Wall St slides on fears of an early rate hike – New York Report March 11, 2015 US STOCKS ended lower for a second session yesterday as worries increased about the timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike and dollar strength further dampened the outlook for US corporate earnings. The move followed the S&P 500’s biggest one-day decline in two months in the previous session, which surpassed a sell-off of similar [...]
Extraordinary central bank policy means volatile times are coming for investors – Investment Comment March 10, 2015 What is the true value of the investments in your portfolio? The prices of traded financial assets in markets are constantly updated as they are bought and sold. This is usually a basic and constant function of markets. This process has been overwhelmed in recent years, however, by extraordinarily loose monetary policy, cheap credit, and [...]
Euro loses one per cent against the dollar as markets feel the impact of quantitative easing March 10, 2015 The euro has fallen further against the dollar today, after the European Central Bank (ECB) launched its much-anticipated quantitative easing programme. The single currency briefly fell below the $1.07 mark in late afternoon trading, or down more than one per cent, taking it to its lowest level since 2003. It wasn't helped by the [...]
Timing the first US rate hike: What traders need to know March 9, 2015 The Fed could well be about to end its policy of patience. The US economy’s ability to create astonishing numbers of jobs is showing little sign of changing. On Friday, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that total US non-farm payroll employment rose by 295,000 in February, exceeding expectations of 240,000. The US [...]
US investors braced for sign of rates hike – The week ahead on Wall St March 9, 2015 US STOCK investors may be bracing for further signs this week that the Federal Reserve could increase interest rates sooner rather than later, with retail sales expected to rebound after two straight months of declines. A pickup in retail sales could show consumers are benefiting from sharply lower oil prices, but analysts say spending in [...]
Bitreserve and CNET founder Halsey Minor talks dot-commers, virtual currencies and the Bank of England’s open-mindedness March 8, 2015 You might not have heard of Halsey Minor, but it’s likely that you’ve indirectly benefited from one of his many achievements. He’s one half of the brains behind CNET, the technology media website which, founded in 1994, was in the vanguard of internet firms, and is still one of the most-visited tech information resources in [...]
US non-farm payroll: Economy adds 295,000 jobs in February March 6, 2015 The US economy was inoculated from last month's bout of bad weather as jobs growth smashed expectations. Figures released by the Labour Department today showed that the US economy added 295,000 jobs in February, which was up from the 257,000 in January. This was above economists' forecasts of 240,000. This bumper figure pushed the dollar [...]
US stocks stall ahead of jobs report today – New York Report March 5, 2015 US stocks closed modestly higher in light trading yesterday as investors held back on big bets ahead of today’s jobs report, which is expected to be a big factor in influencing the timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike. Focus on the report was heightened as many investors see it as one of the [...]
Eat like an Oscars star: Now Aldi is selling Wagyu beef burgers March 3, 2015 We've had luxury wine, scallops and lobsters. Now Aldi is offering British customers Wagyu burgers – one of the most expensive types of beef – at knock down prices. For a limited time only the discount grocer will sell the premium products, made from New Zealand grass-fed cattle – for £2.99 for two. In [...]
Forget secular stagnation: America shows why the pessimists are wrong February 26, 2015 The US economic recovery is gathering momentum. January’s impressive labour market report showed that the US is in the midst of a long, sustainable upswing that could surpass any other business cycle in the post-1945 era. QE has proved to be a powerful monetary policy tool in the US. Low short- and long-term interest rates [...]