Banks boost FTSE past the 5,400 mark after quiet day August 9, 2010 FINANCIAL stocks boosted the UK’s leading share index yesterday, rallying from falls in the previous session following weak US jobs data and supported by energy markers which gained in tandem with crude. The FTSE 100 was up 78.13 points, or 1.5 per cent, at 5,410.52, having closed 0.6 per cent lower on Friday, albeit in [...]
Wall Street pauses ahead of Fed rates August 9, 2010 US stocks rose yesterday in the quietest session of the year on speculation that the Federal Reserve would signal potential steps to boost the sluggish economic recovery. Volume was a mere 5.71bn shares, compared with last year’s estimated daily volume of 9.65bn shares, as investors were wary of taking new positions before the Fed’s statement [...]
Panic over a new global food crisis is over-egged August 9, 2010 TRADERS have been watching wheat markets breathlessly over the past few days as the grain bounced up and then down. Having gained 8.08 per cent last Thursday – up 80 per cent on prices in the middle of June – the grain plummeted on Friday, wiping out much of Thursday’s gain to end the day [...]
TRY SILVER IF YOU WANT A GOOD RETURN August 9, 2010 CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT PRECIOUS metals have had a particularly rough ride of late. Gold has struggled since hitting a fresh all-time high just under $1,265 on 21 June this year, while silver has also retreated sharply after jumping 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2010. Technically, prices for both metals have broken [...]
After waiting in the shadows, the telco sector is looking good August 9, 2010 SINCE the outbreak of the European debt crisis, analysts have sung the praises of the utilities sector. It had all the ingredients to be recession- busting: utility stocks tend to be anti-cyclical, they hold up well when other stocks tumble and they provide a reliable dividend. But as the global economy emerges from recession, some [...]
THE TIPSTER August 9, 2010 TOMORROW sees the latest interim results from FTSE 100 insurer Standard Life. Expectations are running high for a good performance with some market participants looking for underlying profits to have jumped ahead by 50 per cent in the first half of the year. After slipping to its worst levels in more than a year at [...]
European stocks will rebound after US jobs shock August 8, 2010 THE closely-watched US non-farm payrolls figure was responsible for denting European stock markets on Friday, after the data pointed to a steeper than expected decline. Nevertheless, the Dow rallied some 130 points after European markets closed to recover much of its losses for the day, and that resilience is forecast to carry through and boost [...]
WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD August 8, 2010 US INVESTORS’ eyes are this week on the Federal Reserve, which may provide a fillip to an otherwise dull summer market. Investors are leaning toward the view that the Fed will resort once more to some mild quantitative easing, which may be good or bad for the market. “Bernanke himself has suggested extending the Bush [...]
Base metals can still shine in an uncertain environment August 8, 2010 THE global economy is at an important crossroads; economic data from the US has been patchy and signs of a slowdown in China are causing bouts of volatility in risky assets. However, base metal prices have held up well. The question is, will they continue to do so? The recent surge in base metal prices [...]
Turn on, tune in and bet till you drop August 8, 2010 SPREAD betters who get separation anxiety whenever they step away from their terminals no longer have to suffer in silence. With IG Index, the biggest spread betting provider in the world, today launching its brand new free iPhone app, more punters than ever can stay plugged in all the time. IG Index is the third [...]