Nasdaq high on US healthcare hopes December 21, 2009 US STOCKS rose yesterday, with the Nasdaq hitting a 15-month high after a healthcare reform bill advanced in the Senate and brokerages upgraded two Dow components on improving profit prospects. Healthcare stocks rose after a bill to overhaul the US healthcare system, which is perceived as less damaging to industry profits than expected, passed a [...]
Keep your eyes open for black swans in the coming year December 21, 2009 1 Israel takes out Iranian nuclear capacity, triggering a popular uprising, which causes the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be overthrown. Western businesses begin to look more positively on the less volatile Middle Eastern region, especially oil companies and other utilities providers which can now operate in a more stable environment. This is positive for [...]
Gold loses its shine as positive US data signals move away from safety December 21, 2009 NOW could be the time to go short on gold. After a stellar performance during 2010 when the precious metal reached a record high of more than $1,200, the positive trend could be about to come to an end. Investors sold off gold futures yesterday as markets await a spate of economic data releases from [...]
PREPARE FOR A BOOM IN SILVER PRICE December 21, 2009 THE US dollar’s reversal of fortune has been swift and violent. The sudden shift in sentiment since the beginning of the month has caught many investors by surprise. What began as a correction to the steady and seemingly relentless decline of the greenback against everything but the yen has become more akin to a rout. [...]
Improved GDP numbers will add to the growing confidence in sterling December 21, 2009 ALL the signs are pointing to an upward revision to UK GDP growth this morning. The consensus among City economists is for a smaller 0.1 percent fall in GDP in the third quarter. But there is a real possibility that growth was actually stronger and could even have been flat on the quarter. A 2 [...]
THE TIPSTER December 21, 2009 MARKET liquidity is really thin this week and next due to the Christmas holidays, which means that you need to be aware of pockets of volatility. During this time of year you need to stick to the larger FTSE 100 equities that benefit from strong liquidity. Keep nice tight spreads or range trade the FTSE [...]
Think twice about your resolutions December 21, 2009 AFTER a season of excess, it’s no wonder New Year’s Day comes with a hearty dose of self-recrimination and impassioned vows to improve. There’s no doubt that the more your liver is aching, the more painfully your belly is straining against your belt, and the emptier your bank account, the more you feel the need [...]
Coffee is good for you, but I’m eating broccoli instead December 21, 2009 IT SEEMS like only yesterday that we were writing in these pages about how bad coffee is for you. Too many cups a day, we reported, can lead to exhausted adrenal glands, an increased chance of osteoporosis, huge swings in blood sugar levels and other more obvious effects such as indigestion and sleeplessness. Enough to [...]
Cook denies City conspiracy December 21, 2009 MANCHESTER CITY chief executive Garry Cook insists the club had only agreed a deal with Roberto Mancini just a day before Mark Hughes was sacked. Cook and the Eastlands hierarchy came under criticism for their treatment of Hughes, who was sacked after Saturday’s 4-3 win over Sunderland. But the City CEO refutes any suggestion of [...]
Bring on Man United, blasts boss Mancini December 21, 2009 NEW Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini says is ready to do battle with city rivals United – with the aim of bringing the Premier League title to Eastlands within 18 months. Mancini won three successive titles with Inter Milan before resigning last summer, and is already comparing the City/United rivalry to that of his former [...]