Posts from — January 2009
More Spread Betting Markets Compared
We have now added more markets to our spread betting comparison tables and also a few further improvements:
- Services – you can now see which companies also provide candlestick charts
- In the indices comparison tables we have now added DAX 30 and S+P 500 spreads
- In the FX comparison tables we have now added USD / JPY spreads
- We have also swapped the GBP / EUR spreads to the more popular EUR / GBP
As a side issue it is interesting to see that, as the spread betting market becomes ever more competitive, market forces are at work and a lot of the spreads are becoming very similar. Eg
- The Daily FTSE 100 markets are generally offered with a 1 or 2 point spread
- Brent Crude Oil and US Crude Oil mostly have 5-6 point spreads
- Daily Gold is also offered with a 5-6 point spread across the board
Naturally the spreads often differ outside market hours, if you want Guaranteed Stop Losses etc.
Note that there is still a reasonable amount of difference in spread widths the Futures markets.
For late comparison tables see Best Spread Betting Companies.
Good Luck!
DB
January 23, 2009 No Comments
Which Way Will the Markets Move?
Markets have opened to the up side over the weekend news of even more state intervention in the banking system in an attempt to influence the money markets.
We then saw the FTSE drop 150 points and now its going back up. In short, we have more volatility.
Time will tell as to whether this additional combination of injection and guarantee will finally get things moving but it must be admitted that merely making money available does not appear to be the real problem.
Consumers are in danger of becoming an endangered species as fear stalks the workplace every time a senior manager walks in. Unemployment lines are growing and it would be a foolish family which did not put down as much cash as possible in case of the worst occurring.
In light of this the concentration of ministers in ‘trying to get the banks to lend more’ may appear, on the face of it, to be slightly misplaced. And it is here that we start to argue about the chicken and the egg. Do we need to loosen up lending before the economy turns around (risking ever more debt in a deteriorating credit environment) or do we wait for the ‘green shoots’ before increasing lending (risking a downward spiral of ever lower economic activity).
For today’s view, read the Spread Trading comment.
Good Luck!
DB
January 20, 2009 No Comments
US Markets in January 2009
What Happened Yesterday?
Yesterday’s blood bath was compounded by some shocking retail data out from the US showing a decline of -2.7% when the market was expecting a fall of just -1.2%. It goes to show that not even big discounts across the board were enough to tempt shoppers into US stores and who’s to blame them?
The US enjoys 2 festive periods a year with Thanksgiving in November and then Christmas in December and we already know that the Thanksgiving period was disappointing and what little money Americans had was probably spent then leaving barely anything for Christmas.
Later in the evening the US Beige Book, which gives us anecdotal information on current economic and business conditions, didn’t help matters either as it consisted of all the words that we are used to at the moment such as “falling”, “declining” and “weakening”.
Read more of today’s Spread Trading comment.
Good Luck!
DB
January 15, 2009 No Comments