Proposed cap on migration just a smoke screen May 18, 2010 PARTNER, LEWIS SILKIN APART from the economy, the most hotly debated issue between the three major parties in the election was immigration. The policies of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were completely at odds; the Conservatives favouring a cap on migration and the Liberal Democrats an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Now the negotiations to form [...]
More clarity is needed to stop market mix-ups May 18, 2010 PARTNER, REED SMITH INVESTOR claims for mis-selling of derivatives inevitably follow market collapses. So do calls for regulatory reform. A primary objective of financial services regulation is to protect investors. This cannot mean ensuring that buyers and sellers of derivatives will never suffer a loss. The derivatives market is a zero sum game: market participants [...]
FTSE ends day flat on debt jitters as Vodafone rises and travel groups fall May 17, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares ended flat yesterday as jitters over Europe’s debt eroded early gains, with miners weak on demand concerns and travel firms hit by the Icelandic ash cloud. The FTSE 100 closed down 0.3 points at 5,262.54 after it fell 3.1 per cent on Friday, punished by anxiety over the euro zone debt crisis. [...]
Bargain hunters help Wall Street to stage a recovery May 17, 2010 US stocks staged a comeback in late trading yesterday as bargain hunters snapped up beaten-down shares, setting aside concerns that efforts to tackle the Eurozone debt crisis could stifle the global economy. Retailers Wal-Mart and Target also rose ahead of earnings later in the week. Shares of Wal-Mart rose 1.2 per cent to $52.73 and [...]
Look to the stock markets for direction on the oil price May 17, 2010 THE sense of crisis stalking Eurozone economies has coincided with a steep drop in the oil price. It has fallen 17 per cent in the last fortnight and the benchmark Nymex oil price is currently trading at close to $71.85 per barrel. But, even after this drop in price, some oil analysts are standing by [...]
EUROPEAN TROUBLES HURT ASIA May 17, 2010 CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT THE European bailout package stunned traders and investors alike. Initially, hopes were high that it would help shore-up confidence. But looking at the markets’ reaction to last weekend’s announcement, European leaders must be extremely concerned by the results so far. Over the course of the week, European stock indices managed to [...]
CFD ANALYST PICKS May 17, 2010 TECHNICAL STRATEGIST JOEL KRUGER My pick: Still buy the FTSE 100 at 5,000 Expertise: Technical analysis Average time frame of trades: 5-10 days The FTSE has been hurt in recent days and it seems like it could head back toward the 5,038 lows reached earlier this year. At this point, we would not rule out [...]
Eurozone volatility will keep unsettling investors May 16, 2010 IT’S A DIFFICULT one to call this morning; after hitting a two-week closing high on Thursday, the FTSE promptly dumped 171 points on Friday. Both moves were attributable to the Eurozone, and that volatility will no doubt remain with us for now as the debt crisis – and the future of the euro itself no [...]
Don’t forget about volatile silver: it is a decent alternative to gold May 16, 2010 AS ONE might have expected, renewed risk aversion and fears about sovereign debt have sent the price of gold sky high. The precious metal hit a record high last week of $1,242.70 as investors scrambled for perceived safe havens. But with all the attention lavished on gold, the recent strength of silver has gone remarkably [...]
Bad luck hits Ladbrokes as revenues fall May 16, 2010 YOU would think that with this summer’s packed sporting calendar bookmakers would be rubbing their hands together in glee at the prospect of extra wagers on who will win the World Cup or how many goals England will score. But before spread betters try to capitalise on a summer boost for the bookies, it’s worth [...]