Home builder fears drag on Wall Street October 26, 2009 US stocks fell for a second straight session last night as investors ditched home builders and financials on fears that a federal home buyer tax credit might be phased out, while commodity shares succumbed to pressure from the higher US dollar. Trading was choppy. Stocks initially started on firmer footing, with indexes up more than [...]
Oil and drugs dominate in UK as third quarter results begin October 25, 2009 FOCUS will turn away from economic data and bank profits this week, with the spotlight now on oil titans, who will dominate the corporate reporting this week. FTSE 100 life assurance group Friends Provident kicks the week off today with a trading update, but industry giants BP, BG Group and Shell will be the big [...]
USGDP will be the major trader focus October 25, 2009 THIRD quarter earnings season is well and truly under way, and this week we are faced with a barrage of results from both sides of the pond. In the UK we have BP reporting tomorrow, BG Group and GlaxoSmithkline on Wednesday and AstraZeneca and Royal Dutch Shell out on Thursday. ExxonMobil, Procter and Gamble and [...]
Supply trouble to keep cocoa futures on an upward trend October 25, 2009 WITH oil and gold constantly hitting the headlines, it’s all too easy for spread betters to take the (relatively) easy route and stick to trading the big commodity markets. But given how strongly some of the so-called soft commodities such as cocoa and sugar have performed over recent months, it is clear that extending your [...]
Play the Bank’s QE decision with a punt on gilts October 25, 2009 THIS year we have witnessed the Bank of England take the unprecedented step of buying billions of pounds worth of assets – mostly government bonds – in order to loosen monetary policy further than can be achieved through interest rate cuts alone. It goes without saying that this policy of quantitative easing (QE) has had [...]
THE TIPSTER WATCH OUT FOR ENERGY FIRMS’ EARNINGS October 25, 2009 PROFIT taking has been the order of the day in energy stocks and with crude oil prices looking toppy at the $80 a barrel mark, the upward trend for some oil and gas equities may be over. Oil giant BP reports its third quarter results numbers on Tuesday and the stock has so far struggled [...]
CHINA’S YUAN POLICY COMES UNDER FIRE October 25, 2009 JANE FOLEYRESEARCH DIRECTOR, FOREX.COMBY ALMOST everybody else’s standards, an annual growth rate of 8.9 per cent in the third quarter would be an opportunity to break open the champagne and put on the party hats. But expectations for Chinese expansion had been higher and this “disappointing” figure was enough to see investors lose, at least [...]
THE LONDON REPORT October 22, 2009 The FTSE 100 closed one per cent, or 50.49 points, lower yesterday at 5,207.36, as weaker crude and metals weighed on energy stocks and miners. The index has rallied more than 50 per cent since hitting a low in early March, and is up 17 per cent this year. Energy stocks suffered with crude slipping [...]
NEW YORK REPORT October 22, 2009 US stocks rose yesterday after quarterly results from insurer Travelers and regional bank PNC Financial gave a boost to financial stocks. Financials were among the top gainers after insurer Travelers posted gains after it raised its full-year outlook and regional bank PNC Financial Services Group shares jumped 12.7 per cent to $50.65 on far better-than-expected [...]
If you’re stuck in a rut, you have to be ready to change care%r October 21, 2009 YOU’RE bored, you don’t feel as though your skills are being used properly, your colleagues seem to achieve more than you do, and worst of all, it’s been this way for months. In short, you feel you’ve hit a dead-end in your career. What can you do about it? If you’re in a rut in [...]