
The gold price has been falling for three months and is currently near its low-point for the period. Positive figures for US manufacturing industry have supported the dollar, traditionally the main rival for bullion as a safe-haven asset.

Crude prices remain near three-monthly highs as hopes for a global economic rebound lift expected demand for oil. But uncertainties remain, and, longer term, moves towards “zero carbon” threaten to depress the value of oil.

Sterling is on a roll against the euro at the moment, lifted by hopes of easing restrictions in the UK in the wake of the coronavirus vaccine rollout. But looking further ahead, what is the EUR GBP prediction?

Since 31 January last year, life has been lonely for the Danish kroner, having lost, in sterling, a fellow European currency that had opted out of the euro. But despite this, the kroner and the British pound have enjoyed a stable relationship.

On the face of it, gold prices have been in decline for three months, but the momentum remains upwards. Bullion’s best hope for a sustained recovery lies in a resurgence of inflation.

Wall Street’s broad-based Standard & Poor’s 500 index has clawed back all the ground lost during the coronavirus crisis – and then some. But can the surge continue without on-going support from easy-money policies?

Foreign exchange trading is unique in that currencies are priced in relation to each other, and form “pairs”. Which are the most profitable currency pairs?

Stock were down in London this morning, reflecting lower share prices across Europe, but sterling enjoyed slightly better fortunes. The UK and European Union remain at loggerheads over British access to continental financial markets.

Scalping is a trading strategy that requires careful planning and lightning-quick reactions. This is doubly so in foreign exchange markets, so what are the best currency pairs for scalping?

The price of oil has clawed back all the ground lost during the past 12 months. It is now a little higher than a year ago, on the eve of the coronavirus-induced price crash.

Not so long ago, the value of the yen was a cause of friction between Japan and the outside world, as Tokyo was accused of suppressing its value to grab export markets. Now, matters are calmer, and the yen is no longer a source of controversy.

Gold prices are higher, but there is little sign of a sustained break-out on the upside. Such support as exists comes from weakness in the dollar ahead of President Biden’s stimulus package.

The Volatility Index has calmed down from its feverish highs of last year. But this measure of market anxiety remains at historically elevated levels.

London’s blue-chip FTSE 100 index endured a torrid 2020, blamed in large part on its supposed reliance on industries such as mining and airlines that were deeply unfashionable. So who will be the FTSE 100 risers and losers in the year ahead?