Steady as she goes December 17, 2012 SHARES in cruise operator Carnival are up by over 14 per cent over the last year. Its earnings conference call on Thursday will confirm that bookings have held up well. The company has also commissioned new ships, adding to its burgeoning fleet. It may not be entirely plain sailing going forward but, for now, the [...]
Looking ahead to the 2013 markets December 17, 2012 IF WE have to go through 2013 in a similar vein to 2012, with a record number of Eurogroup, Ecofin, Euro summit, and FinMin meetings, my patience will be severely tested. It’s about time we moved on from over-analysing upcoming banking unions or aid packages. We need to return to a sense of normality, and [...]
Analyst picks for 18 December 2012 December 17, 2012 CURRENCY STRATEGIST CHRIS VECCHIO My pick: Short Aussie-yen and euro-yen Expertise: Fundamental and technical analysis Average time frame of trades: A few hours to a few days I closed a long dollar-yen position at ¥84.15, booking a gain of 4.3 per cent. Given the results of the Japanese elections, I then flipped the position, going [...]
Inflation unlikely to give festive cheer in thin week for corporates December 16, 2012 INFLATION figures are unlikely to give UK households much festive cheer tomorrow, with forecasts of a slight rise in November. “Data are expected to show that consumer price inflation edged up further to 2.8 per cent in November after jumping to 2.7 per cent in October from a 34-month low of 2.2 per cent in [...]
No time off for traders as fiscal cliff is looming December 16, 2012 THE last two weeks of December are traditionally quiet for stocks, but traders accustomed to a bit of time off are staying close to their mobile devices, thanks to the “fiscal cliff”. Last-minute negotiations in Washington on the so-called fiscal cliff – nearly $600bn of tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect in [...]
Know what to expect from major asset classes in 2013 December 16, 2012 UNCERTAINTY has been characteristic of investing in 2012. As headwinds continue to shake global investment markets, this will likely continue into 2013. But knowing what to broadly expect will help you to align your portfolio and identify opportunities so that, this time next year, you will have achieved decent investment returns. HEADWINDS The Eurozone crisis, [...]
Emerging markets appear attractive despite the risks December 16, 2012 EMERGING markets have outperformed developed markets over the last decade, and since the financial crisis, investors have been piling into funds with exposure to these economies. Investment Management Association data shows that UK retail investors pumped £1.1bn into the sector in 2012, compared to only £174m in 2007. Investing in emerging market stocks is not [...]
Making it in the big bag world December 16, 2012 A GOOD quality leather satchel was a rare find four years ago. The schoolbag market was dominated by canvas and velcro record bags that Julie Deane, founder of the hugely successful Cambridge Satchel Company, found “shabby”. So when she considered possible business ventures, satchels were high on the list. Her timing could not have been [...]
The phone call that stopped a business from singing the blues December 16, 2012 MY MATE and I were thrilled when a beautiful young lady, Sarah, sat down between us with a smile. As two Aussies, we immediately battled for her attention with our attempts at cool charm and quick wit. The event was a 25th wedding anniversary dinner for about 60 guests. Sarah was very relaxed and easily [...]
Immigration rules: open for business December 16, 2012 FIGURES from the 2011 census revealed that 27 per cent of London’s population – some 1.9m people – is foreign-born. Hedge funds, banks, professional services firms, so much of London’s economy depends on its ability to attract and retain skilled international talent. Many come from inside the EU. There are now 579,000 Polish-born immigrants in [...]