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 [...]
THE TIPSTER March 15, 2010 AFTER hitting 29-year highs at the start of February, global raw sugar prices have since tumbled as supply in Brazil and India was stronger than expected. Prices have now fallen below 20 cents per pound, after hitting highs of 30.40 cents per pound back in February. Can the fall in prices continue? Spreadex has a [...]
This is the moment to sniff out some bargains March 15, 2010 ONE of the most lucrative strategies in the investment book is value investing, or investing in firms that appear undervalued when analysed using a certain type of fundamental analysis. For example, if a company’s share prices is lower than its dividend yield, or its book value. Famous proponents of this strategy include Warren Buffett, and [...]
MOMENTUM IS DRIVING THE MARKETS March 15, 2010 WITH the days getting longer and the Cheltenham Festival kicking off this afternoon, there is a palpable feeling of optimism around. Despite little in the way of bullish news last week, stock indices puffed and wheezed their way higher. The S&P made its highest close in 17 months – breaking back above 1,150, which was [...]
European firms are still cheap March 15, 2010 THE year has not got off to a good start for continental Europe. Exporters were stung by a strong euro at the start of the year before fiscal turmoil in Greece cast doubt over other heavily-indebted Club Med countries’ stability. To top it all off, its economic recovery appears to have stalled. From a macroeconomic [...]
CFD Analyst Picks March 15, 2010 TECHNICAL STRATEGIST JOEL KRUGER My pick: Sell FTSE 100 at 5,560 Expertise: Technical analysis Average time frame of trades: 5-10 days The market rally over the past few days has been most impressive, with gains extending to levels not seen since September 2008. However, we would not yet adopt an overly bullish outlook. With the daily [...]
Markets should get off to a good start March 14, 2010 European stock markets are headed for a mildly positive start to the week, cautious ahead of some key events which could lure the markets out of their current tight trading ranges. GFT is forecasting the UK’s FTSE 100 to open up 11 points from Friday’s close, at around 5,637. The German DAX is expected to [...]
Middle East up as Dubai World debt plan imminent March 14, 2010 Dubai’s index made its largest daily gain for three months yesterday as investors bet on a Dubai World debt offer favourable to creditors. Other Middle East markets rose, buoyed by firm oil prices and positive global sentiment. Dubai World is about to present a plan on repaying £17bn in debt linked to its main property [...]
Triple witching can cause toil and trouble in the markets March 14, 2010 LONDON might no longer hold the prestigious title of the world’s leading financial centre – it only managed to tie with New York in a report by the City of London Corporation that was released on Friday – but Britain’s FTSE 100 is leading the markets’ march higher. Traders might have been cheering Wall Street’s [...]
Mergers can give you stellar profits March 14, 2010 THE financial rumour mill went into overdrive on Friday after whisperings that Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corporation, the global media group, was thinking about buying back BSkyB, the broadcaster he helped to found in 1990. It was mooted that Murdoch might even be willing to pay up to 735p per share, a 20 [...]
