Articles by Skilling Writers Team

Oil: what's the big picture?

The biggest story in oil markets last week was the announcement of the huge US oil release. The move is designed to bring prices down in the short term and “to serve as a bridge until the end of the year when domestic production ramps up” per the White House.

Dollar to dominate while fed remain hawkish

As long as the Fed keeps up the hawkish rhetoric, the dollar will continue to dominate. That’s the view of 53 currency strategists polled by Reuters, and the dollar HAS been tearing things up lately with the dollar index (DXY) knocking on the door of 100...

Apple - iPhone shortage for Christmas

China has long been a bedrock for Apple production. Reliable assembly lines, plentiful cheap labour, established supply chain networks. A producer's dream. Recent protests at Foxconn factories, Covid unrest, and geopolitical tensions put those assumptions to the test. Apple is our stock of the week.

Is the euro rally over?

The euro’s been letting off steam lately. A cool 800 pips off the lows and now testing the 200 day moving average. Is this just temporary relief or the start of a more meaningful move?

Dollar Weak - But Has it Peaked?

The dollar’s done for, inflation has peaked, and there’s still hope of a soft landing for the global economy. That narrative might not be true, but It’s certainly picked up some fans lately. So, has the dollar topped, or is this a false dawn before the storm hits?

Fed stays hawkish - Stock market selloff just getting started?

The Fed remained hawkish at the policy meeting on Wednesday, hiking by 0.5% to 4.5%. The story now seems to have flipped from inflation to growth concerns. Stocks are selling off and the market pricing of interest rates has diverged from the Fed forecasts.

GBP strengthens - UK economy grows

The UK had an interesting 2022. There was plenty of hyperbole about fiscal black holes, the Bank of England restarting QE (it didn’t) when pension funds were getting smashed, and Trussonomics wasn’t around long enough to figure out if it was actually a good plan at the wrong time. GBP fell off a cliff and then clawed a lot back.

Tesla - Desperate Price Cuts Or A Maturing Company?

Tesla’s journey to bonafide car company is featuring a swift revaluation, catching down to the old guard. Can Tesla’s share price rally again or does more realism await? The company’s been cutting prices lately and scheduled to report earnings after the close on Wednesday January 25th.

Meta Back In Favour & Fed's Almost Done

The year of efficiency. Those were Mark Zuckerberg’s words to describe the year ahead, at least from Meta’s perspective. If markets were still concerned about the company’s willingness to cut costs, the CEO certainly calmed some nerves. The share price rallied 20% after hours.

The ECB preview Feb 2023:
the end of the ECB hike cycle?

ECB set to hike 0.5%...Lagarde to signal March as the end of the ECB hike cycle?

The Skilling NFP preview - February 2023

US unemployment at risk of increasing by 0.1% during January 2023 - The US current unemployment rate is at 3.5% and by the end of this Friday that number could be 3.6%.

A step closer to ending the interest rate hiking cycle?

US interest rate decision day - a step closer to ending the interest rate hiking cycle?

The US FED preview November 2022

Upcoming Event: Wednesday November 2, 2022 18:00 GMT. US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Interest Rate Decision.

Investing in commodities - motives and benefits.

Investing in raw material commodities is a form of trading that involves speculation and investment on the commodity markets. Let's take a look at this article to understand more about investing in commodities...

Meta's Big Wednesday

A huge week of earnings awaits. We’ll be hearing from Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook/Meta among many others, plus important central bank meetings including the US Federal Reserve. Meta’s had by far the biggest fall from grace of the big tech companies. Is the recent rally justified?

Forex market hours and the best time to trade FX

One of the most interesting aspects of forex trading is that it can be carried out on a 24-hour basis, from Sunday through to Friday. These trading hours can be more easily understood by dividing the trading day into three main sessions.

Can Forex trading be profitable?
We answer your questions.

Are you wondering, “can Forex trading be profitable?” You can find all of the answers to your questions and gain valuable insights into the market in this article.

Musk Bullish On Tesla Sales Growth

Tesla’s earnings report was initially received with a shrug of the shoulders. Then Elon Musk took charge of the post earnings call and the market liked what it heard. Tesla’s trading roughly +7% in pre-market.

Microsoft flips negative after earnings, weighs on Nasdaq

Microsoft initially rallied after hours. Earnings numbers weren’t as bad as feared. The outlook isn’t as rosy though, and early strength gave way to weakness as guidance was issued. Microsoft’s underperformance is weighing on the Nasdaq 100.

Causes of inflation

Traders, in order to make informed decisions about their investments, should be aware not only of the various causes of inflation. Check out this article for more.

Netflix Adds Subscribers - Sees Growth Opportunity Ahead

Netflix earnings were well received by the market. The share price pushed higher to trade +5% in pre-market on Friday AM. The streaming service added 7.7 million subscribers in Q4, well above the projected 4.5 million. Can the positivity last?

How to invest in Amazon

The first question you might ask yourself is why you might want to invest in Amazon. It is one of the most successful and well-established companies in the world with a proven track record of growth and innovation.

What is EBITDA? Why is it so important when analysing stocks and shares?

Are you analysing shares and stocks? Then you need to understand what the term EBITDA means and why it’s so important. Read on to discover all you need to know.

Explanation of different types of candlestick patterns

If you want to try predicting the markets using a candlestick chart, here are some of the most popular and useful patterns to keep a lookout for.

Bank of Japan Holds, Yen Weakens

The most anticipated Bank of Japan meeting in years ended with policy unchanged. Those expecting the fireworks that the end of yield curve control would bring were sorely disappointed, and the recent yen strength was quickly unwound.

How to begin Forex trading

Are you wondering how to begin Forex trading? Read on to discover all the key things you need to know to navigate this exciting investment opportunity.

Netflix - Subscriber Growth or Stagnation?

Netflix has reinvented the wheel over the past year or two. From massive subscriber growth during the pandemic to ad-supported subscriptions as audience growth peaked, what’s next for the streaming giant? Netflix is our pick for stock of the week.

What are bull and bear markets?

If you want to start investing in the financial markets you need to understand the meaning of the words ‘Bull’ and ‘Bear’ markets. This is because they describe the major forces at work within the market which can directly affect your portfolio.

Elliot Waves: phases and rules

An Elliott Wave has two basic phases this may seem complicated at first, these types of phases are much easier to understand once visualised on a chart.

What is Ichimoku Cloud and how to read it?

The Ichimoku Cloud consists of five lines plotted on a candlestick chart. Being originally a Japanese indicator, many of the original terms have Japanese names, so let’s start with them...

What's the difference between Long and Short Positions?

With CFDs and FX trading you can take a view that a market will go up (buying) or go down (selling). When you buy, it is known as ‘going Long’. When you sell, it is called ‘going Short’, as in that you are short of shares.

Softer US Inflation - Selling The Fact

Markets were expecting US inflation to continue marching lower, and that’s exactly what happened. However, there was plenty of optimism already baked into the cake after some strong moves to start the year.

Ethereum 2.0 – what to know about this cryptocurrency?

Ethereum 2.0 – What do I need to know about this cryptocurrency? Find out more in this article about the various differences between Ethereum and Ethereum 2.0.

What is rollover and what does it mean in trading?

If the interest rate on the currency you bought is lower than the interest rate on the currency you sold, then you will pay Rollover according to the swap table.

Taiwan Semiconductor - Top Chipmaker Is Down 45%

The world’s leading chipmaker is scheduled to report earnings on Friday. The chip industry has been under pressure of late, with demand fears and growth slowdowns coming to the forefront of the market mind. Taiwan Semiconductor stock is down 45% from the highs and our pick for stock of the week.

Dollar Strong For Now - NFP Key Tomorrow

The dollar’s perked up early in 2023. EURUSD started the year with a 1.07 handle and now trades 150 pips lower. Tomorrow’s NFP report is likely to be a high impact data release alongside the ISM Services data.

Big Tech - The Turmoil Continues

We picked Amazon as one to watch for the year ahead, and they’ve started the year with more layoffs. Meanwhile, Apple is down to a $2 trillion market cap, losing a casual $1 trillion in valuation during 2022. UBS has downgraded their outlook for Microsoft.

Market Themes For 2023: Wages Matter

The only certainty is uncertainty. The perfect way to frame 2023. When the talking heads chatter confidently about the future, it’s easy to get sucked in. The year ahead is fraught with danger, especially for those confidently predicting the future.

Will Amazon Recover in 2023?

Some shocking Amazon stats to close out 2022. The share price practically halved during the calendar year. Amazon shed over $830 billion in market value. So, what will 2023 hold? Amazon is our pick for stock of the week.

The Skilling NFP Preview - January 2023

Why this report matters: includes surveys from around 144,000 businesses and government agencies, provides detailed information on the US employment situation as well as the number of hours employees worked during the previous month and the earnings of workers on nonfarm payrolls.

Stocks To Watch for 2023

The end of another year approaches. It’s certainly been one for the history books! What surprises does 2023 have in store for us? Have a read of our stocks to watch in the New Year…

Currencies to watch for 2023

Currency volatility returned with a vengeance in 2022. Will next year see more of the same? Wild price swings, trends and extensions? Or will we see a calmer year, and lower volatility return?

Oil - G7 Price cap vs China's lockdowns

Choppy price action for oil looks to be resolving into weakness, which is largely being attributed to China’s continuing battle with Covid and the resulting persistent lockdowns. Further downside ahead, or will OPEC+ step in?

Tesla's Stock Tumbles Into Oversold Territory

What a year it’s been for Tesla shareholders. Peak to trough, Tesla’s share price has fallen by over 60%. The recent furore surrounding Musk’s focus on Twitter has added fuel to the fire, pushing the stock into oversold territory. Time to buy or more pain to come?

Bank of Japan Widens Yield Band, Yen Soars

Anyone expecting a nice quiet run into Christmas had a nasty shock overnight. The Bank of Japan actually DID something! After years of ‘no change’ to policy, the central bank widened the yield curve control band and the yen strengthened in response.

How bad is Nike's inventory overload?

Nike is one of many companies suffering with an overload of inventory. Supply chains were very broken, making timing of wholesale purchases an impossible task. Then consumer spending began to slow… Now they’re holding the metaphorical bag into their earnings report on Tuesday. Nike is our pick for stock of the week.

The complete guide to scalping trading strategies | Skilling

In the world of stock and shares trading, scalping is a term that you will come across again and again. In day trading, scalping is a form of trading that requires the execution of many short, fast trades in order to capitalize on incremental price differences.

Can the best Forex trading book help you be more successful?

Are you ready to unlock your full trading potential? Then you need to find the best forex trading book. Uncover our top picks that will take you to the next level.

What's the lowdown with CPI?

Today, we have potentially the most important data point of the year: The US inflation release. OK, pretty much every data release concerning inflation, interest rates and unemployment have been the most important data point of the year over the past 12 months, but this one really could be!

MetaTrader alternatives: 3 options to consider

MT4 is not a forex broker, but a third-party trading platform that links to a broker. MT4 and MT5 are completely prohibited, across Android & Apple devices, it seems like the perfect time to look at MT4 substitutes.

Adobe's deep discount

As with so many tech stocks over the past year, Adobe’s share price has been in the firing line, falling 60% from the November 2021 peak. Even after a rally from the lows, Adobe shares are trading below the Pre-Covid highs and the company is set to report earnings on Thursday.

Growth, XLE and the yield curve!

Something really interesting has just happened in the market. The reaction since Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech last week and the way in which the market rallied on the back of it…

Skilling wins ‘Best Forex Trading Platform’

Skilling has been awarded Best Forex Trading Platform at this year’s Global Forex Awards 2022 - Retail for each of the following regions: Europe, LATAM, Global.

Santa rally cancelled?

Yesterday we asked if Fed Chair Powell’s speech had opened the door to a Santa Rally for the stock market. Today’s strong employment data looks to have slammed that door shut. Stocks sold off aggressively. Is it game over for the bulls?

Powell's speech opens door to Santa rally

The Fed Chair gave a hotly-anticipated speech at the Brookings Institute yesterday. Although there wasn’t much new in Powell’s musings, risk markets rallied regardless. Is Santa coming to town?

The Skilling NFP Preview - December 2022

Despite the fact that the US unemployment rate is only at 3.7% and remains near all-time lows, US nonfarm payrolls growth appears to be trending lower over the previous 9 months.

Tesla's Stock Falls - Twitter Jitters or Electric Vehicle Pessimism?

Tesla’s stock remains in a clear downtrend. Is this due to the macro environment or because Elon’s busy playing ‘Chief Twit’ rather than focusing on Team Tesla? Or is the EV outlook simply worsening? Tesla’s our pick for stock of the week.

RBNZ surprise hawkishness sends NZD higher

The New Zealand Dollar rallied again on Wednesday, breaking out of the recent consolidation. The move comes on the back of a 75bps rate hike from the New Zealand central bank and hawkish commentary. Has the kiwi got wings?

The Importance of the 200 Day Moving Average

"Did you know there’s a saying in technical analysis? It goes a little something like this: ‘nothing good ever occurs when the market is under the 200 Daily Moving Average.’"

How to spot a FTSE 100 riser

The FTSE 100 is one of the most widely followed stock indices in the world. If you're considering investing in the FTSE 100, here is what you need to know.

What are indices?

Discover the indices meaning as an index trader in this guide. What are indices in trading and how many different indices are there available to buy and sell?

Nvidia's stock rises ahead of earnings

Nvidia's had quite the rollercoaster year. Despite bouncing from the lows over the past month, the chipmaker's share price is down by over 44% so far in 2022. The company reports earnings this week. Can the figures further fuel the rally? Nvidia is Skilling’s stock of the week.

Soft inflation print leads to everything rally

US inflation came in soft. Markets soared on the news with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ both gaining over 5% on the day. The question on everyone’s lips…Is the rally sustainable? Is this the start of an inflation reversal? Or just some short term relief?

Thinking about using a CFD trading app? Here’s what you need to know

Using a CFD trading app has become a popular investment method. But why? What are the benefits and what is the best app for CFD trading? Read on to find out.

Disney Disappoints, Meta Cuts 11,000 Jobs

Good news is hard to come by right now. Disney reported earnings overnight, and missed the mark. Meta is cutting 13% of their workforce. Tough decisions are being made as the excesses of the pandemic and low rate era continue to be corrected.

The very hungry Caterpillar keeps growing

The revenge of the old economy was in full swing last week. Commodities, materials and industrial stocks have been outperforming of late. The latest rally was further spurred by rumours of China ending Covid Zero policy, and the aversion to tech stocks in a rising rate environment. Caterpillar is our pick for stock of the week.

China is the alternative

China is the alternative. That’s the line being spun on Wall Street this morning. If the rumours are to be believed China will continue the process of opening back up and learning to live with Covid. The rumours have sent China and Hong Kong stocks soaring overnight. The Hong Kong 50 is now up by over 11% from the lows...

More Dollar Strength Ahead?

Anyone hoping for a pivot was sorely disappointed after last night’s Fed (FOMC) meeting. Chair Powell once again reiterated the Federal Reserve‘s commitment to bringing inflation down. His comments sent stock markets down, bond yields higher, and strengthened the dollar.

The Skilling-TradingView connection is here!

We are proud to announce that we’ve partnered with TradingView. Skilling is the first Scandinavian-founded broker to have integrated with TradingView’s leading charting and trading platform.

The Skilling NFP Preview - November 2022

The US unemployment rate at 3.5% remains near all-time lows. Is higher unemployment the remedy for high inflation?

Shell - Another Windfall For Big Oil?

The energy sector has been the one bright spot this year. Shell and Exxon both reported bumper earnings last week. BP earnings are up next. Can they keep the big oil run going?

Amazon complete the big tech horror show

Amazon reported earnings after the close. Another horror show. The online giant can at least find some comfort in not being the *only* stock to fall by more than 20% this week after Meta’s descent into darkness. But is the pessimism overdone?

Google & Microsoft Disappoint, Meta Horrific

Earnings reports this week are showing chinks in the armour of the once invincible megacap big tech stocks. Google and Microsoft both disappointed somewhat. Meta was a completely different level of awful, sending the stock 20% lower in after hours trade…

What is Risk Management in Trading

Risk management in trading is a way of reducing the potential impact of certain risks but also accepting that you may not be able to eliminate them. There are rewards in trading. If an asset’s price moves in the direction you predicted, you could end up with profit. However, to unlock these potential rewards, you need to accept the risks.

The ECB preview Oct 2022 - is the ECB dreaming or...?

Do ECB know more than what markets are pricing in? What about employee compensation and the high inflation dilemma? The October ECB monetary policy meeting is a dice roll that may or may not trip up euro FX traders.

Amazon's Big Earnings Question

A strong end to the week for the US stock market. Earnings have generally held up pretty well against some pessimistic expectations. This week we hear from the online and tech giants including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google & Amazon.

Snapchat disaster

There wasn’t much to cheer about Snapchat’s earnings report after the close. The stock fell by 25% in after hours trade. A proper disaster.

Netflix Turn It Around

Guess who’s adding subscribers again... Netflix! The streaming service posted a much better earnings report than expected (feared?), adding another 2.41 million subscribers, far better than the 1 million additions the company had forecast.

Tesla deliveries and a Twitter cascade

The recent Tesla selloff has received remarkably little attention. Tesla stock is down by almost 35% from the 21st September high, yet coverage is scant, especially compared to the usual levels of histrionics and hyperbole that surround the automaker and illustrious founder Elon Musk. What’s going on?

Intel - the nightmare before Halloween

We’ve been talking chips quite a bit lately. Micron’s struggling with big inventories, Apple is cutting production forecasts, AMD guided Q3 revenues lower by $1 billion due to lower-than expected PC demand, and now it’s Intel’s turn to feel the pain…

How does the NFP affect Forex trading and other markets?

Do you want to find out what the NFP is and how to trade forex on it? Read all about the Nonfarm Payrolls report and how it is used in forex trading strategies.

What is an IPO and how does one work?

Click here to learn about Initial Public Offerings and how to buy shares in companies before they’re listed on the stock market with our guide to IPO listings.

PayPal - go woke, go broke

The challenges continue for PayPal as the firm tries to find its feet after a series of disappointments. The difficult macro environment, breakup from ebay and a raft of new competitors have combined forces and sent PayPal tumbling.

Skilling launches Nifty 50 index

Currently trending index Nifty 50 has now been added to Skilling's long list of tradable CFD instruments.

Day Trading Crypto

Day trading the crypto markets requires you to be actively trading the leading crypto assets daily, using the most suitable trading strategies. Day trading is most synonymous with forex trading, but cryptocurrencies are also becoming a popular instrument for day traders, simply due to the liquidity and volatility that exists within the crypto market.

Pricing Power or PepsiCope?

Earnings season really kicks into gear from this week, with big financials such as JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Citi & BlackRock reporting. We’ll also hear from Delta Airlines, United Health Group and chip giant TSMC. It’s the start of a busy reporting period that’s set to guide investor expectations for the months ahead

The big inventory overhang

As more and more companies report to the market, it’s becoming clear that many of them have a huge inventory overhang. Far from ideal when the global economy looks to be turning south.

OPEC+ taking charge of the oil market

Huge day for the oil markets. OPEC+ have been talking up prospects of production cuts at today’s meeting. Maybe a small cut, maybe a million, maybe two million barrels per day. There’s clearly concern that oil prices are too low for the cartel’s liking.

All you need to know about the swing trading strategy | Skilling

Swing trading is one of the most widely-practiced trading styles by both retail and institutional investors alike. It is essentially a halfway point between day trading, which involves executing trades in a very short timespan, and trend trading, which involves holding onto stocks and shares for a long period of time in the hope of long-term gains.

Everything you need to know about position trading | Skilling

If you want to trade and invest like a Wall Street hedge fund manager, you might be interested in position trading. Position trading is essentially the opposite of the fast-paced, high-risk environment of day trading...

The Skilling NFP Preview - October 2022

Traders and investors are on the hunt for any signs of marginal disinflationary pressure since the slight uptick in unemployment.

Tilray's high came down fast - what next?

Tilray shot to fame back in 2018 when the marijuana industry was really getting attention. The legalisation of medical use marijuana and subsequent deregulation across the world was an opportunity for the Canadian firm.

More uncertainty, more rate hikes

Another action-packed week in markets and there’s no let up in the uncertainty. Neither is there much sign of central banks easing back from their aggressive hiking paths.

Day trading strategies, tips and FAQs

There are those who make a living from stock trading and shares trading and describe themselves as day traders. However, you're likely to be asking what day trading is exactly, and what do these day traders do? These traders are individuals who open and close positions in the financial markets during the same day, seeking to take advantage of price action in the market – both up and down.

Apple warns of production cuts, shares fall in pre market

The pressure is piling up in markets. Government bonds are selling off and sending global interest rates spiralling higher while stocks continue to struggle. One megatech stock appeared to be weathering the storm, but that support looks to have crumbled after an overnight Bloomberg report. Apple is trading 3.5% down in pre-market at $146.

How to trade soft commodities - and which are most popular

This article will take you through how to trade soft commodities, as well as which ones are being traded most on the current market.

Forex trading tips: 6 most crucial tips to get you started

Forex trading is carried out across the planet, allowing traders to buy and sell currencies in a huge, highly liquid marketplace. This is one of the most active financial markets, with an average daily trading volume of $5 trillion. What forex tips do you need to know to get started in this area?

Jon Squires joins Skilling as Executive Chairman

We are excited to announce that Jon Squires has been appointed as Skilling’s Executive Chairman, to actively advise the company and propel the brand forward as it continues to scale up its operations and carry out its ambitious expansion strategy.

More misery for Micron?

Mr Market’s giving Micron a tough time. The last time we checked in with the chipmaker, the stock was trading just below $60. The relief rally stalled out just above $65, and the stock has fallen to fresh 2022 lows under $51.

JPY intervention - Japanese regulators stemmed the losses, but for how long?

Japan’s Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan had been commenting on the volatility in the yen and warning against excessive price moves for months. Yesterday they finally did something about it and intervened in the currency markets for the first time since 1998!

What is a Forex trading signal?

Are you looking for information on how to use forex trading signals to trade more efficiently? Take a look at our guide to how signals work and how to use them.

48 hours of market madness

It’s been a crazy 48 hours in FX land. A boatload of central bank meetings, intervention, chatter and action. Let’s bring it all together and make sense of the madness.

Swing Trading vs. Day Trading – trading style guide

Swing trading vs. day trading, which one is right for you? This guide will help you answer this question and help you decide whether either trading style is suitable.

The US FED preview September 2022

Positive underlying conditions for USD...Real US rates rising fast, so, is now the time to be chasing the US Dollar?

Adobe buys Figma for $20bn, Adobe shares fall 20%

Big news at the end of last week for Adobe. The $20 billion acquisition of Figma, a web-based graphic design and user interface design app marks another step in Adobe’s mission to change the world through digital experiences. In the press release, they say that “the combination of Adobe and Figma will usher in a new era of collaborative creativity”.

Huge FedEx profit warning is a red flag for the market

FedEx. The delivery giant warned yesterday about slowing global economic growth, downgraded their outlook and withdrew profit guidance. The company now sees Q1 non-GAAP EPS of $3.44, well down from $4.37 last year and far below the market consensus of $5.14. The stock has absolutely tanked in overnight trade, and is down by a little over 19% in pre-market.

What is the Commodity Channel Index?

The Commodity Channel Index (or CCI) indicator, is an oscillator that was developed by Donald Lambert in the 1980’s. It compares the current price with an average price, typically over 14 periods. As an oscillator, it is an excellent tool to highlight overbought and oversold areas, and it can also help to identify bottoms and peaks in a trend.

Ethereum merge: here it comes

One of the most anticipated events on the crypto calendar is nearly upon us. The Merge is scheduled for September 15th. If all goes well, this marks the beginning of a new phase for the Ethereum network.

Betting on the next King of 'money'

Energy use is a big issue when it comes to Crypto mining, so will Ethereum’s merger event be the catalyst for sweeping changes across the Crypto mining world?

Shopify gains a sign of things to come?

In a week that saw a lot of stocks and major indices outperform, there were a few outliers on both sides. Some couldn’t keep up with the S&P 500’s 4% weekly gain, but there were others that stood above the crowd. One of these was Shopify, posting an 11.3% gain over the period.

Stochastic Indicator: what is it and how does it work?

It may sound complicated, but the Stochastic Oscillator (another oscillator obviously!) is a technical analysis tool that can actually be simple to use. While it has many uses, many traders use it to spot when a trend is about to end, making it perfect for timing entries and exits.

What is Margin? What’s a 'Margin Call'?

In simple terms, Margin is the amount of money you need to open a trade. A Margin Call is a notification stating that the necessary funds in order to keep a position(s) on the account open, are running low.

What is Williams Percent Range?

The Williams Percent Range, or ‘%R’ indicator is a popular oscillator. Larry Williams created the %R indicator along the same lines as the Stochastics indicator, but without the ‘smoothing’ component and with a reversed scale.

What are pivot points?

A Pivot Point is a technical analysis tool used to determine potential areas of interesting or important price action. These areas are ideally where the sentiment might be about to change from bullish to bearish, or vice versa.

Moving average envelopes

Moving Average Envelopes is a percentage-based indicator which places bands above and below a moving average (MA). The MA can be a based on the closing, opening, highs or lows using either simple or moving averages.

Gold: financial repression or bust?

Gold continues to puzzle and excite in equal measures. After bouncing from the $1680 zone, traders began to ask if this was the start of the big move higher many had been waiting for.

RBA hikes 50bps, Aussie dollar falls

Australia’s central bank announced their latest rate move overnight. Heading into the meeting, expectations were centred around a 50bps hike and the central bank didn’t disappoint on that front. The Australian dollar initially traded higher and then lower against the USD.

The ECB preview Sept 2022 - turning up the rate dial… are you tuned in?

Should you be planning for this event? What could other euro area asset traders and investors be planning for in the coming days and months?

Disney: changing for the better?

The company has built a media giant on the back of the original theme park and merchandise sales, and now they’re looking to emulate Amazon’s success with a Prime-esque subscription model too.

GBP: Things can only get better?

We’ve been bombarded with negative headlines about Britain of late. The energy crisis, Brexit uncertainty, no functioning government (although plenty of Brits would argue that’s nothing new), and UK bond markets have sold off drastically, increasing borrowing costs amid the general pessimism.

Can Google's ad income weather a downturn?

Scanning through the charts can sometimes feel like a chore. But it can also open doors, spark ideas, and send us down rabbit holes. So it is with this chart of Google’s share performance:

Central bankers send stocks tumbling

Stocks are red. Blame the central bankers? Friday’s speech by Fed Chair Powell was billed as the main event of the week, and markets certainly reacted to it.

Top energy stocks

What energy stocks have seen their share prices rise most? The fact that the biggest energy firms by market cap are oil firms also underlines that global oil demand has not yet reached its peak.

The Skilling NFP Preview - September 2022

Since inflation is an ongoing concern, any signals that the US jobs market is “cooling” may be deemed as “good” news for certain parts of the financial markets.

Six steps for creating a trading plan

With a strong trading plan in place, you'll understand what trades to place and when – and most importantly, why. It takes a lot of stress out of your day-to-day trading and gives you something to measure your results against.

Which unknown cryptocurrencies are gaining the most attention?

When it comes to universal interest from crypto enthusiasts, PancakeSwap coin is comfortably the most popular lesser-known crypto asset right now. Global search volume was 1.4 million for PancakeSwap (CAKE).

How to Identify Different Types of Candlestick Patterns?

Candlestick charts are many traders’ favourite way of looking at price movements of a share or commodity. Let’s take a closer look and see how to identify different types of candlestick patterns.

OPEC+ hold oil the cards

Brent oil has returned to the pre-Ukraine war price. We can slice and dice the price action any number of ways. The oil price has completed the 61.8% fib retracement of the prior swing (from 65.63 to 131.06)...

What is MACD in trading?

‘MACD’ is short for Moving Average Convergence Divergence. It’s a very popular indicator, invented by Gerald Appel in the 1970’s, that can be used to spot trends that help traders work out when to enter a trade.

RSI: Relative Strength Index

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is an extremely popular momentum indicator, perhaps the most well-known one by J. Welles Wilder. RSI provides various signals about trends and trend direction changes.

Peloton tries to stabilise a wobbling business

Peloton is a fascinating business. The rapid rise and plunge epitomises everything about this market cycle. The key question we posed in May still applies...

Can Apple Beat The Global Slowdown?

It’s that time of year again. September marks the launch of the new Apple iPhone (and a few other devices too). What will it mean for Apple’s share price?

The murky US retail picture

US headline retail sales were flat last month, with July showing a 0% increase vs June. However, this is yet another data point that’s harder to interpret in an inflationary environment. It’s a big old mess and some of the naturally optimistic CEO commentary doesn’t help.

NZD & The RBNZ- almost at peak tightening?

The New Zealand Dollar (NZDUSD) has fallen over the past few days and is now retesting the 20 day moving average from above. Will the recent uptrend persist or are the bears still in command?

What are Bollinger Bands?

They consist of two Bands, drawn below and above a simple moving average (SMA) of any market. Bollinger Bands were designed to show a trader when a large move might be expected.

GBP And The UK Recession

The UK’s going through a transformative period. The combination of the pandemic and Brexit makes it especially hard to interpret the economic data and extrapolate it into the future. Throw in the political changes and it’s a real mess.

Will slowing housing markets drag on Home Depot?

However, it remains to be seen if this solid performance can continue. As housing markets across the US & Canada continue to slow, how robust will the demand for home improvement be?

Everything to know about the XRPEUR trading pair

You can exchange the XRP cryptocurrency for Euros through the XRP Eur trading pair. This guide looks at XRP Euro's history and its advantages and disadvantages.

Making Sense of Micron

The Micron story has moved on since we put the chip company under the spotlight in early July: Micron Technology: weakness ahead, but is it already in the price?

CFD trading pros and cons: the risks and rewards of trading CFDs

The CFD trading pros and cons you need to know. Click here to learn about the risks and rewards of trading CFDs, as well as why CFD trading strategies are useful.

ARKK - too soon to call it a comeback?

ARKK, the innovation ETF fronted by the enigmatic Cathie Wood has bounced from recent lows. Is it too soon to call it a comeback? All eyes on the US CPI report this week for the potential impact.

ETH/EUR trading: the fundamentals of Ethereum/Euro CFDs

Find out how to trade ETH/EUR CFDs online by clicking here to read our complete guide to Ethereum/Euro forex markets. The basics of ETH/EUR trading online.

BlackRock picks Coinbase for institutional Crypto adoption

Crypto took another step on the path towards institutional adoption this week. Coinbase is joining forces with BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world to ‘provide Aladdin clients access to crypto trading and custody via Coinbase Prime’

What is The Awesome Oscillator

The Awesome Oscillator (AO) indicator was created by the analyst Bill Williams and is used to measure market momentum. It does this by calculating the difference between a 34 period and a five period simple moving average (SMA).

Unprofitable Uber turning things around?

Like many tech companies, Uber’s had a rough ride over these past 12 months. However, this quarter’s results could have marked a turnaround for the unprofitable outfit.

Support and Resistance Trading Levels

Another extremely important set of terms within technical analysis is that of Support and Resistance. This is another concept that should be learnt at the start of your trading as you will find it referred to continually!

Moving Averages: What are they in Technical Analysis?

Moving Averages are a key part of technical analysis, and a concept that should be learnt by all traders. They are designed to help you spot the trend of any instrument you may be trading, and are based on using the price changes of the underlying asset, to create an informative line on a chart.

What are Fibonacci Retracements?

Fibonacci Retracements (often called Fibonacci's) are a very popular charting tool amongst technical traders.This article will shows you how's this technical analysis works.

What is Parabolic SAR and how does it works?

The Parabolic SAR, a technical indicator used by many traders, was developed by Welles Wilder who introduced the system in his book, ‘New concepts in Technical Trading Systems’ in 1978. Let's have a look at what is Parabolic SAR and how does it works...

What is a line chart?

The Line Chart is the most basic type of chart which provides you with the least amount of data for observing a market. It connects one closing price to the next one with a line which represents the general price movement of an asset over a specified period of time.

Different Types of Chart Patterns and How to Read Them

Once you are good at identifying trend lines, support, and resistance levels, you can start to learn about the various Chart ‘Patterns’. There are several well-known reversal and continuation Chart Patterns, here are some of them.

The Skilling NFP Preview - August 2022

Last week the US Fed chairman Jerome Powell said that the US jobs market at 3.6% is “extremely tight” suggesting that the US economy can handle higher interest rates and at the same time avoid a recession.

PayPal - payments & activist investors in focus

PayPal has been struggling for the past year. The company is due to report earnings on Tuesday with the stock off the lows, but still a long way down from the peak just over a year ago…

Trading coffee and other soft commodities

The soft commodity market is one of the largest in the world, one that's vital to the world economy. Here's what to know about investing in soft commodities.

The state of US retail: Amazon vs Walmart

Stock markets are showing signs of strong resilience once again this week. Retail giant Walmart was one of the first companies to face the market’s judgement, the share price gapped down by over 9%...

Apple - looking beyond a consumer slowdown

A massive earnings week ahead. 175 of the companies in the S&P 500 will report earnings and we’ll get that all important forward guidance too.

NFP dates and how to use the information for better trading

Do you want to find out about the NFP dates and how they can help your trading? Read about the non-farm payroll calendar and what it means for your strategies.

Inflation ripping higher… 0.75% or 1% hike on deck?

The May - June US Economic data indicates: The US Jobs market remains strong. Inflation remains high. Supply chain disruption remains because of COVID related lockdowns mainly in China & Russian invasion of Ukraine all add to higher inflation pressure (commodity shock).

Key Takeaways From Tesla & Snap Earnings

Earnings reports and guidance are an under-utilised gauge of economic health. Obviously, they’re far less scientific and structured than the economic data, but combining the sources can give a broader perspective of what’s really going on in an economy. Tesla is a special case. In many ways, the company has operated independently of economic fundamentals, and some would argue that the share price has (and still does?) too.

The Skilling NFP Preview - July 2022

Increased US economic activity begins and ends with the increasing of the money supply. The US monetary policy to stimulate economic growth by creating lots of new jobs has worked. The trade-off is higher inflation…

Macro trader insights: FX parity definition

Imagine you are the head of treasury of a large European financial institution and you have one billion Euros in deposit with the European Central Bank...

The ECB preview July 2022 - inflation is much higher than what the ECB wants!

During the June monetary policy meeting the ECB announced its intent to raise interest rates by 0.25% in July, and they expect to increase them again in September. How fast the ECB will raise rates after that will depend on how inflation develops.

The ECB's big day - can the Euro rally?

The past few days have seen some overdue relief for the euro. The relentless selling in EURUSD took the pair briefly below parity before a rapid recovery propelled the single currency back into the mid 1.02s and a test of the 20 day moving average.

Netflix - will a new ad-supported tier solve subscriber woes?

Netflix fortunes have taken a turn for the worse over the past few months. A glance at the charts tells that side of the story. From highs just shy of $700 at the end of 2021, Netflix is now trading below $200.

Bank of Canada shocks with giant rate hike!

Canada’s central bank delivered a monster rate hike as they got serious about fighting inflation on Wednesday. The bank estimates that annual CPI will annualise at 7.2% in 2022 and decided that the best way to get ahead is to hike rates by a full percentage point, 25bps higher than the 75bps hike that was expected.

Bitcoin: bottoming or heading lower?

EURUSD hit parity, GBPUSD traded in the low 1.18s, and USDJPY revisited the zones near recent highs too. BTCUSD hasn’t escaped the dollar strength, and continues to trade in a tight range either side of $20,000.

Stock of the week: Twitter - Musk pulls out!

It has to be Twitter. In case you missed it, Elon Musk is trying to withdraw his bid to purchase the company. The lawyers must be licking their lips at the prospect of a long, drawn out legal battle.

Oil's wild ride - will the uptrend resume?

Oil took a bit of a beating early this week. In fact, the entire commodity complex fell on Tuesday & Wednesday. Crude lost over 10% across the two days, before recovering and posting a strong bounce on Thursday.

Watching the yen for fireworks

As it looks increasingly like markets have flipped the switch from inflation and growth concerns to recession, USDJPY has remained stubbornly high.

Micron Technology: weakness ahead, but is it already in the price?

Micron’s earnings report last week seemed to confirm the market's fears. The bullwhip effect is reverberating right along the supply chain, and excess inventory isn’t just sitting in big box retail warehouses.

S&P500 at Support: bounce or freefall?

A solid breakdown below that prior low at 3810 saw further downside in the S&P500, before rallying from the low at 3635. That rally was capped by the 20 day moving average and the market is now retesting the 3810 zone from above.

Facebook (Meta): time for a turnaround in the company’s fortunes?

Facebook has been the ugly duckling of the tech stocks this year. It’s been a pretty ugly year for many of them so that’s no mean feat!

A beginner's guide to trading cryptocurrency

You may have heard of Bitcoin and Ethereum, but what does it mean to trade cryptocurrency? There are many aspects of cryptocurrency which can make them attractive to investors, but like with any investment, it comes with an element of risk.

What is Bitcoin and the pros and cons of trading Bitcoin

Are you keen to start trading Bitcoin or other popular cryptocurrencies? Read our guide to cryptocurrency trading and all you need to understand about Bitcoin.

Rate hikes & FX: bigger, faster, longer... recession?

Ever since US inflation came in hot and the Fed surprisingly beefed up their rate hike to 75bps, there’s been a LOT of action and talk from central banks. With so much going on, it’s easy to lose track. Here’s a recap of what's going on under the hood of the major FX pairs and a look ahead at what might lie in store.

What is the bulls and bears power indicator?

The Bulls and Bears Power indicator was developed by the well-known technical analyst Alexander Elder and is described in his book, Trading for a Living. Although the concept may at first seem slightly complicated, it is actually very simple and uses just the price and an exponential moving average. Let’s study the two components:

Penny stock trading. The main points to bear in mind

Do you want to understand what penny stock trading is all about? Take a look at our guide to the key factors you need to know about before picking cheap shares.

Tesla "losing billions of dollars"

Elon Musk recently appeared on a podcast interview with Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley. Musk’s comments reveal the challenges Tesla currently faces as the company tries to expand production…

What is a CFD account? Features, history and different types

What is a CFD Account? We answer this question, and a lot more, in this comprehensive guide. So, if you’ve ever wanted to trade contracts for difference online but did not know where to start, just go on and check out the sections below.

The complete beginner's guide to day trading patterns

Day trading patterns help to cut through the noise of markets in order to identify a breakout moment before it occurs. Here's how to use them in your strategy.

RNS: a brief but informative guide on RNS

The RNS – short for the Regulatory News Service - is simply one more subject you must be knowledgeable about. In the article, we’ll walk you through its function and relevance to your investment strategy and teach you everything you need to know about it.

Apple - can this tech giant break into advertising?

Another week, another tumble for US stocks. Even tech mammoths like Apple are being sold. Since the 30th March high, Apple shares have fallen by ~28%.

What is day trading?

Many retail traders look to intraday trading as a chance to make an income from the markets. Find out why day trading is popular & catch some basic strategies.

Stock of the week: Coinbase

A crypto exchange in a crypto bear market… Another terrible weekend in crypto land. From Friday’s high to Sunday’s low, there were some serious downswings.

Oil supply shortages vs recession

What a week it’s been in global markets!! The Fed went big with 75bps, and even the Swiss National Bank surprised everyone by hiking 50bps. The Bank of Japan held strong with their low rate policy and yield curve control however.

Simple steps to using a cryptocurrency trading app

Do you want to discover how to select and use a crypto trading app? Read our comprehensive guide to joining this market with a solid mobile trading option.

What is Cryptocurrency and what is Crypto trading?

Are you looking for information on cryptocurrency trading? Read our guide on what it means and how to get started with trading on popular cryptocurrencies.

Fed ahead: more pain for US stocks as inflation roars?

Since the US CPI came in hot at 8.6% last week, US stock markets have had a bad case of the bear blues. This is what’s been happening in the Nasdaq...

Day trading stocks tips – online trading style guides

How do you day trade stocks? Click here to learn about day trading stocks, how to day trade stocks online, and what the most popular stocks to day trade are.

Soft commodities and all you need to know about them

Would you like to understand soft commodities more fully? Discover our guide to what these popular commodities involve and how to trade them.

Bitcoin's long road to nowhere

Seriously Bitcoin, do SOMETHING! The lack of Bitcoin direction is frustrating for traders hoping for trends and momentum.

S&P 500: breaking out soon?

It’s all gone quiet in the S&P 500. After narrowly avoiding the technical bear market at the 3810 lows, the US stock index rallied back above the key 4100 area. The rally stalled and the past 7 trading days have seen rangebound trade.

ECB Policy Insight; Europeans are about to get a big pay raise?

The ECB raises interest rates when wages start increasing… traders can’t rule out a 0.25% rate hike at the next Monetary Policy Meeting on June 9th! What should we expect on Thursday June 9th?

The benefits and risks of trading Crypto

Cryptocurrency trading has propelled to the forefront of many trader’s portfolios in recent years, but with any form of trading, comes with its own unique benefits and risks.

Stock Of The Week: Tesla
Musk's Super Bad Feeling May Lead To Job Cuts

Elon’s always in the headlines, and this week it wasn’t necessarily for the best reasons. Musk said that he had a “super bad feeling” about the economy...

BoC signals hikes to 3%: CADJPY upside ahead?

The Bank of Canada came out fighting this Wednesday & Thursday. The central bank announced a 50bps rate hike, continued QT,and talked of being ‘prepared to act more forcefully if needed’ in the policy statement.

Amazon stock split

Ever wanted to own Amazon … but thought the share price was too high for your budget? Good news for you! On June 6, Amazon will become 20x cheaper because of the pre-announced corporate stock split!

The Skilling NFP Preview

Looking at two pieces of data, US wages growth and US inflation over a 60-year period, indicates that the money people earn normally stays ahead of inflation. Yes, house and car prices 60 years ago were 50x cheaper than today’s prices, but at the same time, wages have always adjusted… Just remember to ask your boss for that raise!

GBP:The Great British... Peso?

The Great British Pound is coming under fire again. Not for the first time, mischievous strategists are suggesting that the British currency faces ‘emerging market’ issues (which is beautifully ironic for a country that boasts the fifth largest economy in the world).

Stock of the week: Palantir

For companies that don’t turn a profit, this investing environment has been ruthlessly unforgiving of late, and Palantir has been taken down with the rest.

What is share trading? An overview on what affects share price and how to start trading.

Online share trading is a popular type of financial trading. In this article, we explore what affects share price, what is share trading, and how to start.

Ethereum approaching key support

Ethereum continues to struggle, and recently broke through short term support levels. It’s now closing in on the key support zone around $1650.

Has the euro rally got legs?

The euro made a strong start to the week on Monday, pushing above the 1.06 handle on the back of hawkish commentary from President Lagarde and other ECB policymakers. There’s little doubt now that the ECB is looking to hike rates as soon as July.

Stock of the week: Alibaba

Alibaba will report earnings on May 26th. Investors will be combing through the details for clues about the tech firm's prospects. Will they do better than e-commerce rival jd.com who recorded a 3 billion yuan loss rather than the estimated 383 million yuan profit?

Skilling now accepts PayPal

Skilling has added PayPal to its list of funding methods. Clients can __*now deposit with PayPal*__ to their Skilling trading account - a method that many clients are widely accustomed to using.

Bitcoin breaking down?

Bitcoin’s been struggling to gain any ground lately and recent price action has been anything but encouraging for bulls. Bitcoin is trading way below the 20 day moving average, and the 200 day moving average seems like a distant dream for now.

Luna & the Terra attack

Another action-packed weekend for crypto and the zeitgeist was dominated by a reported attack on Terra’s USD peg (UST), and by proxy on Luna.

Nasdaq: bear market rally or recovery?

US equities finally found some relief over the past few days. Focusing on the Nasdaq, the fall below the 12,000 level was short-lived and quickly recovered. Price is now re-establishing in the 12,200 to 12,500 zone.

Skilling launches VIX and 7 soft commodity CFDs

The VIX index along with 7 of the world’s most popular soft commodities - Coffee, Cotton, Sugar, Cocoa, Corn, Soybean, Wheat - have been added to Skilling’s CFD offering.

Stock of the week: Peloton

2022 has been a pretty hostile environment for investors. Most stocks are down on the year. Even titans like Google and Microsoft are down by 23-24% from their all time highs. Other household names such as Disney and Facebook (Meta) are down 47-48% from all time highs. Then there are others, such as Peloton, that are down by over 90%. The chart tells the story.

Challenges for the global economy

There are some enormous challenges facing the global economy right now. Many are unfamiliar challenges that have not been faced for decades, such as high inflation and energy shocks. Others are well-known challenges that repeat throughout countless market cycles such as the withdrawal of liquidity, and waning risk appetites as speculative markets pull back from record highs seen only a matter of months ago.

Stock of the week: AMD

Sifting through the market wreckage, there’s a lot of damage to some high growth names. Rising costs meeting low profitability at the same time as interest rates are increasing has been a potent cocktail over the past six months.

Dollar's post-Fed weakness didn't last

Market volatility picked up big time on Thursday. Testing times for traders in a brutal environment. The ‘relief rally’ seen in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq after the Fed meeting was short-lived.

Stock of the week: Starbucks

The brutal selloff in hyper growth stocks has stolen the limelight of late, and there’s really been very few places for investors to see positive returns this year.

Bitcoin's lost: will the Fed point the way?

Bitcoin’s going nowhere fast so far this year. Stuck in a range between ~$33,000 to ~$48,000 at the extremes, yet coiling in an even tighter range recently. The upside has been capped by the 20 day moving average and support is found at the $37,500 zone. Bitcoin seems to have run out of catalysts…

AUDUSD: hikes vs growth concerns

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) looks set to join the growing group of central banks raising interest rates after Australia’s inflation data came in hotter than expected earlier this week.

RSI shows Sterling is stretched

The pound’s having a terrible time of it lately. It’s been hard to find positives in recent data & last week’s UK retail sales miss compounded the negative bias, sending GBPUSD plunging down through support at 1.2980 and into the 1.26 area with little respite.

Stock of the week: Amazon

A massive week of US earnings awaits: 175 of the S&P 500 companies are scheduled to report first quarter results.

Tesla impresses, ECB talking up July hike

Crisis averted? After Netflix, all eyes were on Tesla. Was this the next growth stock for the axe? CNBC’s Jim Cramer was trending on Twitter yesterday after his Magnificent 7 call back in October 2020...

Skilling expands its offering! Platinum + 8 new Cryptos!

You asked, we delivered. We now offer Platinum, and 8 new cryptocurrencies - 57 crypto CFDs in total; one of the largest selections in the industry.

Netflix miss: streaming growth over?

Netflix was our pick for stock of the week given the significance of the earnings report, and they’ve certainly stolen the headlines!

Stock of the week: Netflix

Netflix will report earnings on Tuesday after the closing bell. They’ll surely be hoping for a better response than the last quarter.

Skilling launches 6 fan tokens

Skilling has added the CFDs of 6 fan tokens to its industry-leading suite of crypto CFDs. Clients can now be more than just fans and enjoy trading the fan tokens of top world football clubs.

Skilling launches 15 new Cryptocurrency CFDs

Skilling is excited to announce the launch of some of the most popular crypto products in an effort to give traders the chance to capitalise on upcoming market movements while taking advantage of the company’s competitive specs.

Skilling launches Crypto exchange pricing and zero-leverage accounts for Crypto trading

Skilling has launched zero-leverage crypto trading accounts and reduced spreads to near-zero on crypto CFDs to beat crypto exchange pricing. With a year that has been pivotal for cryptocurrencies and their mainstream adoption, these developments come as part of the broker’s dedication to make it even more efficient for clients to take advantage of crypto opportunities. Skilling is now ideally positioned to offer the lowest spreads on crypto CFD in the industry.

Volatility around Bitcoin and Crypto trading | Skilling

The price of Bitcoin rapidly plunged about 87% on Binance’s U.S. exchange on Thursday morning, sinking to as low as $8,200 from around $65,000. This did not happen on other venues, and on Binance the level almost immediately snapped back to where it had been. Mistakes like this happen throughout finance when, for instance, traders mess up details of their intended trades, entering the wrong price or order size. An erroneously large trade, as one example, can overwhelm an exchange’s order book, leading to a quick and massive decline.

Solana, Tezos or Terra: Altcoins and next-gen tokens surging in demand

Sure, Bitcoin is interesting but it seems for some of the high rollers, it's becoming quite “predictable” - if that can even be said for any kind of crypto currency. Crypto investors and enthusiasts are taking long hard looks at more innovative, next-generation coins and blockchains as these pack a greater potential to yield higher returns, that is for those lucky enough to get in early on the right bandwagon.

Skilling increases offering to 36 Crypto CFDs

Skilling has expanded its crypto offering to 36 instruments ⁠as of September 22, with the most recent addition being 3 of the world’s most prominent crypto innovations: Solana, Terra and Tezos.This makes Skilling’s selection of crypto CFDs the most extensive crypto CFD offering in the market.

What are fan tokens and how do they work?

The hottest news in sports this summer was Messi’s heartbreaking move from Barcelona. But what was it that made it one of the biggest news in football history? Was it Messi’s move from long standing home club Barca to PSG? Or, that Messi’s deal included a signing-on fee in part paid with cryptocurrency fan tokens?

Skilling invitational - The Road to Marbella

Skilling has partnered up with Studio Padel as an event partner and proudly brings you the first qualifier event of the Road to Marbella padel competition.

Skilling invitational - Marbella final

Skilling proudly brings you the final event of the Road to Marbella padel competition!

Skilling launches 10 new stock CFDs | Skilling

Skilling has launched 10 new Stock CFDs! With superior CFD trading conditions, including tight spreads and a transparent pricing structure, you can take advantage of Skilling’s competitive specs… no matter which shares you prefer to trade.

RBNZ & Bank of Canada hike by 0.5%

Hike the rates! Both the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) and the Bank of Canada (BoC) decided to hike by 0.5% (50bps) at their meetings on Wednesday.

Key dynamics play this week

It’s been a bit of a tricky start to September so far… With woes in China continuing, stocks facing some uncertainty and the dollar pretty rangebound, you would be forgiven for saying that it’s been difficult to navigate.

Week ahead: market insights for the 8th of November

Markets navigated a load of big event risk last week. Overly-aggressive central bank pricing was talked down. Rate-setters preached patience on inflation while walking the tightrope between ‘things are getting better’ & ‘don’t get too excited, we’re not quite there yet’.

Week ahead: market insights for the 15th of November

Inflation took all of the headlines last week when the US CPI printed a 30 year high of 6.2%! In the aftermath, US bond yields rose sharply and there were solid gains for USD and Gold too. US indices closed lower on the day, although there was no sign of panic, and the indices recovered in thin holiday trading on Thursday.

Why do Central Bankers speak so often?

All central banks do this. The Bank Of England, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve all communicate their policies to the markets at meetings, and then appear regularly at events to discuss the economy and monetary policy in depth..

Disney down but not out: heading for a happy ending?

Disney’s been on a real rollercoaster ride since Covid changed the world. Last week’s earnings report was not well received by the market. New Disney+ subscribers have been harder to come by. Disney ‘only’ added 2.1 million subscribers in the last quarter, bringing the total to 118.1 million global subscribers.

Santa rally then 5000? S&P 500 | Skilling Market Insights

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... The big question: Will Santa bring a market rally in time for Christmas? First up, we need to define the Santa rally. Many believe that it applies to the full month of December, but that’s not necessarily true.

Week ahead: market insights for the 22nd of November

Last week didn’t see much in the way of fresh catalysts. We started out with a broadly stronger dollar and choppier action in major US equities. US Indices resumed their march higher and some dollar selling came in on Wednesday, albeit with little follow through.

Fed to speed up taper, tech stocks in danger?

We can see a firm uptrend is in place, with the 100 Day Moving Average providing support on deeper pullbacks. Are things getting too exuberant though? The tech index is now trading outside of the Upper Keltner Channel (2x Average True Range above 20 Day MA).

Oil & the OPEC response

Quickly recapping, the US has been ramping up the rhetoric to try and force OPEC+ to increase production faster and drive oil prices down. The latest tactic of threatening to release reserves from the strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) in cooperation with other nations (China, India, South Korea and Japan) has kept prices falling throughout most of November.

Twitter & Walmart team up for livestream shopping

Twitter is an exceptionally unusual business. Where else could you peer directly into the mind of the world’s richest man…? OK, not the best example. In many ways though, Twitter is unique. A global hivemind, where interaction is governed more by common interests than friendship groups.

Week ahead: market insights for the 29th of November

Hang onto this because we’ll explain to you what this is and why it’s important next week… The new Covid variant is set to dominate headlines in the week ahead. Global stock markets got a severe case of the jitters on Friday amid speculation that the ‘Nu’ variant could be more contagious and vaccine resistant. The key data points for the next five days are a mixed bag of inflation, PMIs and a key testimony from Powell and Yellen on Tuesday.

Adobe: quietly creating a new world

Big Tech stock coverage often focuses on the giants like Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, Facebook, Amazon & Google. And it makes sense. Average Joe sees and uses their products every day. OK, Maybe Tesla isn’t so widely-used, but they have a Galaxy-Brain headline grabbing CEO to make up for that. Point is, they’re always ‘in view’ (and the biggest US companies) so they get a lot of media attention. One stock that receives relatively little coverage is Adobe.

Week ahead: market insights for the 6th of December

Another eventful week for markets! Lots of uncertainty about the omicron variant injected some volatility into markets, with a wide range of outcomes. It might be able to evade vaccine protection or it might not be as bad as first feared, nobody knows for sure and more data should be available this week. Either way, the Federal Reserve has seen enough. Time to speed up the taper and hike rates. Take the punchbowl away, this party’s out of control! Or at least, that’s what they were saying before Non-Farm payrolls missed expectations (210k vs 550k expected) on Friday. Under the surface though, the employment picture is steadily improving.

BHP: the giant in the Aussie 200 index

BHP: Founded in 1885, and now one of the world’s largest mining companies, with fingers in many commodity pies including iron ore, coal, petroleum, copper, nickel & uranium. Over the years, they’ve had a hand in almost every commodity market. 2021 has been an up and down year for the share price.

Markets on the rise...

When any market is trading at new highs, the next target is normally newer highs, which is why momentum trading strategies tend to make the most sense during these times. Take for example, Newton’s law of motion that an object in motion stays in motion. With that in mind, stock markets tend to follow a similar law of motion; they tend to continue to trend until some force causes the motion to slow or reverse.

Week ahead: market insights for the 13th of December

Next week’s all about the central banks. We’ll see monetary policy updates from: - US Federal Reserve (Weds) - European Central Bank (Thurs) - Bank Of England (Thurs) - Swiss National Bank (Thurs) - Norges Bank (Thurs) - Bank Of Japan (Fri) Other key data points to watch this week: Mon: OPEC Monthly Report Tues: UK Employment, US PPI, Weds: China Retail Sales & Production, UK Inflation, Canada Inflation, US Retail Sales, Thurs: Australian Employment, US Jobless Claims, Philly & Kansas Fed, Fri: German ifo, UK Retail Sales We’ll also see a host of Flash PMI’s and even more central bank decisions outside of the big guns: Thursday sees Turkey’s latest interest rate decision with the Lira pushing for record lows. Banxico will set Mexico’s interest rate later in the day & Russia’s central bank is expected to hike on Friday.

Week ahead: forecast for the 13-12-2021

Getting in front of 2022! This week’s Economic Calendar Could be the Biggest of 2021! Monday – Japan Machinery Orders due. Tuesday – UK Unemployment data. Wednesday – US Retail Sales and US FED Interest Rate announcement on deck. Thursday – Eurozone, Norway, and United Kingdom interest rate decisions due. Friday – United Kingdom GDP, German HICP, US CPI on deck.

Time for gold to shine?