ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS THE CFA CODE May 20, 2009 Members of CFA Institute (including charterholders and candidates for the CFA designation) are obliged to adhere to a code of conduct designed to instill a high level of ethical and professional standards in the financial services industry. They must: • Act with integrity, competence, diligence, respect, and in an ethical manner with the public, clients, prospective [...]
CFA PROGRAMME WHAT’S INVOLVED May 20, 2009 To achieve the CFA charter, candidates are required to pass three levels of exams. They must also prove four years of professional experience, provide professional references and submit a professional conduct statement. CurriculumThe curriculum is split into Investment Tools, Asset Valuation and Portfolio Management, each covered to varying degrees at each exam level. Subjects covered [...]
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 [...]
Money does grow on trees when you invest in forestry May 20, 2009 DESPITE its move into the mainstream over the past decade, green investing still evokes a faint whiff of something slightly fringe and unprofitable. But this is changing, albeit at a slower pace than those in the sector would like. Forget hippies ranting about global warming and rainforest destruction, these days green professionals are sharp-suited City [...]
Fed’s pessimism is a blow to US shares May 20, 2009 US stocks fell yesterday, led by financials in a late-stage sell-off, after the Federal Reserve gave a more pessimistic view on the economy, tempering hopes for a quick recovery. The Fed cut its 2009 forecast for gross domestic product and raised its outlook for unemployment, tempering the recent optimism that the economy might be turning [...]
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 [...]