Goldman Sachs and Intel trigger bumper day on FTSE July 15, 2009 STRONG corporate earnings numbers and improving economic data from the US lifted the blue chip share index by 2.6 per cent to its highest close in four weeks yesterday. Led by energy firms and banks, the FTSE 100 index ended up 108.78 points at 4,346.46, its third day of gains. The UK benchmark is up [...]
The downturn has destroyed the myth of diversification July 15, 2009 MOORAD CHOUDHRYHEAD OF TREASURY, EUROPE ARAB BANK IN THE 1950s the economists Harry Markowitz, Franco Modigliani, Merton Miller and William Sharpe formulated their ideas on portfolio theory and corporate finance, which became the foundation of modern finance and fund management. These chaps were serious heavyweight thinkers, and rewarded with Nobel prizes. In the 21st century [...]
Wall Street books impressive gains July 15, 2009 US stocks jumped yesterday with the S&P 500 racking up its three best days since March, sparked by results from bellwether Intel that lifted hopes for a rebound in technology spending and improved corporate profitability. The broad S&P 500 has gained 6.1 per cent so far this week as companies, including Intel and Goldman Sachs, [...]
If you don’t do the right MBA, then you might as well be burning money July 15, 2009 LIKE so many other sectors in the wake of the credit crunch and recession, higher education has been having a “stop and think” moment. Once seen as the suppliers of the business talent – and particularly the banking talent – that fuelled the economic boom years, business schools are having to re-affirm the value of [...]
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS THE MBA OATH July 15, 2009 As a manager, my purpose is to serve the greater good by bringing people and resources together to create value that no single individual can create alone. Therefore I will seek a course that enhances the value my enterprise can create for society over the long term. I recognise my decisions can have far-reaching consequences [...]
Times are tough, but lawyers aren’t giving up their wine cellars quite yet July 14, 2009 JUST after the collapse of Lehman Brothers last year, at a lavish Clifford Chance party held at Goldsmith’s Hall, a French lawyer told me glumly: “London used to be such a good place to make money.” The champagne and canapes might have been flowing at the time, but the words did capture the feeling that [...]
Traders seek to lock in prices as they fight volatile market July 14, 2009 RECORD volatility and unpredictability in the foreign exchange markets during the financial crisis may have seen volumes soar and day traders profit handsomely, but if you are a longer-term positional trader dipping into the forex markets or looking to hedge your trading, whether it be in the currency markets or another asset class, then volatility [...]
SWISSIE WILL STAY STRONG DESPITE SNB July 14, 2009 BORIS SCHLOSSBERGDIRECTOR OF CURRENCY RESEARCH, GFT INTERVENTION is always a subject of controversy and conversation in the currency market. Typically, traders focus on the Bank of Japan (BoJ), which at one time spent nearly $250bn trying to drive down the value of the yen. However, while the BoJ receives the lion’s share of attention, the [...]
It’s more vital than ever to reassess risk July 14, 2009 RISK appetite is one of those phrases that traders tend to bandy about. In these uncertain times, the words are in the news more than ever. A cursory glance over the research notes, market commentaries and news reports of the past few weeks would have you confused. One day a research note claims that risk [...]
Miners, banks and oil groups emerge as stars of the index July 14, 2009 LONDON’S top share index closed up 0.9 per cent yesterday, led by miners, banks and oil producers as impressive corporate data from the United States outweighed mixed economic figures. The FTSE ended 35.55 points higher at 4,237.68, extending Monday’s 1.8 per cent gains. The index has risen more than 23 per cent since hitting a [...]