Economic OutlookIn December a number of well known businesses, i.e. Woolworths, MFI and Zavvi, have called in the administrators, this is a direct result of consumers beginning to tighten there spending. This is possibly the start of the economic contraction cycle. 2009 and possibly up to the end of 2010 we are likely to see increased unemployment, more businesses folding and further reduction of house prices.
House sales have dropped by 14% in November 2008, that’s a staggering 60% reduction from the same period in 2007. Unfortunately other economic indicators have also confirmed that by January 2009 UK Economy will officially be in recession. The cut in Interest Rates to stimulate the UK economy and encourage more house buying has not worked in the short term. It normally takes approximately 6 months before any interest rate cuts filters through to the consumers, sp realistically we may need to wait until April/May 2009 before we start seeing slightly increased lending to business and then to the consumer. The fundamental problem of trust between banks have to be addressed as this is having a far reaching impact on the economy and is significantly contributing to the economic slowdown. The recession of 1981 will seem be more like a party compared to what we will experience in 2009 to 2011.
Sir John Gieve, deputy governor of Bank of England highlighted that they were unable to set policies or legislate banks and a catastrophe that we are experiencing now could potentially happen again. It amazes me that the government are uninterested in this matter and are more concerned about speaking up the economy. During the monthly press conference, Gordon Brown pointed out the Monetary Committee, Bank of England and FSA are working effectively and there is no need for intervention, with such blinkered vision it is no wonder we are experiencing this unprecedented financial crisis.
What can an investor do?The current climate means that savings are unlikely to yield good returns, especially with further cuts in interest rates. It is not all doom and gloom for the private investor as they are well placed to take advantage of the markets.
In this climate the risks have to be spread over long term (Bonds, Large Blue Chip Stocks, Fixed Instruments) and some value stocks that have potential for growth once the economy starts to change.
UK Market OutlookFTSE 100The FTSE100 is in a downtrend however since 24th November the market has moved from 3742 to 4430 (Santa Claus rally).
Due to the ever increasing uncertainty in the UK and global economy there has been increased volatility and reduced liquidity leading to very fast price movement of stocks and FTSE 100.
The FTSE is currently on a retracement and needs to break the 4894 (reached in November) and 5649 level to indicate a reversal of trend. This is very unlikely and the FTSE is more likely to make lower lows.
The downtrend is likely to continue and the FTSE is likely to hit first target at 3145 and if the recession continues it is likely to reach 2460.
Sectors/IndustrySectors that are performing better than other sectors in the UK are:
- Electricity (Sub Index symbol NMX7530)
- Electronic & Electronic Equipment (Sub Index symbol NMX2730)
- Food & Drug Retailers (Sub Index symbol NMX5330)
- Gas Water & Utilities (Sub Index symbol NMX7570)
- Nonlife Insurance (Sub Index symbol NMX8530)
- Pharmaceuticals & Biotech (Sub Index symbol NMX4570)
Remember these sectors are constructed from leading shares to form the index value and enables you to analyse a sector very quickly. This s covered in Trading Made Simple course available from www.trademastery.co.uk
Stock PicksUnder the current economic climate focusing on stocks with strong fundamentals and are fairly priced is the best way to build the value of a portfolio.
The stocks are unlikely to make large moves however the dividends and potential growth are worth investigating.
| Company Name | ISIN | Sub-Sector | Price (£) |
| Renishaw PLC | GB0007323586 | Electronic Equipment | 4.88 |
| Petrofac Ltd | GB00B0H2K534 | Oil Equipment & Services | 3.44 |
| London Capital Group Holdings PLC | GB00B0RHGY93 | Specialty Finance | 2.54 |
| Xchanging PLC | GB00B1VK7X76 | Business Support Services | 2.41 |
| Hamworthy PLC | GB00B01VFV79 | Industrial Machinery | 2.3 |
| SDL PLC | GB0009376368 | Software | 2.29 |
| New Britain Palm Oil Ltd | PG0009239032 | Oil Equipment & Services | 1.6 |
| Eros International PLC | GB00B13JS954 | Broadcasting & Entertainment | 1.17 |
| Bioquell PLC | GB0004992003 | Medical Equipment | 1.07 |
| Kentz Corporation Ltd | JE00B28ZGP75 | Heavy Construction | 1 |
| PV Crystalox Solar PLC | GB00B1WSL509 | Electrical Components & Equipment | 0.99 |
| FDM Group PLC | GB00B06HK710 | Computer Services | 0.62 |
| Advanced Medical Solutions Group PLC | GB0004536594 | Medical Supplies | 0.33 |
| BATM Advanced Communications Ltd | IL0010849045 | Telecommunications Equipment | 0.3 |
US Market OutlookDow Jones Industrial Average (DJ30)The DJIA is in a downtrend and the bears have control. If the bears continue to have control the 1st Target is 7450 (November Low) followed by 6995 and then 5850. The long term target can be as low as 4600 if there is a prolonged recession.
The key levels the bulls are after is 9000 followed by 9735 and to confirm a full reversal 10500 has to be reached, before this can happen the market needs to hold/trade above 7882.
Standard & Poors (S&P 500)The S&P500 is in clear downtrend and the bears are in control. The target the bears are after is 672 and 587. The long term target can be as low as 463.
If the bulls are to take control then the targets the must overcome are 992, 1043 and 1313.
Sectors & IndustriesThere are several sectors/industries that seem to be showing small signs of recovery when using technical analysis.
- US Water & Utilities (Sub Index symbol DJUSWU)
- Gold/Precious Metals (Sub Index symbol GOX)
- Insurance (Sub Index symbol INSR)
Other sectors that have performed better than others are:
- Electricity Index (DJUSEU)
- Aerospace & Defence (DJUSAE)
- Biotechnology (DJUSBT)
The components for the above mentioned sectors can be found by visiting Yahoo Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/)
Stock PicksUsing the Trading Made Simple fundamental formula the following stocks have been short listed.
Technical Analysis has also indicated a bullish trend. CIA, DV, HMSY, HRB & MYGN have high P/E ratio however this is only one of the criteria that is used for short listing the stocks below.
I recommend that further analysis is undertaken by the reader before investing.
| Symbol | Company Name | Last ($) |
| AFAM | Almost Family Inc | 44 |
| BMY | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | 23 |
| CBST | Cubist Pharmaceuticals | 26 |
| CIA | Citizens, Inc | 9 |
| DV | DeVry Inc | 56 |
| EBS | Emergent Biosolutions Inc | 25 |
| FDO | Family Dollar Stores, Inc | 25 |
| GTIV | Gentiva Health Services Inc | 27 |
| HMSY | Hms Hldgs Corp | 29 |
| HRB | H&R Block, Inc | 22 |
| MYGN | Myriad Genetics Inc | 66 |
| SF | Stifel Financial Corp | 43 |
| VRX | Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl | 22 |
Traders Tip
Investors make money when they buy not when they sell.
Focus on finding strong companies with low debt and good cash flow that will be resilient under current market conditions.Labels: bank of england, FTSE, Fundamental Analysis, investment, UK Stock Picks, US Stock Picks