Accountants can save the world, report November 11, 2009 THERE has been no shortage of talk about the forthcoming Copenhagen climate change conference in December, at which presidents and prime ministers will discuss ways to save the world by reducing carbon emissions. Already, many suspect that little will be decided at the meeting. The reality is that if the world is saved, it will [...]
Investors ignore bubble concerns and flock to high-yielding bonds November 11, 2009 INVESTORS’ memories are notoriously short, so when Standard & Poor’s (S&P) recently warned that they were getting even shorter, it was something of a wake-up call. Despite one of the biggest financial meltdowns and dislocations of credit in history, European investors are once again being seduced by the high yields on offer with junk bonds. [...]
THE TIPSTER November 11, 2009 DYED in the wool chartists may still be hanging onto the longer term downtrend in the S&P 500 and claiming that the 65 per cent recovery since March is just a bear market rally – or even a dead cat bounce. But reasons to be bearish on the US stock market are rapidly vanishing as [...]
UK COVERED WARRANTS SURE TO GROW November 11, 2009 ALEXANDRE HOUPERTHEAD OF LISTED PRODUCTS UK, SG CORPORATE & INVESTMENT BANKING WHILE covered warrants might seem like a relatively new means of trading the markets to UK investors, this month marks their 20th birthday in continental Europe, where they are now a well developed market widely recognised by the private investor. And Société Générale not [...]
THE TIPSTER WEAK DOLLAR OFFERS BUYING OPPORTUNITIES November 10, 2009 THE dominant theme in the currency markets at the moment is the question mark hanging over the value of the dollar and whether the greenback’s weakness will continue. The single currency is once again at the key $1.50 level as the weak dollar continues to drive euro-dollar higher. There is strong resistance between 1.5000 and [...]
Eco case raises philosophical questions November 10, 2009 ALL those people who designated their religion as “Jedi Knight” in the last census may have delighted at the case of the so-called “eco-employee” last week. The employee in question is Tim Nicholson, who formerly worked for residential landlord Grainger. Nicholson claims that he was made redundant because of his environmental beliefs, and has been [...]
Oversold pound offers buying opportunities November 10, 2009 RATINGS agencies might have got a bad press during the financial crisis but yesterday’s volatile moves in sterling-US dollar indicate that they still command plenty of attention from the markets. David Riley, Fitch’s co-head of global sovereign ratings, told Reuters Television early yesterday morning that Britain’s coveted triple-A rating is more at risk than that [...]
AUSSIE AN FX OPTION FOR GOLD BULLS November 10, 2009 BORIS SCHLOSSBERGDIRECTOR OF CURRENCY RESEARCH, GFT THIS week gold reached a record high, breaking the key $1,100 an ounce level after the central bank of India purchased 200 tonnes from the International Monetary Fund – the largest such transaction by a central bank in over 30 years. Analysts’ opinions regarding this latest surge varies greatly, [...]
Miners and Vodafone drag but banks offer some cheer November 10, 2009 BRITAIN’S leading share index ticked down 0.1 per cent yesterday, ending a four-day winning run, as weakness in miners and Vodafone offset strength in banks, underpinned by a strong update from HSBC. The FTSE 100 closed 4.63 points lower at 5,230.55, after hitting a two-week high earlier in the session. “After last week’s slew of [...]
Conflicting signals halt winning streak November 10, 2009 US stocks closed mostly lower yesterday as differing views on whether the market can build on recent gains stalled the S&P 500’s six-day winning streak. The Dow industrials eked out a small gain to set a fresh 13-month high as cautious statements on the economic outlook from several Fed officials underscored the belief that easy [...]