Investors will hate consequences of a hung parliament November 29, 2009 POLLING DAY is still about six months away but already the battle lines are being drawn between the two main political parties. The general election will add another dimension of uncertainty to 2010, which is already shaping up to be a very volatile year for investors. The general election is a scheduled event so it [...]
RISK TRADE IS STILL IN PLACE DESPITE DUBAI November 29, 2009 JANE FOLEYRESEARCH DIRECTOR, FOREX.COMTHE shocking news that Dubai is on the brink of default is a reminder that the financial crisis still has a few tricks up its sleeve and the global economic recovery is far from firmly established. Economic data suggests that next year will see only slow growth in the US, Eurozone, Japan [...]
Concern over Dubai’s debts takes toll on Britain’s shares November 26, 2009 Britain’s top shares ended at a three-week closing low yesterday, pressured by hefty falls in the banking sector as concerns over Dubai’s ability to pay its debts took a toll on confidence. The FTSE 100 ended down 3.2 per cent, or 170.68 points, at 5,194.13, its lowest close since November 6, and losses on the [...]
European shares in 3.3 per cent slump November 26, 2009 European shares slipped 3.3 per cent yesterday to record their biggest one-day percentage drop in seven months as concerns about debt problems in Dubai weighed on the market, with banks the major fallers. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares closed down 33.81 points at 988.14 – its lowest close in three weeks. “The [...]
THE NEW YORK REPORT November 25, 2009 Stocks rose in light trading volume yestesrday, supported by data that pointed to stabilisation in the labour and housing markets, areas that have fed concerns about a “double dip” recession. Trading volume was among the lightest of the year one day before the Thanksgiving holiday, with many senior traders absent from trading floors. Even so, [...]
Take a punt on how much further British banking stocks can rise November 25, 2009 THE Bank of England’s secret deal which saw it lend ailing Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS an astonishing £61.6bn last October was a timely reminder of just how bad the situation was this time last year. The global financial system was struggling to rebalance itself and many banks had either collapsed entirely or been [...]
THE TIPSTER November 25, 2009 THANKSGIVING in the US means that the American markets are closed and traders are expecting a quiet day ahead. But that doesn’t mean spread betters should be ignoring the markets. There is plenty of scope for traders to start pulling money off the table to minimise risk. Nonetheless, the Dow index has had a huge [...]
MINING AND OIL POPULAR SECTORS November 25, 2009 ALEXANDRE HOUPERTHEAD OF LISTED PRODUCTS UK, SG CORPORATE & INVESTMENT BANKING IN THE current market climate, investors might be afraid of choosing single stocks and exposing themselves to all the risk that cherry picking entails. Instead, they are increasingly choosing to take out a position on a sector in order to spread the risk. We’ve [...]
Downturn will be the golden age for the CFO November 25, 2009 THE current worldwide downturn is shining a spotlight on the role of the modern chief financial officer (CFO). Companies are now placing far greater reliance on the CFO’s advice and understanding than they have done in the past. Finance leaders and their teams are now seen as a valuable resource to guide companies through the [...]
Negotiation is the only way to resolve pension scheme trouble November 25, 2009 BAKER TILLYBRUCE MACKAY FOR all but a lucky few, final salary pension provision is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Already in inexorable decline as companies struggled to manage the escalating costs of gold-plated pension schemes, the recent challenging economic environment has accelerated fund closure, and not just for new members but to all [...]