U.S. retail sales for February are to be reported on Friday the 12th. The big snow strorms in the northeastern United States are the big factor as many communities were completely shut down for as much as two weeks.
Most economists are not worried about the report as it’s most likely factored into the markets already. When a slow February hits, a good March usually follows. The dollar was lower vs. the euro, but higher against other currencies.
The dollar remained steady today. The dollar was the safe haven after some tough economic news hit the streets. A lack of buying interest for other currencies helped the dollar to stay steady against the euro and sterling.
The Commerce Department’s home sales report had unexpectedly reported new home sales falling 11.2% in January. Germany’s economic recovery came to a halt. Ben Bernanke told lawmakers that flat oil prices will keep inflation in check. He went on to say that an increase in goods and services in the private sector only can aid further sustained growth in the U.S. economy.
The dollar is looking better technically against the euro.
Crude oil prices went up for two weeks in a row as the April contract hit just over $80 for the week. A strong Euro against the Dollar helped as a boost in manufacturing aided the rally. The U.S. Department of Energy reported figures that added to oil and gasoline inventories, but refineries reported running just shy of 80% capacity. This lent support to the bullish underlying tone and helped the market go up.
Consumer optimism is improving according to the oil traders and they brought that into play. Expect a pullback before prices continue higher. The key is $76.70 as a price below could spark a sell-off as the bears would pay attention again.
There are three areas of analysis that business intelligence need to be focused on.
Business intelligence is moving forward with more on-the-fly decision making tools. The determination of risk exposures in open trades will give operations a boost. This also enables the better allocation of operational revenues.
First customized real-time data must be available so reaction to changing market dynamics is fast. If financing organizations is at the apex of the strategy, hedging risk is a must. This means the ability to capture data is vital to success.
Advanced Trading magazine featured an article in their January/February 2010 issue which made me take notice. They asked several traders their predictions for 2010.
Here are some highlights:
Kevin Chapman of Nicholas-Applegate Capital Management said evaluations are coming and this will result in consolidation of technology. Simpler is better.
Ray Fernandez from Olympian Capital Management said he ses more globalization. Watch for more multicurrency systems for firms to watch their foreign exchange exposures.
Erik Karpman of Trading Strategy Group says technological improvements will result in more custom global algorithms.Modification of algorithms with global access, on the fly.
These potential developments, if realized, will have a major impact on the markets and trading. Positives are foreseen in the future. Perspectives like these will hopefully keep you even with the rest of the field.
Better Tag Cloud