THE TIPSTER
SHARES in HMV have been on a general downward trend since reaching highs of 159.50p in April last year. However, after announcing a strategy review last week, which will see the firm increase its involvement in live music and ticketing, its share price jumped by 10 per cent. Spreadex has a June-based HMV contract with a spread of 87.8p-88.7p.
The Nikkei briefly jumped above 11,000 for the first time since October 2008 on Friday. This was due to a weaker yen, which helped to lift sentiment. But can the Dow Jones in the US follow suit? An intra-day peak of 10,955.48 on Thursday saw the Dow reach its highest point since 29 September 2008. There could be another boost to the index as quarter-end is fast approaching, which is traditionally a period that tends to spur buying by money managers. ShortsandLongs.com offers a spread of 10,854-10,856.
Spreadbetters with an eye for technical tips should note that April is traditionally a good month for the FTSE 100. Nineteen out of the last 26 years have seen the FTSE rise during April. So will history repeat itself? Capital Spreads quotes a price of 5,700.0-5,701.0 for the FTSE 100.
Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev purchased the Independent for a pound last Thursday. Rumours are now circulating he will make the paper available for free. At the other end of the spectrum the Times and Sunday Times are both about to start charging for access to their websites. Other papers could follow suit. The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) releases a trading update on Tuesday. The current IG Index price on DMGT is 506.7p-510.2p.
By Kathleen Brooks