Saudi Arabia heads to the debt markets as low oil prices weigh on budget deficit August 7, 2015 Saudi Arabia will head to the debt market seeking $27bn as low oil prices begin to weigh on the country's finances. The Kingdom is planning its first sovereign bond issue since 2007, and reportedly hopes to raise $5.3bn each month until the end of the year through tranches of five, seven and ten-year bonds. [...]
Is China fragile? It could well surprise us – CNBC Comment August 4, 2015 WITH earnings season in full swing, China remains the buzzword – but for all the wrong reasons. As analysts who have questioned the strength of the world’s second-largest economy start to look a lot less like Cassandras, the question remains: when will the Asian powerhouse stabilise? Short answer: it’s tough to tell at this stage. [...]
Black gold: As prices stay low, is $50 oil here to stay? August 4, 2015 Is $50 oil here to stay? Oil has dominated the headlines as persistently low prices continue. The halving of the oil price from over $110 a barrel last summer was widely expected to be a short-term blip. But one year on, prices remain depressed. Last week, Brent crude touched a five-year low of [...]
All eyes are on the Canadian dollar in a data rich week – eToro tips & picks August 3, 2015 Many currencies have been struggling for direction of late, and the euro in particular has generated a news-flow fatigue. Currency markets have been tricky to judge over the last few weeks, and it doesn’t look like that is about to change any time soon. Euro-dollar has been struggling to jump any higher than $1.1150 and, [...]
How the traditional world of law is embracing entrepreneurial values July 29, 2015 THE legal profession has always been exactly that – a profession. It has grown within a strict statutory framework, which has been vital for maintaining standards, but it’s perhaps not the easiest environment for flexibility and entrepreneurialism. However, that doesn’t mean law firms can ignore this growing trend. After all, the legal profession vies for [...]
Gold price hits five-year low: Is it all over for the precious metal? July 27, 2015 With prices at five-year lows, Annabelle Williams asks whether the precious metal is truly hammered The gold price has been hammered in the last few weeks, leaving the precious metal at the lowest prices for five years. Gold took a nosedive last week when an unknown entity – with considerable power, perhaps a [...]
How much lower can the Australian dollar go? – CNBC Comment July 27, 2015 Commodities have been a crushing long trade, with the latest rout taking oil below $50 a barrel, and the commodity currencies to six year lows. They are not the only victims, with gold, copper, iron ore, mining stocks and soft commodities also casualties in a rollover that some are calling a second wave meltdown. The [...]
Why it’s a pivotal week for more than just US assets – eToro tips & picks July 27, 2015 IT’S A massive week for US markets, with both the GDP print and the all-important two day Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Fed chair Janet Yellen will be looking to either dispel rumours or confirm the fact that we are very close to the first rate hike in the US in almost 10 years. So [...]
New Zealand dollar: Rock star no longer – CNBC Comment July 20, 2015 It’s that time of the year again – the excitement of the Ashes is palpable. There are a lot of cricket fans in my office and, although I can’t count myself as one of them, a crash course has taught me that the Antipodean teams often win. Indeed, Sunday marked a crushing defeat for England [...]
Gold’s plunge hasn’t taken it off the table for traders – eToro Tips & Picks July 20, 2015 After a week that has been dominated by earnings and the Greek debacle, traders are now looking to focus on assets that are a little more of the norm. However, with more in the way of earnings yet to come and the risk of Eurozone news again upsetting the balance, traders do still remain risk-off. [...]