Articles

Trade from an informed place. We cover news, political events and market analysis plus product updates.

Articles

Trade from an informed place. We cover news, political events and market analysis plus product updates.

Australian Banking Industry

Australian Banking Industry The final report of the Royal Commission will be released just after the Australian market closes at around 4 PM! Hayne’s report will uncover the appalling practices and behaviour in the banking, financial services and superannuation industry. Today will be a crucial and brutal day for Australian Banking Industr...

February 4, 2019
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Preview: Non-Farm Payroll Announcement

It’s a new month which means the latest Non-Farm Payroll figures will be released this Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is due to be released at 13:30 PM London time. Why is the announcement important? Non-farm payroll is one of the most closely watched indicators and is considered the most wide-ranging measure of job creati...

February 1, 2019
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Boeing and Facebook Earnings

Boeing (BA) The Aerospace giant beat estimates and reported a record $101.1bn revenue for the year 2018. It is the first time that the company reports more than $100bn as annual revenue. Below is a summary of the fourth quarter earnings. Record revenue of $28.3 billion and record operating profit of $4.2 billion driven by higher volume Reco...

January 31, 2019
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Apple’s First Quarter Results

Today, Apple reported its First Quarter Results which was largely in-line with expectations, except for the iPhone revenue, which that fell slightly short of estimates. Quarterly revenue came at $84.3bn instead of $83.97bn forecasted. Compared to the year-ago quarter, it is a 5% decline. iPhone Revenue declined by 15% from the previous ye...

January 30, 2019
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A Busy End of the Month

US Government Shutdown President Trump has agreed to temporarily end the shutdown, putting an end to the most extended shutdown in US history. The three-week pause initially lifted investor sentiment and helped Asian stocks push higher on Monday’s open. It is reported that the shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, which includes approximatel...

January 29, 2019
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World Economic Forum: Buzzword – Populism

 The word Populism is probably the buzzword at the World Economic Forum this year. The headlines this week were heavily dominated by the concerns of the rise of populism around the globe. “Brazil’s Bolsonaro is the Face of Populism at the Davos Forum” “Merkel encourages multilateralism in the face of populism…” “Chrystia ...

January 25, 2019
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Preview: The European Central Bank Rate Decision

On Thursday, the European Central Bank will announce its first policy decision of the year on whether to increase, decrease or maintain the interest rates. The decision is scheduled to be announced at 12:45 PM UK time. Why Is The Announcement Important? The European Central Bank is the central bank for the Eurozone, the countries which have adopt...

January 23, 2019
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International Monetary Fund (IMF): Growth Warnings

The World Economic Outlook has further shifted to the downside. The growth estimates for 2019 and 2020 were downgraded in October 2018 mainly due to trade tensions. The recent further downward revisions were the result of the weakening momentum in key industrialised economies. The table below depicts the “Weakening Global Expansion”: Th...

January 22, 2019
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China’s Stimulus Program

Fears of slowing growth and weak Chinese data have forced China to ramp up its efforts to stimulate its economy and reassure investors: Record $83 billion injection: China injected a large amount of money in its economy. $83 billion was placed in the country’s financial system to avoid a cash crunch that would add further pressure to an �...

January 22, 2019
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‘FAANG’ Stocks and Their Role In The Markets

If you follow any form of financial market publication, news source or have ever watched 15 minutes of Bloomberg, then you will undoubtedly have heard the term ‘FAANG’ stocks. But what does ‘FAANG’ mean? In simple terms, it is the acronym for the shares of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (now Alphabet inc.) Coined due to...

January 17, 2019
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432-202 – Biggest Defeat in Modern Times

Theresa May suffered the worst defeat in recent times in British history. The House has spoken, and Theresa May stated that the government will listen. “It is clear that the House does not support this deal, but tonight’s vote tells us nothing about what it does support.” It will be a big challenge for her to negotiate a withdrawal agr...

January 16, 2019
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Brexit- A Decisive Week

The Parliament Vote is the pivotal stage for Brexit. If the Brexit deal is accepted, Britain will exit the EU in an orderly way. However, if the proposed Brexit deal is rejected, there will be many uncertainties to follow. Market participants will have to wait and see how Brexit will unfold as and when more information or decisions will be ...

January 14, 2019
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Amazon Acquired Market-Cap Title

  After a turbulent year for the technology giants, Amazon was crowned leader of the technology sector by market capitalisation on Monday. It has surpassed Microsoft to become the “New King in Town”. Technology stocks have been the primary driver of the global stock markets in the past decade. The overall performance of the tech se...

January 8, 2019
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Main Macro Themes In 2019

After a stellar year in 2017, investors were taken aback by the massive swings in the markets in 2018. The turmoil in the financial markets has created an environment of panic and fears about a global recession. Even though the risk of a recession is not on the horizon yet, we do expect 2019 to remain volatile. Prudent investors will likely fa...

January 8, 2019
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Review of the Year 2018

The bears roared loud and clear in 2018! In 2018, the financial markets were hit by several headwinds across the year and investors were left struggling to find a direction towards the year-end. Economists and strategists were forced to reassess the economic forecasts for 2019. Trade and geopolitical issues had changed the dynamics of the f...

January 7, 2019
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