Will the Alsi extend its gains in 2015?

JSE Main BoardSouth African analysts are quite bearish about the outlook for the JSE All Share Index (Alsi) in 2015, expecting it to end the year only about 2% higher than its 2014 close. The average prediction of South African respondents who participated in the the CFA Institute 2015 Global Market Sentiment Survey, was for the Alsi to end 2015 on 50 829 points. At the end of September last year, it was trading at 49 336 points

28 Jan

 

Emerging Markets, Currencies Look Ripe to Short Sell: Bloomberg Poll

Emerging market pollInvestor confidence in emerging markets is faltering as China posts the slowest economic expansion in 24 years, Russia remains embroiled in the Ukraine conflict and Brazil slips into stagflation. Add to this a stronger dollar and the prospect for higher interest rates in the U.S. — both of which drive up debt-servicing costs for developing nations — and many see an environment conducive to further losses

                                                                            22 Jan

If The Stock Market (US) Closes Higher This Year, It’ll Do Something It’s Never Done Before

chart of market“Since 1875, we have never seen the S&P rise for seven calendar years in a row, so an eighth year would seem highly unlikely,” wrote Kaloyan in a note to investors. “We assume that the S&P 500 will finish the year slightly down as the strengthening of the US dollar and the new tightening cycle offset the strong US GDP growth already priced-in at the start of the year.”

 

Sorry Sasol; OPEC playing the long game, wants oil price to drop even lower

Sasol logoOPEC won’t reverse course even if oil prices fall as low as $20 a barrel or non-OPEC countries offer to help with production cuts, Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi said in an interview with the Middle East Economic Survey on Dec. 21. The kingdom may even bolster output if non-OPEC nations do so, he said. The global oversupply is 2 million barrels a day, or 6.7 percent of OPEC output, Qatar estimates