US consumer confidence boosts late London trading May 26, 2009 BETTER than expected consumer confidence data out of the US gave the FTSE 100 a much-needed boost yesterday afternoon, after Asia’s sell-off – driven by concerns of heightening geopolictical tension on the Korean peninsula – infected the London markets in early trading. “Following the release of the US consumer confidence data there was an immediate [...]
VEXED IN THE CITY SOLVING YOUR RECESSION PROBLEMS May 26, 2009 DEAR VEXED: The expenses scandal has got me a little ruffled. Not just because of how MPs have been using taxpayers’ money. Mainly, actually, because I’ve been taking a few liberties with my own expenses – money’s tight and all. Now I’m scared of getting called on it and losing my job, to say the [...]
Apple jumps as Dow Jones rallies May 26, 2009 US stocks climbed more than 2 per cent yesterday as data showing the biggest monthly jump in consumer confidence in six years lifted hopes of an economic rebound, and a brokerage upgrade of Apple drove sharp gains on the Nasdaq. Apple’s shares closed nearly 7 per cent higher after Morgan Stanley said the iPhone will [...]
DOLLAR BULLS WAKE UP TO US REALITY May 26, 2009 AT the start of the year, I wrote that the biggest nightmare facing dollar longs would be the prospect of a failed US Treasury auction creating massive capital outflows from dollar-denominated assets. For a while those worries appeared misplaced as the greenback rallied on the safe haven bid. Now the full force of those fears [...]
Keep an eye on geopolitics: it matters to the forex markets May 26, 2009 OPPORTUNISTIC currency traders have always been quick to price in oil price spikes, non-standard monetary policies and signs of green shoots, sending currencies up and down depending on the level of risk aversion in the markets. Risk appetite, or the lack of it, has been a major driver of currency movements since the start of [...]
Moving from TV green rooms to Parliament’s green benches May 26, 2009 YES JEREMY HAZLEHURSTBEING an effective politician is about getting things done. Too many MPs sit on the back benches for their whole careers because of a lack of ambition or ability. Joanna Lumley has shown that star-power can drive through change far more than a knack for patiently sitting through constituency surgeries and the support [...]
ADDICTS, INCEST AND ORGIES: HOW THE STOCK EXCHANGE DOES DRAMA May 26, 2009 EXTRA-curricular activities (of the character-building, not reputation-trashing, sort) have become rather popular in the City since improving one’s CV became more of a necessity than an idle pastime. And in that spirit, keen Square Mile theatregoers will be happy to learn that SEDOS – the Stock Exchange Dramatic and Operatic Society – have been hard [...]
SPOTLIGHT ON SMALL CAPS May 25, 2009 THE greatest bugbear of the year for Aim investors, at least on the face of it, has been the exodus of companies from the junior market as more and more are forced to delist amid the economic turmoil. But as the number of firms on Aim continues to fall back, many small cap experts are [...]
US economic data in focus to pull US markets up May 25, 2009 WALL Street may feel more pressure this week unless a raft of economic data, including consumer confidence, home sales and gross domestic product (GDP), restores the optimism that had driven a two-month rally before fading last week. Investors cited the potential bankruptcy of General Motors as a concern, as further job losses could imperil the [...]
Uncertainty over dividend payments could see defensive shares back on top May 25, 2009 MARKS & Spencer was hit by shareholder anger last week after it confirmed a widely flagged decision to slash its dividend payout to shareholders by one third. It saw its shares dive to the bottom of the FTSE 100, wiping 8 per cent off the share price in just one day. The price has continued [...]
