Offshore Capitalist

Category Archives: World Markets

A fund for trading world equity volatility

October 10, 2009 in Funds, Specialist by Roy

CAAM Funds Volatility World Equities USD
From the information sheet:
Over a minimum investment horizon of three years, CAAM Funds Volatility World Equities aims to achieve an annualised performance of 7% (before fees) within a framework of controlled risk.  To reach this objective, the management team sets up an exposure to volatility of the world equity markets: [...]

An ETF for tracking the VIX index

October 10, 2009 in ETFs, Specialist by Roy

iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (NYSE: VXX)
The S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures™ Index TR is designed to provide access to equity market volatility through CBOE Volatility Index® the “VIX Index” futures.
Specifically, the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures™ Index TR offers exposure to a daily rolling long position in the first and second month [...]

What is the VIX?

October 10, 2009 in Equity Markets by Roy

The VIX is the square root of the par variance swap rate for a 30 day term initiated today (!!).
The VIX is quoted in terms of percentage points and translates, roughly, to the expected movement in the S&P 500 index over the next 30-day period, on an annualized basis. For example, if the VIX is [...]

Gold Trackers In Europe

October 10, 2009 in ETFs, Gold by Roy

ETF, ETC, T-ETC, ETN Or Certificate?
Exchange-traded product names seem designed to confuse, particularly so when it comes to commodities.
The UCITS rules for collective investment schemes, which apply to European Union member states, require a minimum level of diversification. Therefore, within the EU, a legal entity tracking a single commodity cannot be set up as a [...]

HSBC chief warns of second downturn

October 5, 2009 in Economics, Equity Markets by Roy

The group chief executive of HSBC, Michael Geoghegan, has warned a second downturn could be on the horizon and has reacted by limiting the bank’s expansion.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Geoghegan – a career banker who has been with HSBC for more than three decades – said he believed the recovery was more [...]

Russia Chart – MICEX

October 4, 2009 in Charts, Russia by Roy

The MICEX Index.  NB – currency is RUB.
Click image to view full size or click below for source.
via MICEX / Indices & Market Data / Technical analysis.

Russia Chart (RTSI) – Marketwatch

October 4, 2009 in Charts, Russia by Roy

The ten-year chart of RTSI Index.
Click the image to see full size, or click below for source.
via RTSI Index Charts – Russia Index Charts.

Russian RTS Index shows the fastest growth in the world in 2009

October 4, 2009 in Charts, Russia by Roy

September 30th 2009. The RTS Index, the leading benchmark of the Russian stock market, has doubled in value since the beginning of the year, making it the best performing major world index for the 9 months of 2009, according to MarketWatch, part of The Wall Street Digital Network.
On Tuesday, September 29, 2009 the RTS Index [...]

Long Term Currency Charts

October 4, 2009 in Charts, Currencies by Roy

You can easily get long term charts of various currency exchange rates from Livecharts.
To go straight to the charts, click these:
GBPUSD (how many dollars in a pound)
EURUSD (how many dollars in a euro)
EURGBP (how many pounds in a euro)

Global Recovery Under Way but Likely to Be Slow, Says IMF

October 4, 2009 in Economics, Reports by Roy

* Global activity now on the rise again, expected to reach 3 percent next year
* Rebound driven mainly by China, India
* Restoring financial sector health, continued macro policy support remain priorities
(Click image to see full size)
After a deep recession, global economic growth has turned positive, driven by wide-ranging, coordinated public intervention that has supported [...]

The Price Of Gold

October 4, 2009 in Charts, Gold by Roy

Gold Futures Contracts
Like all physical commodities, the ‘price’ of gold must take into account the when and where delivery is required.  The price of a contract to deliver 1000 ounces of gold tomorrow will be different to the price to deliver it in a month, or two months.
For example COMEX (part of the CME Group [...]

Excerpts from a speech by World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick

September 28, 2009 in Economics by Roy

WASHINGTON, September 27. 2009 — The following are excerpts from a speech prepared for delivery on Monday by World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. Entitled “After the Crisis?”, the speech will be delivered at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, D.C., in the lead-up [...]

Sell bonds to hold cash and equities, urges Barclays star

September 27, 2009 in Bonds by Roy

Tim Bond, the Barclays Capital fund manager and head of asset allocation, is warning investors that the market risk is on the upside.
Bond, who in the past two years made the right call on the credit crunch and the equity rally which begun in March, said that even his own overtly bullish expectations are being [...]

Brazil Chart – Yahoo! Finance

September 27, 2009 in Charts by Roy

Current 5-year chart for Brazil IBOVESPA – (Sao Paolo) – with 100-day and 200-day moving averages.
Click image to view full size.

China Chart – Yahoo! Finance

September 27, 2009 in Charts, China by Roy

Update on chart for SSE Composite Index (Shanghai), with 100-day and 200-day moving averages.
Click image to view full size.

India Chart – Yahoo! Finance

September 27, 2009 in Charts, India by Roy

Chart update – 10 years BSE SENSEX – with 100-day and 200-day moving averages.
Click image to view full-size.

Walking on egg shells: “Nervous Nelly” investors panicked on the way down last year, and now they are fearful on the way up

September 25, 2009 in Equity Markets by Roy

An article from Morningstar discussing the emotional worries of investors who perhaps lost on the way down but then were too nervous to benefit from the rally over the last six months.
“Nervous Nelly” investors panicked on the way down last year, and now they are fearful and skeptical about the sustainability of the fierce [...]

Best performing sector this year may not be what you think…

September 24, 2009 in Sectors by Roy

As of 23-Sep-09, the top performing sector (as defined by the IMA Investment Management Association) year-to-date was… UK Smaller Companies.

Switzerland replaces United States at top of competitiveness rankings

September 24, 2009 in Economics, Sector & Specialist Reports by Roy

Dalian, People’s Republic of China, 8 September 2009 – Switzerland tops the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010, released today by the World Economic Forum ahead of its Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2009 in Dalian. The United States falls one place to second position, with weakening in its financial markets and [...]

Global Information Technology Report 2009

September 24, 2009 in Economics, Sector & Specialist Reports by Roy

From the World Economic Forum – Published 26 March 2009.  The Report stresses the importance of ICT as a catalyst for growth in the current global turmoil.  Denmark and Sweden once again lead the rankings for the eighth consecutive year by the World Economic Forum.
The United States follows suit, up one position from last year, [...]

First State Greater China Growth gets ‘Elite’ qualitative rating from Morningstar

September 22, 2009 in China, Funds by Roy

First State Greater China Growth sets the standard for others to follow, according to Morningstar.
There are multiple reasons why we hold this fund in such
high regard, not least its investment team. Lead manager
Martin Lau has a wealth of experience, and has managed
the Irish-domiciled version of the fund since 2002 and this
UK-domiciled offering since its late [...]

Stiglitz Says Bank Problems Bigger Than Pre-Lehman

September 22, 2009 in Economics by Roy

Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize- winning economist, said the U.S. has failed to fix the underlying problems of its banking system after the credit crunch and the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
“In the U.S. and many other countries, the too-big-to-fail banks have become even bigger,” Stiglitz said in an interview yesterday in Paris. “The [...]

Global ETF Assets Under Management Hit All Time

September 22, 2009 in ETFs by Roy

Latest Data From the ETF Research and Implementation Strategy Team at Barclays Global Investors Reveals Global ETF Assets Have Been Pushed to an All Time High of US$891 Bn at End August 2009, Driven by Emerging Market and Fixed Income ETFs
Global ETF assets have hit an all time high of US$891 Bn at the end [...]

Video: Why the oil price will rise

September 22, 2009 in Energy, Videos by Roy

Sunday Telegraph Economics columnist Liam Halligan tells Robert Miller that sustained demand from the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries will underpin the recent oil price hikes.

via Video: Why the oil price will rise – Telegraph.

Stock market rally driven by ’sentiment’, warns Alliance Trust’s Katherine Garrett-Cox

September 22, 2009 in World Markets by Roy

The recent stock market rally is driven only by “sentiment” according to Katherine Garrett-Cox, the chief executive of fund manager Alliance Trust, who has warned the UK economy remains uncertain.
Katherine Garrett-Cox, chief executive of Alliance Trust, said the recent stock market rally has been driven by sentiment
Ms Garrett-Cox, who took the helm at Alliance last [...]

Stock market ticker screens

Shares will rally further – the top managers say

September 22, 2009 in World Markets by Roy

Citywire’s Dylan Lobo has interviewed three of the top ‘absolute return’ fund managers to get their views on the UK stock market after recent rises. These fund managers are tasked with the job of making money for investors in all market conditions.
The UK’s leading absolute return fund managers are banking on the UK stock market [...]

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