Bernanke hints at further US stimulus July 13, 2011 Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, has said more easing of monetary policy is on the cards if US economic growth continues to falter. Bernanke hinted that further rounds of quantitative easing may be possible to inject new momentum into the economy. The Fed completed a $600bn (£377bn) round of bond-buying representing [...]
US Fed is split over fresh QE July 12, 2011 A THIRD period of quantitative easing – dubbed QE3 – could be in the pipeline if the US economy continues to stagnate, the minutes of the last Federal Reserve monetary policy meeting revealed last night. “Some participants” believed that “it would be appropriate to provide additional monetary policy accommodation” if the economy fails to pick [...]
Taking a position on US jobs, rate hikes and Euro-geddon July 10, 2011 SPREAD betting has changed the way that retail clients can get exposure to financial markets, and spread bet providers are constantly coming up with new ways to allow easy access to an ever increasing range of markets. Though forex, commodity and equity markets can give you access to most market movements, here are three offerings [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD in association with GFT July 10, 2011 COMPANIES ● Today, Michael Page International delivers its second quarter trading update. The company was formed in 1976 by Michael Page and Bill McGregor. ● On Wednesday, Sainsbury holds its AGM. On the same day Marks & Spencer will report. It will be hoping for not just ordinary results, but… ● Also on Wednesday, J [...]
Stocks boosted by retail and jobs data July 7, 2011 US STOCKS closely sharply higher and the Nasdaq notched an eighth day of gains yesterday as improved labour market and retail sales data raised optimism before today’s critical June payrolls report. Equities have been on a tear recently as improving economic data and a potential resolution to Greece’s fiscal issues paved over fears of slowing [...]
Goldman and RBS aided in crisis July 6, 2011 Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, RBS and UBS were the biggest beneficiaries of very short-term Federal Reserve loans extended at the height of the financial crisis, according to data out yesterday. The Fed’s figures showed Goldman took $15bn in exchange for securities ranging from Treasuries to mortgage bonds. UBS, RBS and Lehman took $10bn each.
Rally in transport stocks lifts hopes July 6, 2011 TRANSPORTATION stocks were among the standouts in another flat session for US equities yesterday, and the sector’s rally could be cause for optimism ahead. However, the Nasdaq rose for its seventh straight day, extending its rally to 6.8 per cent. The Dow Jones Transportation Average rose 1.2 per cent and hit a new closing high [...]
From zero to bestseller July 6, 2011 SANCTUS was an instant hit when it came out in April. Waterstones shopfronts were full of it, it quickly climbed the bestseller list and the author is tipped as the next (but much more talented) Dan Brown. Yet before he wrote Sanctus – which is the first in a trilogy commissioned by Harper Collins – [...]
Britain cannot devalue itself into prosperity July 5, 2011 STERLING rallied yesterday following the release of PMI services index figures for June coming in at 53.9 – higher than the 53.5 widely expected. Michael van Dulken of Accendo Markets explains that sterling-dollar moved up from $1.602 to $1.6048 on the PMI services news, then carried on to a day high of $1.628 by mid-morning. [...]
Muted market reaction to the ending of QE2 July 5, 2011 AFTER months of speculation surrounding the end of the Federal Reserve’s second round of quantitative easing (QE2), Fed chairman Ben Bernanke finally announced a fortnight ago that the US central bank’s program of buying Treasuries on a massive scale was going to draw to a close. But, despite the forex markets being overshadowed by the [...]