Eurozone

Amid the great abundance of negative news coming from the Eurozone, it now appears that some hope can be seen; that the recession could be lighter than expected. The PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) in UK rose during December. The figure moved from 47.7 in November to 49.6, against forecasts that...

On Thursday, the EUR/USD traded sharply lower, at one point dropping below the $1.28 mark—a level that had not been seen since September of 2010. This move comes after a better than expected jobs figure might have strengthened the dollar, while negative events in Europe may have weakened the euro...

Now that 2012 has turned around, investors are trying to figure out where the European economy is going. One of the fundamental factors that drive the economy is consumer behavior. Understanding spending habits and employment rates can be very helpful in understanding how the average consumer is...

On Wednesday, inflation in the eurozone was reported to have eased. The annual inflation rate in the 17-member currency block dropped from a rate of 3.0% in November down to 2.8% in December. Given the pullback in the rate of inflation, investors may come to anticipate that further easing on the...

The euro started the year with an aggressive move on Tuesday, rallying over 0.70% against the US dollar. Against the British pound, the euro gained just over 0.20%. European stocks also saw a strong session on Tuesday. The German DAX rallied about 1% at its highest point. Last week, data released...

The Eurozone turmoil has dramatically intensified the sovereign debt problem of the so-called “less virtuous” countries, made clear by the attack of the financial markets on the Italian and Spanish bonds. Financial speculation, the nature of the banking system and the policies of the ECB are the...

Currency traders in 2011 saw immense volatility in the markets, as global uncertainty and sustained central bank intervention lead to a number of shakeups. Although the future is uncertain, conditions appear to be setting up for another wild year in 2012. Here are three predictions on possible...

In 2011, currency traders saw tremendous volatility, as forex markets were rocked by major events that lead to significant shifts in big currency pairs. What pair will dominate the headlines in 2012? While any number of cataclysmic events could lead to a tremendous shakeup in the currency market,...

Everywhere you turn, there is Europe fear. The banks are in trouble, and are having difficulty meeting the new capital requirements. The Bloomberg Europe Banks and Financial Services Index is down 33.5% for the year. The sovereign debt crisis shows no signs of abating. The picture in Europe is...

  As we enter a New Year, it is a good idea to review our stock selections and risk exposures.  It is well known that legal insider trading by top level corporate executives in their own firms can help provide useful investment signals (Seyhun 2000, Investment Intelligence from Insider Trading...

Despite the European Central Bank's best efforts, equity markets rolled over in early trading on Wednesday, as stocks traded lower after experiencing a tremendous run on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded about 0.50% lower, while the NASDAQ's loss was almost triple that. A decline of...

On Monday, the President of the European Central Bank—Mario Draghi—addressed lawmakers in the Eurozone. Subscribers to Benzinga Pro were alerted to the contents of Draghi's speech in real-time. All in all, he brought little to the table, mostly reiterating previous sentiment and making cautious...

On Thursday, in a survey released by the Bank of Japan, confidence among Japanese manufacturers fell more than anticipated. Analysts had forecast a reading of negative 2, while the actual figure was negative 4. The reading may be seen as fairly significant, as Japan's economy remains dependent...

US equity markets traded lower on Monday morning, as the US dollar index rallied roughly 1%. Commodities across the board showed weakness—gold dropped below $1670. The US dollar index is a measure of the dollar against a basket of other currencies. Perhaps contributing the most to the index's gain...

British Prime Minister David Cameron has become the target of intense criticism over his veto of changes to the European Union treaty. Prime Minister Cameron said that he used his veto of the proposed EU changes at a meeting of European Union leaders on Friday in order to protect the interests of...