Fiscal medicine heals Hungary’s economy March 16, 2010 THE Greek debt crisis has had some unexpected consequences. For example, it has highlighted the relative stability of the economies of Eastern Europe. Hungary, which went through its own debt crisis in October 2008 and required a €20bn bailout by the IMF and the EU, has since been on a fiscal road to recovery and [...]
FOREX FLASH March 16, 2010 ROUBLE COULD STRENGTHEN 20 PER CENT The Russian rouble could strengthen by as much as 18 to 20 per cent over the next three years, the Russian deputy economy minister Andrei Klepach said yesterday. Klepach warned that this appreciation would hurt manufacturers and limit economic growth. He added: “We are not ready to move to [...]
Capitalise on bear squeezes to short cable March 16, 2010 IT DOESN’T take a lot to move the pound nowadays. Whether it’s weak data, a policymaker speaking or a ratings agency firing another warning shot over 10 Downing Street – and there have been plenty of all three over recent weeks – sterling is only responding in one way at the moment: down. Against the [...]
THE TIPSTER March 16, 2010 STERLING has been the whipping boy of the markets recently. Fears about a hung parliament and worries about the UK’s large fiscal deficit have weighed on the pound. It has fallen more than 4 per cent against the euro, but technical indicators are suggesting it could have fallen too far. Euro-sterling is close to the [...]
Banks and commodities gain strength after S&P reassures on Greek debt March 16, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares gained 0.5 per cent yesterday lifted by strength in banks and commodity issues after reassuring news on Greece’s debt situation and as investors awaited the outcome of a US Federal Reserve meeting. At the close, the FTSE 100 was 26.58 points higher at 5,620.43, having closed 0.6 per cent lower on Monday. [...]
Intel leads the way as Fed decision lifts Wall Street March 16, 2010 US stocks rose to a fresh 17-month high yesterday after the Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero and maintained its pledge to keep them low for an extended period. The central bank also pointed to increased momentum in the economy’s recovery, and that, coupled with strength in Intel, helped the Standard & Poor’s 500 [...]
Hedge funds investing in big-time divorce March 16, 2010 AMONG all the people who lost money in the downturn, one of the most colourful cases was that of Scot Young, businessman friend of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky and owner of the Ivy restaurant, Richard Caring. When his wife filed for divorce last year it emerged that Young’s £400m fortune had apparently vanished, with Young [...]
FTSE slips on caution over banking stocks and falling commodity prices March 15, 2010 FALLING commodity prices dented miners and energy stocks and banks fell, pushing Britain’s top share index 0.6 per cent lower yesterday, with investors cautious before central bank policy meetings later in the week. The FTSE 100 index ended 31.80 down points at 5,593.85, having risen 0.5 per cent last week. Miners, sensitive to shifts in [...]
US stocks flat after third low trading day this year March 15, 2010 US STOCKS were little changed yesterday as a late rebound in financial stocks offset nagging worries the Chinese government may tighten credit, a move that could slow growth in the global economy. Banking stocks reversed late in the session after Christopher Dodd released a proposed financial regulation overhaul bill. The KBW Banks index added 0.2 [...]
Flexible hedge fund strategies perform best March 15, 2010 HEDGE FUNDS managed to post positive returns last month by capitalising on favourable fixed income and foreign exchange positions, a top hedge fund index revealed yesterday. The Credit Suisse/Tremont Hedge Fund index, which is calculated as a total return index on a monthly basis and tracks the asset-weighted average performance of more than 5,000 hedge [...]
