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FXA

Tuesday opens what investors hope will be the eighth consecutive monthly increase for the Dow, as risky asset classes have continued to tack higher in recent weeks despite some Euro zone jitters and concerns about slowing job growth in the U.S. As May Day rallies were carried out across Europe in a new era of austerity, market remained relatively flat throughout the day there. 

Australian stocks and the Aussie dollar saw significant activity on Tuesday after the Australian central bank announced a hefty half point rate cut for the struggling Australian economy, which has seen its currency surge against major rivals in recent months. The iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund (EWA) was up slightly on the news, with the exchange rate impact preventing a more substantial gain. The CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust (FXA) plummeted by more than 1% on news of the large rate cut. FXA is still well into positive territory for the year, with the underlying currency having appreciated materially against the greenback. 

The IQ Australia Small Cap ETF (KROO), which holds smaller Australian stocks and makes a bigger allocation to commodity producing stocks, slid by about 0.8% to open the day.  [click to continue…]

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Bullish euphoria bolstered equity markets higher last week as better-than-expected economic data stole the headlines. Investors were more than happy to see a big jump in consumer confidence as well as an encouraging GDP report, both of which boosted confidence in the recovery. The biggest surprise on Wall Street was Ben Bernanke’s testimony before Congress; the Fed Chairman sparked volatile trading after he gave no indication that there would be an additional round of quantitative easing like many had anticipated [see Gold Hits Resistance, Time To Worry?]. Several key economic data releases from all over the globe as well as ongoing developments in the debt burdened Euro zone will likely dominate the headlines this week. 

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Equity markets soared to multi-month highs last week as investors digested encouraging economic data on the home front coupled with positive corporate performance surprises. Wall Street ended the week on a high note after the unemployment rate fell to 8.3%, paving the way for the bulls before Superbowl weekend. Looking forward, with earnings seasons dwindling [...]

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Our bearish suspicions proved incorrect last week as bullish euphoria on Wall Street was bolstered by a string of better-than-expected economic reports. On the home front, construction spending, motor vehicles sales, and jobless claims all beat analyst expectations. The big story was Friday’s employment report, which tipped stocks higher to close out the week after [...]

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ETF Insider: Bears Are Lurking Around The Corner

by on January 30, 2012 | Updated February 3, 2012

After an up-down performance across equity markets last week, investors will look to revive bullish momentum on Wall Street as earnings season continues full speed ahead. The spotlight will also turn to Fed Chair Ben Bernanke as he is set to testify before Congress on Thursday, an event that usually comes away with a detailed [...]

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Domestic equity indexes snapped out of their loosing streak last week as investor confidence in the markets improved after a robust start to the holiday shopping season. The bulls charged through Wall Street on Wednesday after a global central bank initiative to lower the cost of dollar funding through swap arrangements sent a wave of [...]

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Euro zone debt woes took investors for another roller coaster ride as uncertainty from overseas led to volatile trading across equity markets all over the globe. Investors were spooked early in the week after Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced a proposal for a referendum to the three-pronged “bailout plan” proposed by EU leaders earlier [...]

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ETF Insider: Greek Drama Steals Spotlight

by on November 2, 2011 | Updated November 3, 2011

Stocks got off to a fairly weak start on Monday as investors took profits off the table given last weeks monster gains. Euro zone debt woes resurfaced on Tuesday, dragging down equity markets all over the globe, after Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, put the latest “bailout plan” to a referendum. Greek default fears returned [...]

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Improving optimism over the Euro zone debt negotiations coupled with positive earnings and economic data releases at home pushed stock markets higher last week. Investor confidence improved considerably as domestic equity indexes climbed higher above key resistance levels and held onto gains the entire week. Bailout talks in the Euro zone reignited fears of inflation, [...]

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Equity markets have taken investors for a wild ride over the past three months with chaotic trading dominating virtually every nook and corner of Wall Street. Amidst the volatility, investors have been seeking out refuge and fleeing to “safer” asset classes; although rational, this approach inevitability overlooks certain corners of the market that may in [...]

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Domestic equity equity indexes struggled near technical resistance levels all of last week, however, the bulls prevailed on Friday. The S&P 500 Index opened and closes every single day above the key resistance level at 1,200; quite a technical feat, given that it failed to break this this level three times in the past three [...]

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Wall Street posted yet another up-down week of performance as domestic equity indexes fluctuated and ultimately fell victim to serious profit taking as the final trading session drew to a close. Worse-than-expected U.S. consumer confidence coupled with a decline in personal income were concerning data releases that only added to the piling uncertainty weighting down [...]

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