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.
Despite some rather significant bumps along the road in 2011, many asset classes are now well into positive territory on a one year trailing basis as January draws to a close, riding high thanks to a strong finish to last year and start to 2012. Included on that list are a number of leveraged ETFs that [...]
Investors had high hopes for the week after last Friday’s positive developments at the summit in Brussels. Unfortunately, bullish sentiment quickly wore off as European debt woes resurfaced, sparking a wave of fear seeing as how policymakers overseas have yet to decide on a comprehensive plan to ensure stability. Choppy trading was a dominant theme [...]
Equity market turmoil remains a dominant theme as ongoing Euro zone worries are proving to be a major headwind as investors struggle to regain confidence. Europe’s financially fragile health is sparking concerns for a global economic slowdown, which would in turn drag down even the healthiest of markets, including the U.S., which has demonstrated resilience [...]
Last week shaped out to be yet another range-bound trading frenzy, dominated by fear induced selling in the early part of the week, and ending with a modest rally on Friday as investors cheered on the developments at the summit in Brussels. Gold drifted lower towards $1,700 an ounce amidst the uncertain backdrop. The precious [...]
Equity indexes endured another volatile week as persistent Euro zone debt woes paved the way for profit-taking across virtually every segment of the market. Investor worries over the debt crisis brewing overseas overshadowed positive economic data releases on the home front, including better-than-expected retail sales, new home starts, jobless claims, and industrial production. Fundamental investors [...]
Equity markets remain plagued with volatility as Euro zone debt woes weigh down on investors’ confidence. Uncertainty stemming from the debt burdened currency bloc continues to dominate headlines all over the globe as investors anxiously await for EU leaders to bring forth a comprehensive plan that ensures the region won’t succumb to a potentially devastating [...]
After another up-down week dominated by Euro zone debt drama, domestic equity indexes managed to clinch a gain amidst the volatility. Investor sentiment swayed wildly as the anticipation of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi’s resignation coupled with ongoing Italian debt woes sparked sell-offs one day and rallies the next, across virtually every corner of the global [...]
The past week was, again, extremely choppy as European rumors took center stage, leaving investors fixated on events coming out of Germany and France. While some progress was definitely made in the negotiations, this week’s summit could play a key role in determining the long term future of the currency bloc. Beyond these events, investors [...]
Recent months have brought some indications that the storm clouds over the U.S. economy are beginning to clear. Manufacturing activity is picking up again, earnings reports have been generally impressive, and consumer spending and confidence have shown signs of a pulse. Though major indexes have reached (or nearly reached) pre-recession levels, there are still lingering [...]
After sinking early in the week, equity markets finished on a high note with the Dow closing just below 11,000. Commodities have been in focus in recent trading, as oil sank for the week while gold soared as Greece’s credit rating was lowered to BBB-. In other news, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner visited Beijing in [...]
