SPOTLIGHT ON SMALL CAPS May 25, 2009 THE greatest bugbear of the year for Aim investors, at least on the face of it, has been the exodus of companies from the junior market as more and more are forced to delist amid the economic turmoil. But as the number of firms on Aim continues to fall back, many small cap experts are [...]
Week of gains set back by S&P UK outlook downgrade May 21, 2009 A CUT in the UK’s ratings outlook from agency Standard & Poor’s weighed on the FTSE 100 yesterday, with weakness in heavyweight oils, miners and banks contributing to a 2.8 per cent slide by close of play. The index ended 122.94 points lower at 4,345.47, its biggest daily fall since 27 March, having closed 13.84 [...]
Investors fear US echoing UK woes May 21, 2009 US stocks slid in a broad sell-off yesterday as investors, concerned about the US fiscal condition, exited dollar denominated assets across the board. Markets came under severe selling pressure as a result of an outlook downgrade for the UK’s triple-A credit rating heightened fears that the United States, with its increasing budget deficit and weakened economy, could [...]
UNCERTAINTY STILL REIGNS IN MARKETS May 20, 2009 THERE is considerable confusion in the markets over the fundamental question of whether the global economy has bottomed out. This has resulted in wide swings in sentiment. At the time of writing, the S&P 500 had gained 5.8 per cent in the month to date, largely a result of relief over news coming out of [...]
Mix of ethics and business is boosting CFA’s appeal May 20, 2009 AT a time of mass job cuts, it is no surprise that City workers are trying to make themselves more attractive to employers. One increasingly popular way to do this is to take the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification, a globally-recognised certificate for those working in investment management and financial analysis. According to figures released on [...]
The schoolboy bookie who turned into a spread betting evangelist May 20, 2009 JONATHAN Hufford has always had an appetite for betting, from running his school bookmaker to trading yen derivatives in the 1990s. But his biggest gamble took place 10 years ago this month when he left his job in the City to open up spread betting provider Spreadex He entered the then fledgling spread betting industry [...]
Financials prove that what goes up must come down May 20, 2009 THE FTSE 100 closed 0.3 per cent lower yesterday, with shaky financial stocks offsetting strength in heavyweight oils and miners. The index ended the session down 13.84 points at 4,468.41, up 0.8 per cent on the year, having gained nearly 30 per cent since a six-year low hit on 9 March. “We are still in [...]
Trading on metals is a great way to add a new dimension to a portfolio May 20, 2009 TRADERS are opportunistic creatures with an innate desire to search out new areas ripe for profits. But it is easy to get stuck in a bit of a trading rut, however profitable a rut it may be. You have your favourite pairs, your preferred trading strategies and your choice of analysis. But traders should always [...]
Fear index hits new lows as jitters ease May 20, 2009 MARKET optimists and bulls breathed a sigh of relief this week when the CBOE’s Volatility Index – the so-called “fear gauge” – reached its lowest levels since Lehman Brothers collapsed last September. While a recovery is far from assured, the calmer Volatility Index suggests that more settled times may be ahead for the equity markets [...]
A DISCIPLINED TRADER IS AN EFFECTIVE ONE May 20, 2009 TRADING foreign exchange (FX) can either be daunting or exhilarating. Which kind of experience you have largely depends on your approach. A disciplined attitude is likely to be more effective than a casual one for the simple reason that uncertainty and anxiety tend to disappear when a trader has set himself clear conditions regarding decision [...]