As Louise Mensch steps down from politics, should we regret the loss of maverick MPs? August 6, 2012 YES Dylan Sharpe In a recent poll of the least trusted professions, politicians pipped bankers and journalists to an unwelcome top spot. It reflected the sad truth that many constituents have stopped listening to their MPs, expecting to hear platitudes and meaningless promises. That accusation is often unfair, but when few politicians are willing to [...]
RAPID RESPONSES August 6, 2012 Time-saving tech [Re: The technology paradox: It will kill jobs but rescue Britain’s economy, yesterday] I was rather suprised by Matthew Rock’s assertion that new technology kills jobs. If that were the case, the invention of the shovel would have led to economic decline, by allowing one digger to get more work done than many [...]
Market drought offers little respite to traders August 6, 2012 YOU can almost see tumbleweed rolling down Threadneedle Street, as trading volumes drop over the summer months every year. But this year is different. We are not just seeing a drop in the short-term, but also in longer-term volumes. And these falls pose a risk for traders who don’t properly manage their risk exposures. “Traders [...]
SUCCESSFUL TRADERS DON’T PANIC WHEN THEY LOSE OUT August 6, 2012 FX360 TODAY I’ll wrap up a series of three articles, addressed to anyone considering trading for themselves. Last week, I wrote about money and risk management and the importance of creating a trading plan. Prior to that, I wrote about trading styles – is your lifestyle and temperament suited to day trading, or are you [...]
THE TIPSTER | Insuring against losses August 6, 2012 THE reorganisation of Aviva, the insurance giant, continues apace, as its new chief executive keeps to his plan of trimming the business down to a more manageable size. The disposal of divisions in eastern Europe reflects the determination of the new management to keep the company under firm control, and its recovery from June lows [...]
Don’t discount Fibonacci numbers August 6, 2012 The use of Fibonacci numbers in technical analysis is something of a Marmite issue. The idea that stock markets encounter resistance at ratios based on some magic numbers is a load of nonsense to some. But many use Fibonacci numbers, and the retracement levels of support and resistance they determine, as the bedrock of their [...]
Analyst picks for 6 August 2012 August 6, 2012 CURRENCY STRATEGIST CHRIS VECCHIO My pick: Short Aussie-dollar, Aussie-Kiwi, long dollar-yen Expertise: Fundamental and technical analysis Average time frame of trades: A few hours to a few days A new short Aussie dollar-dollar position was established at $1.0565, after European Central Bank disappointment. The results of last week’s Fed meeting and the July non-farm payrolls [...]
SIGNS OF LIFE AFTER SHOPPERS RETURN August 5, 2012 LONDON’S retailers were handed a welcome boost over the weekend as shoppers flocked back to stores, though figures released today show Britain’s high streets have seen their worst monthly sales in almost a year. Footfall picked up in the second half of last week and over the weekend, with the capital’s retailers reporting a leap [...]
Monti insists Italy will not need cash from Germany August 5, 2012 ITALY needs moral support from Germany but not its cash, Prime Minister Mario Monti said in an interview published yesterday as German conservatives renewed calls for Greece to leave the Eurozone. The Italian leader also told weekly magazine Der Spiegel that he was concerned about growing anti-euro, anti-German and anti-European Union sentiment in the parliament [...]
London must become a global tourist magnet August 5, 2012 EXTRAORDINARY. That was the only way to describe the atmosphere at the Olympic stadium this weekend. Team GB’s astonishing triumph has enthused the nation – it has become virtually impossible to walk anywhere in London without spotting someone sporting a Union Jack – and Usain Bolt’s spectacular 100m Olympic record last night was a magical [...]
