Tag Archives: Apple

Just A Minute!

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary of what’s happening in the markets:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: USD PPI m/m @ 12.30 & USD Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment @ 13.55 GMT

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

Markets Await US PPI & Consumer Sentiment Reports

With U.S. PPI data due later today, the government will probably report that wholesale prices rose a mild 0.2% in February to match the increase in January. Wholesale prices reflect the costs that companies pay for raw or semi-finished products and services before they sell them to consumers. The government has revamped the produce price index to include the cost of services, government purchases, exports and construction. The old PPI only included wholesale goods and covered just a small portion of all goods and services produced in the United States. The first PPI compiled under the new formula showed basically no change in inflationary patterns in January. Wholesale prices have risen just 1.2% in the past 12 months.

Consumer sentiment forecasts reveal slight differences. According to a Thomson Reuters report, the consumer sentiment survey for March is forecast to fall slightly to 80.8 from 81.6 in February. Over the past year the survey has ranged from a high of 85.1 in July to a low of 73.2 in October. Another report predicts a rise of 0.4 points to 82.0, based on the fact that weekly consumer confidence indicators improved into March with the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index for the week ending March 2 showing its strongest level since the beginning of January. Higher gasoline prices may weigh on sentiment, but equity indices have moved higher since the end of February which likely boosted the consumer outlook at the beginning of the month.

USD PPI m/m @ 12.30 & USD Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment @ 13.55 GMT

Gold Hits Fresh Six-Month Highs On Ukraine/China Worries

Gold rose to fresh six-month highs on Friday heading for its biggest weekly gain in four weeks, supported by increasing tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine and worries over an economic slowdown in China. The metal has gained nearly 3 percent this week, marking its sixth straight weekly rise, as investors exited riskier assets such as equities. While money flowing into gold-backed exchange-traded funds has increased, reflecting confidence in the metal’s outlook, physical demand has slowed as higher prices put off buyers, making some cautious about how long the rally can last. Demand in China, the world’s biggest bullion consumer, has fallen with prices on the Shanghai Gold Exchange about $3 an ounce lower than London prices, compared with a premiums of over $20 earlier this year. Physical buying in other Asian regions has also slowed, with some selling to make a profit from rising prices. Gold is getting its biggest support from the crisis in Ukraine. Data on Thursday showed China’s economy slowed markedly in the first two months of the year, with growth in investment, retail sales and factory output all falling to multi-year lows.

Next From Apple: A Pedometer That Never Misses Steps?

With a constant stream of innovative tech releases, it’s always interesting to keep any eye on Apple stocks. So, what’s next on Apple’s agenda? According to reports, the next big release that Apple has up its sleeve is a smart pedometer. Documents released Thursday at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that the company is working on a device to more accurately measure a person’s movement, presumably for a health-monitoring wearable device. Apple is expected to take the iWatch mainstream and expects it to reach the public later in 2014. The patent covers a smart wrist-mounted pedometer that can automatically determine its location on a user’s body and compensate for missed steps using advanced processing algorithms. Analysts are looking for the tech giant whose stock is down slightly from the beginning of the year to introduce new product categories to excite buyers again. Keep an eye on those Apple stocks!

That sums up today’s highlights! Don’t forget to keep up with all the latest market developments via our social media channels! We hope you have a profitable day on the markets and a great weekend - we’re back on Monday!

Just A Minute!

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary of what’s happening in the markets:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: USD Retail Sales m/m @ 12.30 & USD Unemployment Claims @ 12.30 GMT

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

U.S. Retail Sales & Unemployment Data Releases

Economists expect to see an increase of 0.2 percent when February retail sales are reported today, better than January’s 0.4 percent decline. The retail “control” number is expected to be up 0.3 percent. This number relates to retail sales, minus autos, gasoline and building materials and could positively influence first quarter GDP. Besides retail sales, weekly jobless claims are expected today. The unemployment rate was at 6.7 percent last month. Traders will also be watching the testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, in particular, for remarks about the Fed’s current policy and the focus on financial stability since economic normality has not yet been restored. The hearing puts the focus on next week’s Fed meeting, the first to be presided over by Fed Chair Janet Yellen. How the Fed will back off from its unemployment target of 6.5 percent is of major interest to markets and is likely to be a topic next week. Fed officials have been backing away from their target of a 6.5 percent unemployment rate set as a level to begin considering a reversal of its low short-term rate policy, stressing that it is a target, not a trigger. The Fed has the chore of moving markets away from ‘quantitative easing’ to ‘qualitative easing.’ It’s widely expected to reduce its bond purchases, or quantitative easing program, by another $10 billion next week.

New Zealand Dollar Jumps Following Key Rate Hike

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand increased its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.75%, in line with expectations. The New Zealand dollar rose to an intraday high late Wednesday in New York following the decision, trading at 85.18 U.S. cents versus 84.52 U.S. cents a day earlier. The decision behind the rate hike was attributed to increasing inflationary pressures. According to the central bank, in the current environment it is important that inflation expectations remain contained and to achieve this, it is necessary to raise interest rates towards a level at which they are no longer adding to demand. The central bank said its key interest rate, the official cash rate, would need to rise by about 2 percentage points in the next two years for inflation to remain near its target of 2% in the medium term.

Apple & Twitter Amongst Leaders As Tech Stocks Rise

Gains across the board lifted the tech sector on Wednesday with advances from Apple Inc and Twitter Inc. Apple rose 52 cents to close at $536.61 while Twitter rose almost 1% to close at $54.50, showing no ill effects from what the company called a “service issue” that shut down the messaging and information site for most of an hour on Tuesday. Microsoft Corp. edged up by 25 cents a share to close at $38.27. Late Tuesday, the world’s largest software company said it appointed ValueAct Capital president Mason Morfit to the Microsoft board of directors. Microsoft also declared its annual quarterly dividend payment of 28 cents a share, payable on June 12. King Digital Entertainment Plc also garnered attention as the maker of the popular “Candy Crush Saga” mobile phone game set a range of $21 to $24 a share for its upcoming IPO , which is expected in late March. The Nasdaq Composite Index ended the day with a gain of 16 points to close at 4,323.

That sums up today’s highlights! We hope you have a profitable day on the markets.

Just A Minute!

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary of what’s happening in the markets:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: EUR German Ifo Business Climate @ 09.00 GMT

Earnings Reports: N/A

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

Gold Heads For 4^th Week OF Gains On Ukraine Default Fears

Gold ended Friday on a high note and is expected to post its fourth week of gains as concern of prolonged political unrest in Ukraine raises fears of a sovereign default, fuelling demand for safe-haven assets. With the growing international concern over the situation in Ukraine, some additional movement into gold in anticipation of continued flare-ups and unrest could be expected. Adding to gold’s appeal are fears that U.S. data releases this week may miss expectations as the recent extreme winter weather continues to stall economic activity. Further evidence of a deepening contraction in China’s economy, which dropped to a seven-month low last week, may also provide another boost. These factors have, according to analysts, helped put the luster back on gold’s safe-haven status for many investors. In a further bullish signal, hedge funds plowed into gold and crude oil as prices rallied last week. Friday data showed the bullish money wagered by commodity speculators was driven to the highest level since 2011. Nevertheless, market professionals holding bearish views maintain that gold’s safe-haven bid and renewed Asian physical buying will offer limited impetus to prices, and won’t be strong enough to offset investor outflows from gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Last Tuesday, gold hit $1,332.10, its highest since October, lifted by follow-up demand after gold posted a more than 4 percent gain last week.

Sugar Exports From Thailand Jump 22% on Demand Gain While Corn Extends Decline

Sugar shipments from Thailand will surge 22 percent to a record this year as output expands to an all-time high and Asian demand increases, according to the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board. Exports will climb to 9 million metric tons this crop year, beating the 8.5 million tons estimated in December and last year’s 7.4 million tons. Rising Thai supplies may help to curb global prices that rallied from a 43-month low in January as drought in Brazil and the smallest crop in four years in India, the two biggest producers, trim a global surplus. Raw sugar for May delivery rose 2.3 percent to close at 17.07 cents a pound on ICE Futures U.S. on Feb. 21. That day prices reached as much as 17.14 cents, the highest for a most-active contract since Dec. 2.

Meanwhile, Corn dropped for a second day after U.S. production in 2014 will be a record, expanding stockpiles before next year’s crop. The contract for May delivery fell as much as 0.5 percent to $4.565 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade and was at $4.585 at 2:14 p.m. in Singapore. Prices climbed a fifth week in the period ended Feb. 21, the longest rally since July 2012. Corn tumbled 40 percent last year as farmers in the U.S. harvested the biggest crop ever, pushing global output to an all-time high, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The world’s largest exporter will produce a record 13.985 billion bushels as yields jump 4.1 percent. Domestic stockpiles on Aug. 31, 2015, will reach 2.111 billion bushels, 43 percent more than a year earlier.

Microsoft To Cut Windows Price 70%

Microsoft Corp is reported to be cutting the price of Windows 8.1 by 70 percent for makers of low-cost computers and tablets as they try to fend off cheaper rivals like the Google Chromebook. Manufacturers will be charged $15 instead of the usual $50 to licence Windows 8.1 and preinstall it on devices that retail for less than $250. Stronger competition from Apple and Google cut revenue last quarter at Microsoft’s devices and consumer licensing division, which includes Windows software, as the computer industry posted its biggest annual decline on record. By offering incentives for PC makers to sell cheaper models, Microsoft may be able to increase its share of the growing $80 billion tablet market and fend off Google’s Chromebook. Microsoft has sold more than 200 million licences of Windows 8 since the program went on sale in October 2012, a slower rate of adoption than the previous Windows 7. Global computer shipments fell a record 10 percent last year and are forecast to continue to decline this year as tablets and smartphones lure consumers away from traditional desktop and notebook designs.

That sums up today’s highlights! We hope you have a profitable day on the markets.

Can Japanese Electronic Giants Adapt To The Software Era?

Remember the days when the Japanese electronic giants were huge household names? Just 10 years ago, Sony, Panasonic and Sharp built their global empires on making appliances such as televisions, radios, refrigerators and washing machines. But has it become a case of “Where are they now?” as they have been overtaken by the digital revolution and are now struggling to profit? These days, commuters are more likely to spend their journeys on an Apple or Samsung device rather than a Sony Walkman but they could still be in a position to survive and compete in the market. Not every firm needs to be Apple to generate revenue so investors should not write these firms off. Oren Laurent’s latest article examines the current situation and possible investment opportunities. Read more…

Just A Minute!

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary what’s happening in the markets today:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: Several today including USD FOMC Meeting Minutes @ 19.00; USD Building Permits & PPI m/m @ 13.30; GBP Unemployment Rate @ 09.30 GMT

Earnings Reports: N/A

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

Dollar Drops To 7-Week Low Per Euro In Advance Of FOMC Meeting

Later today, Wall Street will focus on the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last big meeting in January where the central bank voted to withdraw more stimulus from the economy. The minutes give investors a better sense of what Fed officials are thinking, though no big surprises are expected. The dollar has fallen to a seven-week low versus the euro in advance of the meeting as investors look for the stance of policy makers on recent economic data. The dollar is being sold especially against the euro according to analysts who remain wary of the downside risks to U.S. data. Investors will be looking for Fed’s view on the economy. The dollar was little changed at $1.3766 per euro at 2:34 p.m. in Tokyo from yesterday, after earlier touching $1.3773, weakest since Jan. 2. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, which tracks the greenback against 10 major peers, was at 1,016.71 from 1,017.34 yesterday, set for the lowest close since Dec 17.

Home Construction Figure Likely To Be Down While PPI Gets A Re-Vamp

The housing market is regarded as one of the pegs supporting stronger U.S. growth in 2014. Figures released later are likely to show that new construction got off to a slow start in January. Economists predict construction on new homes dropped last month to an annual rate of 945,000, seasonally adjusted, from a preliminary 999,000 in December. The harsh weather conditions continue to gets lots of blame, but higher mortgage rates and home prices have also dampened demand. Some analysts also blame high student debt for holding back first-time home buyers. As recently as November, builders had broken ground on new homes at the fastest pace in six years. The rate of construction could pick back up again, however, as the weather warms and if the economy continues to improve.

Also today, the U.S. Labor Department will unveil a producer price index that has undergone its first dramatic makeover since 1978. The new PPI will include the wholesale cost of goods, as usual, and add services, construction, government and exports for the very first time. Services such as retail, finance, education and health care now represent a much bigger slice of the economy than goods-producing industries. As a result, the new formula will capture prices changes of three-fourths of all U.S. goods and services produced. The changeover is meant to make the PPI more relevant and act as an early warning signal for when the pace of consumer inflation is about to shift. However, the wholesale price report for January is unlikely to show much difference. The old PPI index found that wholesale inflation rose 1.2% in the one-year period from December 2012 to December 2013. The new PPI shows a 1.1% increase.

Is An iCar On Its Way?

Reports of a meeting between heads at Apple and electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors are sparking excitement in the tech industry and fuelling rumours that a potential ‘iCar’ is on its way. Although Apple is unlikely to be buying Tesla, a collaboration may well be in the pipeline with suggestions being made regarding the inclusion of an entertainment system in the car. A potential collaboration between the two firms could inject a much-needed burst of innovative spark back into the tech giant, which many complain has been lacking in recent times. Talk of Apple entering the auto market is not new. Last month Apple’s ‘iOS in the Car’ software was leaked, unveiling software specifically designed to link the iPhone to a car dashboard, according to media reports. The software would provide hands-free access to navigation, phone functions, messages and music through touch and voice control. The manufacturer’s Model S vehicle already features a large, tablet-like display, which is used to browse the web, and to navigate entertainment and sat-nav facilities, suggesting the potential some form of collaboration. According to reports, one of Apple’s key competitors Google has also been using its Android operating system to develop partnerships with Honda, Hyundai and Vauxhall. Shares in Tesla Motors, surged 3 percent on Tuesday following rumours of the acquisition and ahead of fourth-quarter and 2013 results to be released Wednesday. Meanwhile, Apple stock climbed 1.3 percent to a high of $551 before falling back to $545.99 by the end of the trading day.

That sums up today’s highlights! We hope you have a profitable day on the markets.

Just A Minute!

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary what’s happening in the markets today:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: N/A. U.S. markets closed today due to holiday.

Earnings Reports: Coca Cola Co. coming up tomorrow.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

Dollar Falls; U.K. Pound Climbs amid Increasing House Prices

The dollar lost ground against most major rivals on Friday amid mixed U.S. data on industrial production and consumer sentiment. Investors began the year expecting the economy to accelerate, but data has disappointed to the downside, with weather being a key factor. Now investors are pondering over whether to downgrade their expectations or muddle through what could just be a soft patch that eases off in the spring. The currency market’s reaction to data has been muted, given expectations that the indicators won’t impact the Federal Reserve’s decision to wind down its bond-buying stimulus program. Strengthening currencies elsewhere in the world also pushed the dollar weaker whilst other market participants suggested that it was the weak data which had taken on an increased significance in the market, stressing that it’s impossible to ignore the coincidence of U.S. dollar weakness with the sudden slump in top of the line U.S. economic data.

The British pound, meanwhile, reached the highest since November 2009 after a report revealed that U.K. house prices rose the most since October 2012. The report showed that asking prices for U.K homes rose 3.3 percent this month from January, when they gained 1 percent, adding overall to the stronger U.K. story. Analysts say that there is no obvious reason to sell the pound, apart from the fact that it’s probably getting a little stretched on the charts. The pound has surged 1.6 percent in the past week, the most among 10 developed-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg Correlation-Weighted Indexes. The dollar has fallen 1 percent, the biggest decliner.

Asian Shares Rise But Japan Stocks Affected By Disappointing Growth

Asian shares rose on Monday as worries about emerging markets continued to ebb, sucking the safe-haven support out of the U.S. dollar while giving commodities a lift. Several Asian currencies all gained ground as sentiment improved and dealers reported an influx of funds to many emerging markets. The Indonesian rupiah did especially well with the dollar down 4 percent in as many days. The lower dollar in turn tends to be positive for commodities priced in that currency, helping spur gold to a fresh three-month peak at $1,329.55. Japanese stocks, meanwhile, were weighed by the release of disappointing growth numbers. Data showing Japan’s economy grew just 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, compared with the previous quarter, confounding forecasts of a 0.7 percent gain. The disappointing result will keep pressure on the Bank of Japan to support the economy once an increase in the sales tax goes through in April. The central bank’s latest policy meeting ends on Tuesday and the markets will be keen to see what it makes of the growth figures.

Who’s Winning The Smartphone Wars?

Many believe this is now a two-horse race, but which is the stronger platform? Both have a high degree of momentum but since Android has more manufacturers it has recently become more widely acknowledged for its growth. Apple’s strength is the relationship with developers as well as the piece of hardware that they have put out which is a compelling device that a lot of people want to use. Almost a billion smartphones shipped globally last year, and Google’s Android OS was the big winner except in the U.S., where its share fell by about 2 percentage points and Apple’s iOS gained 6 points. It will be interesting for traders to see how this plays out.

Source: Bloomberg

That sums up today’s highlights! We hope you have a profitable day on the markets.

Just A Minute!

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary what’s happening in the markets today:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: Canadian Manufacturing Sales m/m @ 13.30 & U.S. Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment @ 14.55 GMT

Earnings Reports: N/A

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

China Stocks Head for Biggest Weekly Gain Since September; AIG Shares Rise

China’s stocks rose, with the benchmark stock gauge heading for its biggest weekly advance in five months. Consumer companies led gains, while financial shares retreated. Analysts say there’s optimism in the market after last week’s holidays and liquidity is sufficient. The consumer price index rose 2.5 percent from a year earlier. The producer-price index fell 1.6 percent. China’s economic data are distorted in January and February by the shifting timing of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, which began on Jan. 31 this year. China may also announce January money supply and new loans data today.

Meanwhile, following yesterday’s earnings report, shares of American International Group (AIG) rose after the insurer topped Wall Street estimates for the quarter and announced a dividend hike and additional share buyback. Shares of AIG rose 0.3% to $49.72 on heavy volume after the firm reported a fourth-quarter profit of $1.34 a share, or after-tax operating income of $1.15 a share, on net premiums revenue of $8.03 billion. Analysts estimated earnings of 96 cents a share on revenue of $7.96 billion.

Gold Rises Boosted By Weak US Data But What Lies Ahead?

Gold seems to have been regaining favour with investors, rallying 5 percent over the past two weeks, and gains look set to continue in the near term driven by a strong technical picture, according to analysts. Gold has managed to break through and hold above some key resistance levels over the past few weeks. Gold held above $1,300 this week and looks set to post its biggest weekly gain since October as disappointing U.S. data raised concerns about the outlook for economic growth. In addition to technical factors, sentiment among long and short-term investors appears to be turning more positive. China is expected to remain the driving force behind global physical gold demand, maintaining its position as the world’s top consumer for the second year in a row. Indian demand could also surprise on the upside as it relaxes its import restrictions. However, market watchers remain divided over the prospects for the precious metal with some analysts forecasting gold to fall to $1,050 over the next 12 months. Taking these factors into consideration, the short-term drivers seem supportive for gold and the technical picture is also looking more optimistic with people looking to buy on dips, but overall, there still remains some negativity in the medium term as the U.S. economy is expected to recover and the dollar to rally.

Apple To Revamp Set-Top Box; Smartphone Food Apps On The Way

Apple is talking to media companies and pay TV distributors about launching a revamped Apple-branded TV set-top box in coming months. Previously, the company had been trying to licence TV programming for its own Internet-based TV service. In the current discussions, which involve at least two big media companies, Apple envisages working with cable companies, rather than competing against them. For programming, it would rely on cable providers to acquire programming rights from media companies, rather than acquire them on its own and may consider seeking some rights directly in the future. Apple is reportedly aiming to release the new set-top box as early as June.

Meanwhile, Taco Bell will start taking orders via smartphone later this year which will pave the way for other food vendors to follow suit with other heavyweights like McDonalds also reported to be experimenting. Taco Bell’s app will use your GPS location to determine when employees should start heating up your food. To ensure that your meal is actually hot, that will only happen once you’re nearing the pickup restaurant. It’s a clever idea and in a world where convenience and customisation are key. If you can get 10 million people to download your app, you’re putting a portal to Taco Bell in 10 million pockets. It’s a huge opportunity, hence we expect other food vendors to jump on the bandwagon.

That sums up today’s highlights! Keep in touch with all Friday’s events via Facebook, Twitter and Google+. We hope you have a profitable day on the markets. Have a great weekend - we’re back on Monday!

Just A Minute!

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary what’s happening in the markets today:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: ECB President Draghi Speaks @ 15.30; BOE Gov Carney Speaks & Inflation Report @10.30 GMT

Earnings Reports: N/A

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

Stocks Rise Along With Gold On Yellen’s Comments

U.S. stocks surged with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising triple digits and the Nasdaq Composite turning positive for the year, as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen reassured Wall Street that the Fed would continue the central bank’s policy of providing monetary stimulus to bolster the economy and expected “a great deal of continuity” with the monetary policies of her predecessor, Ben Bernanke. The House voted to suspend the nation’s borrowing limit until March 2015, without any policy conditions. This was a positive move for the markets because previous debates on U.S. government spending have weighed on global markets in the past, in particular, the budget impasse late last year that resulted in a government shutdown. Asian markets also moved higher after Yellen suggested that there would be no major change in the central bank’s policy, while stronger-than-expected trade data pushed Hong Kong higher. Gold bullion also gained again in trading today following Yellen’s testimony. The Fed is now buying $65 billion in bonds each month to stimulate the economy, down $20 billion from its 2013 pace. Many gold bugs predict inflation will follow the central bank’s accumulation of a $4.1 trillion balance sheet.

ECB’s Draghi Speaks; Will Deflation Be On The Agenda?

ECB President Draghi will deliver the keynote address at a conference in Brussels today. Euro-zone industrial output fell a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in December compared with a gain of 1.8 percent in the previous month. All eyes will be on Mario Draghi and any indications about economic measures that the ECB is likely to impose in order to beat deflation. The ECB may soon have to roll out the heavy artillery, in the form of an asset purchase program similar to those in the U.S., U.K. and Japan to fight the specter of deflation. Despite substantial progress over the past year, the euro-area economy remains vulnerable. Spare capacity and weak growth, along with relative price cuts by countries trying to restore competitiveness, is putting severe downward pressure on inflation. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney also releases an inflation report today where he will seek to cement investor expectations that the next increase in interest rates is some time away when he presents an updated version of his forward-guidance policy. Yields suggest Carney has convinced traders that there is enough slack in the economy to maintain the benchmark rate at a record 0.5 percent this year.

Will Apple’s Sapphire-Screen iPhone Be Here Soon?

The latest rumours surfacing about Apple’s plans to manufacture sapphire are the most credible foundation yet for speculation that the iPhone will one day soon boast the most scratch-resistant screen on the planet. It’s not yet clear if the next-generation iPhone would get such a sapphire screen, or if the world will have to wait until 2015, presumably for an “iPhone 6s” model. Some are even claiming that it will be the iWatch that will be the first Apple device to be equipped with the scratch-resistant material. If the latest sapphire tech rumour is true, Apple’s exclusive manufacturing partner, GT Advanced Technologies, is gearing up its Arizona manufacturing facility with enough furnaces to forge as many as 200 million iPhone displays. The price of sapphire will inevitably result in driving up the retail price tag of the iPhone. A price increase could be detrimental to Apple as the iPhone already has a premium price tag. One to watch!

That sums up today’s highlights! Keep checking in for all the latest trading news via Facebook, Twitter & Google+. We hope you have a profitable day on the markets!

Just A Minute!

Welcome to Friday’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary what’s happening in the markets today:

Main Trading Events Of The Day: Several today including U.S. Non-Farm Employment Change, U.S. Unemployment Rate, CAD Employment Change & Unemployment Rate – all @ 13.30 GMT

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

Will Bad Weather Dampen U.S. Jobs Report?

There is more uncertainty than usual surrounding January’s report, in some part due to the severe weather conditions recently which could depress figures but also due to the fact that the government will incorporate its annual benchmark revisions into the employment numbers for the past year. That could make some numbers look better and others worse than they’ve previously been reported. Expectations according to economists are that employers in the U.S. probably added more than twice as many workers in January as in the prior month and the unemployment rate held at a five-year low. Payrolls increased by 180,000 workers after a 74,000 gain in December that was the smallest since January 2011, according to the median forecast of 92 economists. The jobless rate held at 6.7 percent, the lowest since 2008, the survey also showed. In the meantime, gold has nudged higher with investors placing bullish bets ahead of the hotly anticipated jobs report.

Dollar Holds Gain Before U.S. Jobs Report As Euro Gains

The dollar held a gain versus the yen before today’s U.S. data which may show jobs growth increased in January from the slowest pace in almost three years thus fuelling speculation that the Federal Reserve will end asset purchases this year. The dollar traded at 102.07 yen as of 2:25 p.m. in Tokyo after rising 0.7 percent to 102.11 yesterday but has fallen against all but one of its 16 major peers this week. Meanwhile, Europe’s 18-nation currency was at $1.3589 after gaining 0.4 percent, the most since Jan. 23, to $1.3590. After concluding a policy meeting yesterday, ECB President Mario Draghi said that the euro zone is not plagued by deflation and that the central bank could take action to counter low inflation as soon as next month, when more data on the euro area’s economy will be available. The euro was steady against the U.S. dollar after rallying to a one-week high of $1.3619 on Thursday.

Apple Makes A $14 Billion Acquisition … Of Apple.

Over the past two weeks, Apple has purchased $14 billion, amounting to 3% of its own shares. The company was reportedly “surprised” by the drop in Apple’s stock after its earnings, viewing the buybacks as opportunistic. CEO Tim Cook said this buyback “means that we are really confident on what we are doing and what we plan to do.” Big share buybacks like this usually send a signal that a company believes it’s underpriced. The move has been described as the equivalent of Apple buying, “four Nests and a Motorola.” Whether this is a sign that Apple will shy away from making big acquisitions remains to be seen but according to Apple, it has no problem spending ten figures for the right company, for the right fit that’s in the best interest of Apple in the long-term. As of last quarter, Apple had $159 billion in cash.

That sums up today’s highlights. Remember to watch for those important earnings announcements later today. Keep in touch with us via Facebook, Google+ & Twitter for breaking news, educational information, trader tips and more. Trade only with Banc De Binary - the experts! We hope you have a profitable day on the markets.

Google Gets Smarter And So Should You

Welcome to your future home of app-controlled devices! Google’s recent purchase of Nest Labs brings the world of smart home devices one step closer to reality. Following the announcement of this acquisition, Google stock rose 0.53%. Google’s recent string of purchases contribute to its single vision of connecting previously unrelated items to control and monitor all aspects of everyday life. It is estimated that the global market for connected home products could be worth $40 bln in the next five to seven years and the potential for growth in this market is phenomenal. In his latest article, Oren Laurent gives an overview into how the industry as a whole offers several great investment opportunities. Read more…

You Might Also Like...

You Might Also Like...

You Might Also Like...

You Might Also Like...

You Might Also Like...

You Might Also Like...

You Might Also Like...

You Might Also Like...