THE EUROZONE WOES HAVE BEEN STERLING’S GAINS May 28, 2012 CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST AVOLATILE week for markets nevertheless saw stock indices edge up slightly last week, as fears of an immediate Greek exit receded. We now move into a waiting period ahead of the 17 June elections, but a new poll out from Athens over the weekend puts the pro-bailout forces in the ascendancy, although [...]
THE TIPSTER | Kingfisher unlikely to fly May 28, 2012 DIY retailer Kingfisher will announce first-quarter figures this week, although don’t expect too much cheer. The retailer is expected to blame the weather for a weak performance, although improved margins will have helped to prevent things from getting too fishy. A wet April in France means that the shares might look a bit soggy on [...]
Using an iron condor to swoop to trading profits May 28, 2012 USING options strategies can allow investors to take a position on an underlying asset – whatever direction it goes in. Though it might sound like the name of a bad 80s hair metal band, an iron condor is an options trading strategy that involves buying and holding four different options and taking advantage of their [...]
In volatile times investors must consider their options May 28, 2012 INVESTORS have had a rough 2012 thus far. While the bright start to the US first quarter earnings season gave cause for optimism, as did encouraging French and Spanish debt auctions, lingering Eurozone fears and a “wait and see” policy on further monetary stimulus from both the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank left [...]
The investment credential with valuable assets May 28, 2012 FOR THOSE with four years’ work experience in the investment profession, and with an undergraduate degree or equivalent, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) credential is a serious opportunity. It’s a globally-recognised standard, a qualification meant to provide the practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and professional outlook to succeed in any relevant investment position. And it’s more [...]
The CFA: A qualification defined by ethics May 28, 2012 FOR investment professionals with an eye to further their careers, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification provides a broad-based foundation. Described by the CFA Institute as “a globally recognised, graduate-level investment credential,” the course takes place on three levels, built around the idea that all should be educated in a rigorous corpus of shared knowledge. [...]
Three graduates share their experiences May 28, 2012 MARK TAPLEY An investment veteran recalls his CFA journey I FINISHED my MBA at the London Business School in 1974 and joined JP Morgan in New York. As a trainee, one of the first things the firm did was to slap a CFA application form on my desk. There was, of course, overlap between my [...]
How love triumphed in the Gulag May 28, 2012 A celebrated historian of Russia, Figes’s new book is a collection of letters between Lev and Svetlana, two Moscow scientists who met in 1935 but were kept apart for 13 years by war and internment. Their letters tell the incredible story of how they kept communicating through Lev’s internment at the Pechora Gulag where he [...]
EPISODE 58 – the quarterly financials May 28, 2012 CALDICOTT runs through the quarterly financials for the Board. I bet he wishes he could run through them at the speed of Usain Bolt. The numbers mostly stink. The seats on either side of Caldicott are vacant. He’s toxic. Strikes me, though, that it’s a case of “Don’t shoot the messenger.” The real crooks are [...]
Harsh but efficient: the lemon detox May 28, 2012 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT This week I continue my search for the city’s best beach shape-up regimes. Here I try and test the Lemon Detox (www.lemondetox.com). This is one of those diets that if you’re any kind of self respecting weight watcher, you’ll want to try once in your lifetime. Beyonce used it to drop [...]
