Daily Market Reviews by UWCFX

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UWC is proud to provide daily market reviews by the well-known financial expert – Mr. Arne Treholt, a former Political Secretary to the Minister of Shipping and Foreign Trade, then Deputy Minister of Law of the Sea of the Norwegian Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also held the position of Counselor for Economic Development and Social Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was member of the Norwegian Mission to the United Nations, New York. At the moment Mr. Treholt is a Vice President and a Business Development Director of United World Capital.

 

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Video Market Reviews by UWCFX

VIDEO MARKET REVIEWS

20 November 2012: Daily Market Reviews from Mr. Arne Treholt (Vice-President of Business Development and Investments UWCFX.com)

[video=youtube;Ipm5j24qqT0][/video]

 

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20 NOVEMBER 2012: BUDGET TALK’S OPTIMISM SPURS WALL STREET RALLY

DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments

Stocks rallied for a second consecutive session on Monday after budget talks created optimism that Democrats and Republicans would be able to tackle the fiscal crunch and avoid tipping over the “fiscal cliff”. The optimism spilled over to the Asian markets where the Nikkei share average in Tokyo extended its rise into a fifth day in morning trades. The gains were limited by profit taking and Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) awaited policy decision later in the session. It is expected that BOJ will keep policy unchanged. The Asian-Pacific index, MSCI, rose 0,6 percent.

The dollar was steady against a basket of currencies moving away from the two-month high reached on Friday. Precious metals jumped 3 percent on Monday on the dollar’s retreat. Gold reached 1735 and silver trade up close to a dollar on 33.20. USD/JPY is trading at 81.25. Oil prices have increased substantially on tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude reached its highest price level for weeks trading above USD 111 a barrel. NYMEX, New York crude, is sniffing on the 90 level.

Wall Street stocks climbed almost 2 percent extending a rally started on Friday. The rise reflected investors’ view that US lawmakers will be able to reach a compromise to avert USD 600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts due to start in January. This so called “fiscal cliff” threatens to send the US back into recession.

Prospects that Greece will get a lifeline to stay solvent also helped boost markets. The international rating agency, Moody’s, downgraded France’s government bond rating to A1 and kept a negative outlook on the country’s uncertain fiscal outlook and deteriorating economic prospects. The downgrade put the Euro under pressure. Euro/USD fell from a two week high on 1.2810 on Monday to 1.2777 in early Asian trade. It has regained and trades at present on 1.2796.

The Euro zone finance ministers are expected to give a tentative go-ahead for the disbursement of 44 billion euro in emergency loans to Greece later today. Differences between the finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on how to tackle the Greek crisis, however, remain, and a positive decision shall in no sway be taken for granted.

Copyright: United World Capital

 

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21 NOVEMBER 2012: EURO FALLS ON INCONCLUSIVE GREEK TALKS

DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments

The Euro/USD is falling 50 points to 1.2757 after Euro finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) failed to reach agreement on a Greek bail-out package. While the EU seems to have been willing to extend with two years the deadline for carrying through austerity measures, IMF was sticking to 2020. Without a consensus emergency aid cannot be disbursed to Greece.

The inconclusive talks helped destroy the positive investor’s sentiment which has been built up over the last days. The Head of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke also talked US stock markets down when he yesterday stated that the Federal Reserve could do nothing to soften the “fiscal cliff”. Dow Jones fell within minutes more than 100 points upon Bernanke’s statement. He added, however, that 2013 might be a bright year for markets if Congress is able to find a compromise between budget cuts and tax hikes. Both Dow Jones and Nasdaq recovered and ended the session flat.

Hewlett Packard, one of the bedrock companies of Silicon Valley, and for decades seen as synonymous with technical excellence and innovation, stunned markets with an alleged massive accounting scandal at its British software unit, Autonomy. Serious accounting improprieties came to light after a whistle-blower come forward after the ouster of one of the companies top executives. HP shares plunged with 12 percent and reached a 10-year low. The market value of HP has fallen from $ 155 billion in 2000 to $ 20 billion after yesterday’s “massacre”.

Oil prices fell yesterday afternoon on strong rumors on a truce between Israel and Hamas on Gaza. Expectations for a ceasefire, rose, however, when US secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, arrived to Jerusalem last night to seek an end to one week of fighting. Brent crude trades at 110,03. Gold prices also fell yesterday trading at 1723 down from Tuesday’s peak on 1735. Asian stocks fell for the second day in row on the disappointing news of a failed emergency aid pay out to Greece. The Japanese Nikkei-index is up 0,44 % on a weaker Yen. USD/JPY trades at 81,905.

Copyright: United World Capital

 

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22 NOVEMBER 2012: GREEK EXPECTATIONS TAKES EURO HIGHER

DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments

German Chancellor Angela Merkel breathed new life into the Euro yesterday when she stated that a deal on the Greek emergency package was still within reach when Euro finance ministers meet on Monday. The Euro hit a 6-1/2 month high against the yen which continue to fall on expectations of more forceful monetary easing in Japan. Euro/USD is also stronger trading at 1.2844.

Investors initially dumped the Euro after Euro finance ministers and IMF, International Monetary Fund, failed to reach a compromise on release of emergency aid for Greece Tuesday night. Merkel’s comments turned the downward trend around. Euro last traded up 1 percent at 105,94 yen. The dollar has over the last seven trading sessions gained 3,9 percent against yen. USD/JPY stands at present at 82,38 giving Japanese exporters a welcomed boost. Yen is broadly falling against other currencies including the Australian dollar.

Analysts are expecting the yen to continue weakening into the Japanese elections in the middle of December. Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) firm intention for asset purchases and forceful monetary easing makes it likely that the yen shall remain vulnerable in the near term.

After relatively quiet equity sessions in Western Europe and the US Asian stocks rose Thursday morning after a survey showed that China’s manufacturing sector in November expanded for the first time in 13 months. Along with US factory data it raised optimism that the global growth slowdown is turning. MSCI broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan raised 0,8 percent to a one week high.

Market sentiments were also boosted by the truce between Hamas and Israel on Gaza. Brent crude trades above USD 110 a barrel. Precious metals and commodities show a firmer upward trend. Gold stands at 1730 and silver trades at 33,40.

Copyright: United World Capital

 

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28 NOVEMBER 2012: FOCUS SHIFT BACK TO “FISCAL CLIFF”

DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments

Budget talks and the “fiscal cliff” is back in focus after leaving the euro finance ministers agreement on Greek debt cuts on the agenda in the very start of the week. The euro’s short won gains against the USD were eaten up during yesterday. Euro/USD is trading at 1.2939 after falling fifty basis points in the afternoon of yesterday. The Japanese Yen strengthens versus dollar. After USD/JPY has traded in the interval between 82.15 to 82,65, yen is this morning below 82 at 81,95. Asian shares ended a seven-day winning streak this morning. The share index for Asia-Pacific stocks, MSCI, fell 0,5 % and commodities eased as lack of progress in talks on US budget threatened to threw the US economy back in recession.

President Barack Obama launched yesterday a public relations push for his bid to raise taxes on wealthy Americans. US lawmakers remained, however deadlocked over dramatic year-end tax increases and spending cuts known as the “fiscal cliff”. Obama met with small business leaders in the White House. They urged Obama to keep the tax cuts for the middle class to increase consumption and job creation. The US tycoon, Warren Buffet, simultaneously, called on the rich to pay more and proposed a minimum tax on 30 % on incomes between USD 1 and 10 million and 35 % on incomes above.

Senate majority leader Harry Reid expressed last night disappointment over modest progress in the budget negotiations. The remarks had US stocks to slide. Dow Jones lost 0,69 percent and Nasdaq 0,30. Statistics could on the other hand report on record high Thanksgiving sales and the highest US-consumer optimism in 5 years. The Shanghai composite Index slid 0,7 % and the Chinese stock markets to its lowest in nearly four years extending earlier losses and closing below 2000 points for the first time since January 2009. The weak Chinese stock market along with increasing doubts over US ability to resolve the fiscal crisis have over the last weeks strengthened demand for sovereign debt. Japanese government bond futures rise to a 9 and half year high.

Digesting the Greek debt deal comments on Twitter dismissed it as another exercise in kicking the can down the road. A degree of kicking is obvious. There is, however a critical element in the new deal which goes further than any step taken so far to get Greece back on its feet. There is an implicit understanding that Greece will undergo some form of official-sector debt restructuring with euro zone countries at some point in the future forgiving a portion of Greece’s debt. This sort of last-ditch measure is usually reserved for impoverished states in Africa and Latin America. German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble came close to acknowledging such an eventuality on a later press conference.

Oil prices are down a dollar since yesterday. Brent crude is trading at 110. Gold is also down from 1750 to 1741 breaking the good upward trend seen over the last days. Silver at USD 34 is also down.

Copyright: United World Capital

 

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29 NOVEMBER 2012: BIPARTISAN STATEMENTS TURN MARKETS AROUND

DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments

“The fiscal cliff” seems over the last couple of days to have taken over completely as the dominant theme in the market. Statements on Tuesday from the Democratic Senate leader, Henry Reid, expressing disappointing progress towards a budget compromise with the Republicans had the markets to tumble. Yesterday it was the other way around. When president Obama expressed hope for a deficit deal by Christmas markets made a sharp U-turn. Dow Jones and Nasdaq which had started in red territory, ended 0,83 and 0,81 percent up with Hewlett Packard, Chevron, American Express and Pfizer showing the way as cracks seemed to surface in the Republican front against any tax rises. Stocks rallied when House Speaker and leading Republican, Joe Boehner, stated that a compromise was possible to avoid the “fiscal cliff”.

Whether these remarks reflect the reality of the negotiations is another story. The “fiscal cliff” of budget cuts and tax hikes dominate the discussion and influence a world market driven by psychology. Optimistic statements are immediately given a positive spin regardless of realities. The markets are going to live with these sentiments in the coming weeks and we are most probably going to see volatility and big day-to-day changes in stocks as well as commodities and currencies. Yesterday gold was hardest hit and fell 40 dollar an ounce during the session. It has recovered and trades at present at 1722. Also oil and silver took a hard punch to normalize around USD 110 a barrels for Brent crude and 33,70 for silver.

Euro/USD fell 70 points during one session and saw a low on 1.2875 before climbing back to 1.2955 and the same level as last Friday when the common currency was strengthened by the prospects of a debt deal on Greece in Brussels. By finalizing the deal Monday night the Euro reached 1.3010 to plunge back to yesterday’s low levels. The comments from US policy makers rekindled hopes of avoiding a crash landing on the US budget; and strengthened the Euro.

USD/JPY has also demonstrated great volatility during the last week. It is now trading at 82,14 bouncing back from a week high on 81,68 against the dollar on Wednesday. The dollar has corrected after reaching a 7 ½ month high of 82,84 last week. The yen has been under pressure over the last couple of weeks on speculations about aggressive monetary easing in Japan after the elections in mid-December. It is expected that USD/JPY is going to continue to trade in a range between 81 and 83 till we have seen the outcome of the elections.

Asian shares touched their highest levels in more than three weeks. The MSCI-index for Asia-Pacific jumped 1 percent after ending a seven-day winning streak on Wednesday. Also commodities are up on “optimism” for reaching a compromise on the US-budget. Nikkei in Japan and Australian shares were up as the Shanghai composite index as yesterday saw its lowest level since January 2009.

Copyright: United World Capital

 

[UWC Neeraj]

Video Market Reviews by UWCFX

VIDEO MARKET REVIEWS

27 November 2012: Daily Market Reviews from Mr. Arne Treholt (Vice-President of Business Development and Investments UWCFX.com)

[video=youtube;rGXVUltWPEQ][/video]

 

[UWC Neeraj]

30 NOVEMBER 2012: ASIAN STOCKS AND EURO TRADE STRONGER

DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments

Telecommunications and health stocks were the winners in New York last night as Dow Jones and Nasdaq rose marginally. The Dow Jones industrial average passed the 13 000 mark and seems to end the week in positive territory. Investors were buying on sporadic dips roiled by conflicting comments from Washington about negotiations on a budget compromise to avoid the “fiscal cliff”, fear for a combination of budget cuts and tax hikes. Wall Street reversed early gains and fell after the Speaker of the House, leading Republican John Boehner, dashed hopes that lawmakers were getting closer to a deal. It picked up at greater optimism for a compromise at the end of the session. The extreme volatility in the markets is probably continuing as long with the stalemate in Congress.

Stock markets in Europe ended in positive territory yesterday on initial compromise optimism from both President Obama and the House Speaker Wednesday night. The exchanges in Asia started the trading day on a positive note. Asian shares rose to a nine-month peak Friday morning. Japan’s industrial output rose unexpectedly 1,8 percent in October, up for the first time in four months. This along with a new announced stimulus package from the Japanese government helped Nikkei win 0,8%. Also the Shanghai and Taiwan bourses produced healthy gains. The mining giant Rio Tinto is up 3 percent upon presenting savings and restructuring measures worth USD 5 billion.

Japanese yen is losing on the stimulus plans after gaining against the dollar earlier in the week. USD/JPY is trading at 82,45 well inside the newly established 81 – 83 corridor. Euro/USD is again stronger at 1.2999 up 50 points from yesterday’s start. The euro reached 1.3015 on Thursday, the highest level seen since 31st October. The euro is helped by the bail-out package for Greece. It is expected that a skeptical German parliament will approve the support for Greece in a vote today. This will probably give the euro a new temporary boost.

The US government said yesterday that third-quarter gross domestic product expanded at a 2,7 percent annual rate, the fastest pace since late 2011. Export growth help offset weakest consumer spending and the first drop in business investment in more than a year. Brent crude is trading at USD 110, 49 a barrel marginally up from Thursday. US crude futures, NYMEX, is falling 0,4 percent. Increased tensions and escalating violence in Syria and Egypt are stoking permanent fear of oil supply disruptions. Gold has gained back 20 dollars from yesterday’s steep fall and trades at 1727. Silver is at USD 34,20 an ounce, the same level as seen at the peak earlier in the week.

Copyright: United World Capital

 

[UWC Neeraj]

VIDEO MARKET REVIEWS

30 November 2012: Daily Market Reviews from Mr. Arne Treholt (Vice-President of Business Development and Investments UWCFX.com)

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