TRADERS LOOK BEYOND THE US DOLLAR June 1, 2009 MARK OUTTENSENIOR DEALER, GFT PRIOR to 2007 it seemed that every time you turned on a financial news channel someone would mention the “carry trade,” which involved buying and holding currencies with the highest interest rates against currencies with the lowest. Many gambled that the difference in relative yields would more than compensate the holder [...]
UK DEBT WILL UNDERMINE STERLING RISE July 22, 2009 JANE FOLEYRESEARCH DIRECTOR, FOREX.COM EARLIER this week one news service ran the headline that out of the S&P companies that have already announced their quarterly results, 71 per cent have produced positive surprises. These better earnings were consistent with a push into risky assets that not only supported the stock market but also knocked the [...]
Gilt prices on course to fall as UK public debt threatens credit rating May 25, 2009 MARKETS were rattled last Thursday when ratings agency Standard & Poor’s announced that it had downgraded its outlook on Britain’s AAA credit rating to “negative” from “stable” for the first time since October 1993. Lower credit ratings result in higher borrowing costs because the borrower is considered more likely to default on its debt. If [...]
Gilt prices on course to fall as UK public debt threatens credit rating May 25, 2009 MARKETS were rattled last Thursday when ratings agency Standard & Poor’s announced that it had downgraded its outlook on Britain’s AAA credit rating to “negative” from “stable” for the first time since October 1993. Lower credit ratings result in higher borrowing costs because the borrower is considered more likely to default on its debt. If [...]
Trading on metals is a great way to add a new dimension to a portfolio May 20, 2009 TRADERS are opportunistic creatures with an innate desire to search out new areas ripe for profits. But it is easy to get stuck in a bit of a trading rut, however profitable a rut it may be. You have your favourite pairs, your preferred trading strategies and your choice of analysis. But traders should always [...]
Emerging market strength means luxury is down but far from out June 8, 2009 FOR a while it seemed like the luxury goods retailers would escape the global recession relatively unscathed. The rich would still remain relatively rich and any loss of custom in developed countries would quickly be replaced by growing demand in emerging markets like China. That hope has vanished in the past two weeks as the [...]
The schoolboy bookie who turned into a spread betting evangelist May 20, 2009 JONATHAN Hufford has always had an appetite for betting, from running his school bookmaker to trading yen derivatives in the 1990s. But his biggest gamble took place 10 years ago this month when he left his job in the City to open up spread betting provider Spreadex He entered the then fledgling spread betting industry [...]
Sterling’s long decline comes to an end May 27, 2009 IT may seem strange given the dire state of Britain’s public finances but sterling is starting to regain some of its strength, especially against the dollar. Yesterday the pound rose above $1.60 for the first time in seven months, boosted by better services sector sentiment and mortgage approvals. Sterling is now trading well above its [...]
Technicals will help you profit from bullish cable outlook June 2, 2009 IN January sterling was the whipping boy of the currency markets, culminating in near-parity with the euro and investors like Jim Rogers proposed dollar parity in 2009. But what a difference six months can make. Yesterday sterling hit another seven-month high against the dollar – up 20 per cent on the pair’s January lows. But [...]
UNCERTAINTY STILL REIGNS IN MARKETS May 20, 2009 THERE is considerable confusion in the markets over the fundamental question of whether the global economy has bottomed out. This has resulted in wide swings in sentiment. At the time of writing, the S&P 500 had gained 5.8 per cent in the month to date, largely a result of relief over news coming out of [...]