Wall St trades higher ahead of Thanksgiving November 21, 2012 US stocks finished modestly higher yesterday, with the S&P 500 up for a fourth session although trading volume was one of the year’s lowest on the day ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Investors welcomed news that a ceasefire was declared to end the flare-up in violence between Israel and the Palestinians, though the lack of [...]
MBA candidates are moving against the conventional grain November 21, 2012 THE decision to sign up to an MBA programme should not be taken lightly for a whole host of reasons. The two-year, full-time programme is expensive and, in applying, candidates are choosing to voluntarily leave the workplace, pay tuition fees, and dig into their savings to fund their living expenses. This may in part explain [...]
Glenstrata merger boosts mining stocks as FTSE pares early losses November 20, 2012 UK shares reversed early losses yesterday, helped by the completion of the long-awaited takeover of miner Xstrata by commodities trader Glencore which boosted both stocks. Xstrata led the risers, adding 3.1 per cent, after its shareholders approved the $31bn deal which had been on the cards ever since Glencore listed last year. Mining stocks, which [...]
Bernanke and HP woes halt rally in stocks November 20, 2012 WALL Street halted its two-day rally yesterday, after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank lacks tools to cushion the US economy from the impact of the “fiscal cliff.” The day’s biggest disappointment was Hewlett-Packard shares, which sank to a 10-year low after the computer and printer maker swung to a fourth-quarter loss [...]
Japan’s election is likely to bring weakness in yen November 20, 2012 WHEN a stagnant economy meets a turbulent political environment, expect volatility. Traders spying an opportunity might want to cast their eyes to the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. Over the last two decades, yen bears have been brutally battered as the currency has soared. Since 2007, dollar-yen has fallen by over 60 per cent. [...]
Being good helps business prosper November 20, 2012 How the Corporate Governance Code had some positive results IF YOU’RE prepared to spend up to £5,000, there’s still time to get front row seats to a celebration of 50 years of “the greatest rock and roll band in the world” – the Rolling Stones are playing at the O2 at the end of November. [...]
UK shares have year’s biggest one day rise on hopes of US fiscal plan November 19, 2012 UK shares matched their biggest one day rise of the year yesterday, recovering some of last week’s steep falls, as optimism that US lawmakers will forge a fiscal compromise encouraged traders to buy at the lower prices. The FTSE 100 index was up 132.07 points, or 2.4 per cent, at 5,767.66 by the close. Leading [...]
Wall St up on housing and high earnings November 19, 2012 US stocks bounced higher for a second consecutive session yesterday as investors were encouraged by the early atmosphere surrounding talks to tackle the nation’s fiscal crunch. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 207.65 points, or 1.65 per cent, at 12,795.96. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 27.01 points, or 1.99 per cent, at [...]
Potential problems in the oil pipeline remain November 19, 2012 NOT long ago, the peak oil consensus painted a picture of a future of uncontrollably spiking oil prices. The rapid rise of developing market demand would lead to a squeeze on oil markets and surging oil prices. But as oil and gas producers can attest, many of these forecasts have come to nothing – a [...]
How to manage your risk by using a pairs strategy November 19, 2012 MARKETS are fraught with uncertainty: the fiscal cliff, conflict in the Middle East, the Eurozone crisis, and slowing growth in China are just some of the problems that could potentially derail equity markets. Therefore, traders must use risk management techniques to mitigate their risk exposure. But if investors suddenly sought safety by moving their money [...]