A strong follow-on for Asia after the positive day seen for US markets yesterday. Although a lot of the talk in Europe surrounded regulations, in Asia they followed directions from three central banks – Europe, UK and Canada – as rhetoric talked of positivity. It is interesting how the market apparently “misinterpreted” Mr Draghi’s speech […]

Following-on from the weak US session, Asia drifted in sympathy. The news from the US Senate, after their markets had closed, worried Asia as they responded to the news. On the whole core markets were lower, the exception being a +0.7% increase in the Australian ASX. Shanghai and the Hang Seng closed around -0.6% lower. […]

Although the Shanghai index continued its positive trend we did finally see only a minimal advance and then a small set-back for the Hang Seng. An earlier strong gain (+0.6%) in the Hand Seng was lost by the time the market had closed but with numerous unexplained small cap scares, it was not a surprise […]

With so much on the horizon we saw a mixed session out of Asia today. The one key topic all markets makers were looking at was whether China A-Shares would make the MSCI index have missed it for the past few years. Although it will bring added international attention, China’s recent efforts appear more focused […]

The European “bail-in” rules have been cheered claiming taxpayer money will be spared. However, many seniors bought bank bonds for their retirement. In the rescue of the small Banca Popolare d’Etruria, a retiree who had lost more than 100,000 euros worth of bonds committed suicide. There have been many such events that do not always make […]

As many expected the BOJ kept rates unchanged as they continue to encourage a move away from bonds and into equities. Still the policy approach continues as slow but steady. This caused the JPY to trade above the 111 level even as the BOJ talks of 2% inflation (currently 0.5%). Hang Seng and Shanghai saw […]

China’s Industrial Data release marginally above expectation but Investments let them down and tended to quell afternoon anticipation and we closed only small positive. It may also have been the weakness of other core markets that also had an impact as both Hang Seng and ASX closed over 1.2% down the pair. It was energy yet […]

The European Central Bank (ECB) left its stimulus programs and record low interest rates unchanged. Pundits were seeing some cyclical signs of what they hoped was a spreading recovery in the 19 countries that use the euro currency rather than just a bounce in anticipation of tourist season. The ECB dropped any wording that it could […]

Zeno (474-491AD) Zeno (c. 425 – 491) became an Eastern Roman emperor from 474 to 475AD, and his second reign was from 476 to 491AD. His reign was eventful and important. When Rome fell in the West, Odoacer (433-493AD), who had deposed the last Western Emperor, Romulus Augustus (475-476AD), sent the imperial regalia to Constantinople. […]

The tragic incident in London over the weekend certainly unnerved market with all core markets trading heavy throughout the day. The Nikkei closed only marginally lower (-0.03%) given the JPY traded in one of its narrowest days in a long time – tensions are building for the end of the week. Other core did not […]