trust and a senior portfolio manager on the global equities team at Aberdeen Asset Management, holds few conventional views about the markets, the economy, and stock-picking. For a start, at a time [...]
FUND MANAGEMENT NEWS August 24, 2010 PICTET LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENT FUND Swiss private bank Pictet is capitalising on the latest move towards more socially responsible investing with the launch of its Pictet-Environmental Megatrend Selection, a UCITS-III compliant euro-denominated fund. The fund will invest in Pictet’s global sector and theme funds: Water, Clean Energy, Timber, and Agriculture and apply environmental, social and corporate [...]
Immigration cap will prevent the City flourishing August 24, 2010 GROUP CEO, NORTON ROSE GROUP LIKE many other international businesses in the City, Norton Rose Group is managing the impact of the new immigration caps, which were introduced this summer by the UK government. A new temporary cap was announced on 29 June and interim limits came into force on 19 July, lasting through to [...]
Dodd-Frank offers whistleblowing incentives August 24, 2010 FAEGRE & BENSON LLP THE bell rings to open and close each day of Wall Street trading. But corporate ears now are on the listen for a different sound—the trill of whistles blown by employees bringing allegations of fraud to the SEC. The Dodd-Frank financial reform act introduces large monetary incentives for whistleblowers and shields [...]