by Aaron Fennell Last year was a profitable one for many investors in commodities. Now traders want to know where to find decent trades in 2011–and where to watch for pitfalls. This article considers some themes that will likely impact the markets in 2011, focusing on the Canadian dollar, the euro currency, gold, and the [...]
by Aaron Fennell Ongoing trouble in the Eurozone has created ripples throughout global markets this year. One of the appealing things about trading futures is that there are a variety of global instruments that allow you to take position based on your opinion of these events in one or more countries nearly 24 hours a [...]
by Aaron Fennell At times there may be special circumstances or unusual market conditions that require a specific exchange protocol. As a trader, it’s important to be familiar with these special rules. Rulebooks for the exchanges are available on their respective Web sites where you can get more detail, but we’ll cover some key rules [...]
by Aaron Fennell In a challenging global environment, Canada is uniquely positioned in many ways. An abundance of natural resources and healthy financial system have given Canada the reputation of a safe place to invest. Canada is economically healthy primarily because it is the second largest country in the world by geographic area, but has [...]
by Aaron Fennell Nearly every day, a variety of economic statistics are published. It can be overwhelming for traders. Which are important? Which are unimportant? Where do you find scheduled releases? And what are the expectations for the releases? There are many online sources for economic data, including Google, Yahoo Finance and Bloomberg. I like [...]
by Aaron Fennell You probably have heard the carry trade most often associated with the currency market. This strategy is not just for the big banks and institutional players. Futures contracts make it relatively simple for individual investors and traders to capitalize on the carry trade, and there are some interesting carry trade opportunities right [...]
by Aaron Fennell The first half of 2010 was quite volatile, but there are still many unanswered questions in regard to the global economic outlook that are likely to make the second half equally as volatile. Canada’s economy is growing, but the global economy is still not out of the woods yet. A double-dip recession [...]
by Aaron Fennell Investors tend to flock to U.S. Treasury bonds during times of economic crises, as they are considered the safest of investment vehicles. However, it’s not impossible for that trend to change. There are a variety of futures contracts based on popular foreign bonds you can trade in addition to U.S. Treasuries, and [...]
by Aaron Fennell If you trade stocks, you may have heard the financial media talk about something called the VIX, also commonly referred to as the “fear index.” VIX stands for Market Volatility Index, and it represents how investors perceive volatility in the marketplace. The VIX tends to peak during times the stock market is [...]
by Aaron Fennell This year’s hurricane season could prove to be an active one. There are some factors energy traders need to keep in mind regarding how the markets will react as any storms develop, and the differences in volatility between various products. Hurricanes often move through the Gulf of Mexico, which contains an extensive [...]
