The 12 Stocks of Christmas Who could rebound the most in December? The end of the year is an excellent time for traders; data going back over three decades notes that December often sees a stock market rally to cap the end of the trading year. This report looks at 12 Stock Picks for this year's Santa Rally to assess which of them have the best potential for recovery.78% of retail clients lose money, consider affordability. Download Here | | London open: Stocks nudge lower amid US-China hopes, weak China data | | | London stocks nudged a touch lower in early trade on the final trading day of 2018, as investors weighed up signs of improving relations between the US and China against disappointing Chinese manufacturing data, amid a dearth of UK corporate and macroeconomic news. At 0820 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 0.1% to 6,730.22, while the pound was up 0.2% against the dollar at 1.2729 and 0.3% firmer versus the euro at 1.1129. Indications of improving Sino-US relations provided some cheer, after US President Donald Trump hailed "progress" in trade talks over the weekend. Trump tweeted on Saturday: "Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!" After the tweet, the Wall Street Journal cited sources familiar with the negotiations as saying that Trump "may be overstating how close the two sides are to an agreement". However, a statement on Sunday from Lu Kang, the spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, lent support to Trump's optimism. "China stands ready to work with the US to implement the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and President Trump in Argentina, expand co-operation on the basis of mutual benefit, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect," Lu said. On the downside, Chinese manufacturing figures disappointed. The National Bureau of Statistics’ official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index printed at 49.4 this month from 50.0 in November, falling short of expectations for a reading of 49.9 and marking the lowest level since February 2016. Meanwhile, the sub-index for total new orders declined to 49.7 in December from 50.4 the month before, moving into contraction territory and hitting its lowest level since February 2016, while the sub-index for production fell to 50.8 from 51.9 in November. Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said, the data "may fan the flames of concern about slowing global growth". Still, London’s mining stocks fared pretty well, with Rio Tinto, BHP, Glencore and Antofagasta all in the green. Brexit was in focus following reports that the deadline could be pushed back if Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal gets voted down by Parliament in January. Meanwhile, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said in a Sunday Times interview that the chances of Britain leaving the EU were 50-50 if Parliament rejects May’s withdrawal agreement. Parliament is set to vote on the Brexit deal in the week starting 14 January. The London stock market will only trade for a half day on Monday, with little notable movement amid low volumes. Rolls-Royce was slightly higher on reports that it has secured the contract to power the US military’s next-generation squadron of unmanned fighter drones. Rightmove was top of the mid-caps as early figures indicated record numbers of people have visited the property portal since Christmas. | | | MERRY CHRISTMAS For a limited time only we are offering a 2 week FREE Trial of our Trading Alerts. Register now | | | Top 10 FTSE 100 RisersSponsored by Interactive Investor | | |
Top 10 FTSE 100 FallersSponsored by Interactive Investor | | | | | | Are you looking for a profitable trading strategy? Do you have 20 minutes a day to follow this strategy? Yes! Then you need to watch this session. In fact for the past 6 months this strategy has been averaging +1275 pips per month! Book A Free Place To Find Out More | | Europe open: Investors cling to hopes on China-US talks | | | European shares opened flat on the last trading day of the year as investors pondered the likelihood of a US-China trade deal in the absence of any significant corporate news. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.53% with the German and Italian markets closed. London, Madrid and Paris were all slightly higher on thin volumes. The Stoxx was on track to log a 13% loss for the year as investors fretted over Brexit, a slowing global economy and the China-US trade spat. Investors took some heart from signs of improving Sino-US relations, after US President Donald Trump hailed trade progress over the weekend. "Just had a long and very good call with President Xi of China. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made!" Trump said on Saturday. A statement on Sunday from China foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang seemed to confirm Trump's trade optimism. "China stands ready to work with the US to implement the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and President Trump in Argentinaa, expand co-operation on the basis of mutual benefit, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect," Lu said. On the downside, Chinese manufacturing figures disappointed. The National Bureau of Statistics' official manufacturing purchasing managers' index printed at 49.4 this month from 50.0 in November, falling short of expectations for a reading of 49.9 and marking the lowest level since February 2016. Meanwhile, the sub-index for total new orders declined to 49.7 in December from 50.4 the month before, moving into contraction territory and hitting its lowest level since February 2016, while the sub-index for production fell to 50.8 from 51.9 in November. Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said, the data "may fan the flames of concern about slowing global growth". | | US close: Markets end volatile Christmas week in the red | | | US stocks remained in the red by the closing bell on Friday, unable to hold on to opening gains as the rally that started late in the previous session lost steam. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the session down 0.33% at 23,062.40, the S&P 500 slipped 0.12% to 2,485.74, and the Nasdaq 100 was 0.05% lower at 6,285.27. On Thursday, stocks managed to reverse early losses and end up, with the Dow closing 1.1% firmer a day after notching its biggest-ever one-day points gain. The upbeat mood was short-lived, however, and a volatile last week of trading for 2018 still left US stocks on course for a year of losses and a weak December, with the Nasdaq having entered bear market territory and a veritable raft of issues for investors to worry about. Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, pointed out that all the same headwinds remained - the US government shutdown, trade uncertainty between the US and China, Brexit, monetary policy tightening, and oil supply and demand. Concerns about Sino-US relations were still very much on investors’ minds following a Reuters report on Thursday suggesting that Donald Trump was considering an executive order that would ban US wireless carriers from buying equipment from China’s Huawei and ZTE. In macro news, data released earlier showed economic activity in the Chicago area deteriorated less than expected in December. The MNI Chicago Business Barometer fell to 65.4 this month from 66.4 in November, but it was still better than expectations for a reading of 62.0. Three out of the five barometer sub-components lost ground on the month, but solid gains in production and order backlogs helped the headline index maintain most of November’s eight point rise. “The MNI Chicago Business Barometer saw 2018 out in good health, assisted by a firm uptick in production, cementing the best calendar quarter outturn in a year,” said MNI Indicators economist Jai Lakhani. “Encouragingly, inflationary pressures subsided for a fifth consecutive month and should this continue, it will ease the burden on firms' productive capacities. “Still, concerns over tariffs continue to linger in the background and stir uncertainty." Elsewhere, figures form the National Association of Realtors revealed that US pending home sales unexpectedly fell last month. The NAR’s monthly index came in at 101.4, down 0.7% from 102.1 in October and missing expectations for a 0.7% increase. Year-over-year, contract signings dropped 7.7%, marking the eleventh straight month of annual decreases. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said the current sales numbers don’t fully take into account other data. "The latest decline in contract signings implies more short-term pullback in the housing sector and does not yet capture the impact of recent favourable conditions of mortgage rates," he said. He added that while pending contracts have reached their lowest mark since 2014, there is no reason to be overly concerned, as he predicted solid growth potential for the long term. The pending home sales index in the Northeast rose 2.7% 95.1 in November, while the index for the Midwest fell 2.3% to 98.1. Pending home sales in the South fell 2.7% to an index of 115.7 in November, while for the West, the gauge increased 2.8% 87.2. There wasn’t a whole lot going on on the corporate front, but electric car maker Tesla gained 5.61% as it added Oracle's Larry Ellison and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to the board as part of a settlement with US regulators. | | Monday newspaper round-up: Brexit funds, Intu, Rolls-Royce, food | | | The embattled shopping centre group behind Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Lakeside in Essex is the landlord most exposed to the collapse of HMV, with 15 of its sites occupied by the music retailer that called in administrators on Friday. Intu Properties, which was on the receiving end of two failed approaches this year and has suffered multiple tenant failures across its portfolio, has more sites rented out to HMV than any other retail property group, analysis by The Times has found. Philip Hammond has been accused by Cabinet colleagues of failing to provide the money needed to prepare Britain for a no-deal Brexit. James Brokenshire, the Housing Secretary, has written to the Treasury warning that a no-deal Brexit could put pressure on councils as they face a potential "influx" of elderly expats and the risk of civil unrest on the streets. - Telegraph The home secretary, Sajid Javid, and his French counterpart have pledged to step up joint efforts to tackle cross-Channel people smuggling, as Labour accused the Tories of whipping up concern about the issue. Six Iranian men were found on a beach near Deal in Kent on Sunday with a small boat, the Home Office confirmed, bringing the number who have made the perilous crossing since Christmas Day to almost 100. - Guardian Thousands of late-night takeaways face having to pay a levy to fund extra policing of antisocial behaviour fuelled by extended licensing hours. Kebab shops and burger joints will be liable for the charge, which could also be used to provide street cleaning and marshals who help at taxi queues. - The Times The world’s most radical trade pact has come into force across the Pacific as the US sulks on the sidelines, marking a stunning erosion in American strategic leadership. Eleven countries are pressing ahead with the Comprehensive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), defying barely-disguised efforts by the Trump Administration to kill the treaty. - Telegraph Rolls-Royce has secured the contract to power the US military’s next-generation squadron of unmanned fighter drones. In a key deal for the beleaguered British aerospace and defence group, Rolls’ engines have been selected by Boeing for the MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned aircraft that the US Navy hopes will put it at the forefront of a new world of remotely controlled aerial combat vehicles. - The Times The high-profile floats of luxury car maker Aston Martin and the UK’s biggest online loan provider Funding Circle failed to boost the London Stock Exchange this year as the value of listings on the bourse fell by a third. Figures seen by The Daily Telegraph show that the number of businesses which went public in London dropped from 108 to 79 over the last 12 months, while the amount of money raised from stock market floats plunged £5.5bn on last year to £9.6bn. - Telegraph European banking shares have suffered their worst year since the eurozone debt crisis, ending 2018 deep in a bear market amid fears that the struggling sector could become a brake on the economy next year. An index tracking Europe’s banks has plunged 35pc since January to hit its lowest level since the aftermath of the Brexit vote with embattled German giants Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank more than halving in value. - Telegraph Australian shares have had their worst year since 2011 amid fresh evidence of a tightening credit squeeze at home and growing concern about a weakening global economy. The benchmark ASX200 index finished lower on the last day of the year after a late dive on the share market, confirming 2018 as the worst 12 months for the bourse since 2011. - Guardian More than £100bn has been wiped off the value of the world's five biggest tobacco companies this year as worries grow about increased regulation and the rise of vaping. London-listed giant British American Tobacco (BAT) has been worst hit and lost about half its stock market value. Rival Imperial Brands is down about a quarter. - Telegraph The cancer risk from processed meat such as bacon is still not being taken seriously enough, according to a statement by doctors and politicians. The group, which includes Tom Watson, the deputy Labour leader, called for greater awareness of the “growing consensus” that nitrites in the meat produce carcinogens linked to bowel cancer. - The Times A food waste tsar has been appointed for the first time in an attempt to tackle the problem of discarded produce. Ben Elliot, a businessman, will work towards the government’s goal of eliminating all food waste going to landfill by 2030. Over ten million tonnes of surplus food is wasted every year. - The Times PWC has used a drone to complete an audit for the first time. The Big Four accounting firm said that it had used a drone in its audit of RWE, the German energy company, to measure stock including coal reserves at a power plant in Aberthaw, south Wales. Richard French, PWC’s audit partner for RWE, said that the drone was a faster and safer way to collect large amounts of data that enabled it to check that stock reserves listed in its client’s accounts were accurate. - The Times Carlos Ghosn will remain in detention for another 10 days after a Japanese court approved a prosecutors’ request to continue questioning the former Nissan chairman over allegations of financial misconduct and breach of trust. Ghosn, who has been held at a Tokyo detention centre for more than six weeks, is accused of underreporting his salary by tens of millions of dollars and of transferring personal investment losses to the automaker he rescued from the brink of bankruptcy two decades ago. - Guardian Amazon is in talks to release its original films in Imax cinemas as early as next year, The Daily Telegraph understands, in the latest sign of improving relations between streaming services and cinema operators. The tech giant is currently in talks with a number of cinema operators and distributors for the theatrical releases of upcoming films it has financed and developed, including The Aeronauts starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones which is slated for next November. | |
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Traders may look to continue pushing stocks higher on the heels of the substantial recovery seen late in the previous session.
Stocks moved sharply lower over much of the trading session on Thursday before skyrocketing in the final hour of trading.
The late-day rebound extended recent volatility after stocks sold off on Christmas Eve before staging an historic rebound on Wednesday.
The markets may benefit from window dressing as the year draws to a close, although trading activity is likely to remain subdued.
Many traders are likely to remain away from their desks following the Christmas Day holiday on Tuesday and ahead of the New Year?s Day holiday next Tuesday, leading to more volatility on Wall Street.
Stocks saw considerable weakness throughout much of the trading day on Thursday before staging a substantial recovery late in the session. The major averages skyrocketed off their worst levels of the day and into positive territory.
After falling by more than 600 points, the Dow showed a substantial rebound before closing up 260.37 points or 1.1 percent at 23,138.82. The Nasdaq also rose 25.14 points or 0.4 percent to 6,579.49 and the S&P 500 advanced 21.13 points or 0.9 percent to 2,488.83.
Profit taking helped to drag stocks lower early in the day, as traders cashed in on the rally seen on Wednesday, when the Dow posted its single-day point gain in history.
Lingering concerns about the global economic outlook and the ongoing government shutdown also weighed on the markets.
Trading activity remained relatively subdued, however, allowing traders to drive stocks back to the upside late in the session.
On the U.S. economic front, the Labor Department recently released a report showing a slight drop in first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits in the week ended December 22nd.
The report said initial jobless claims slipped to 216,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level of 217,000.
Economists had expected jobless claims to inch up to 217,000 from the 214,000 originally reported for the previous week.
Meanwhile, a separate report from the Conference Board showed a significant deterioration in consumer confidence in the month of December.
The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index slumped to 128.1 in December after dipping to a revised 136.4 in November.
Economists had expected the consumer confidence index to edge down to 134.0 from the 135.7 originally reported for the previous month.
The bigger than expected decrease by the headline index reflected a continued deterioration in consumer expectations, with the expectations index plunging to 99.1 in December after falling to 112.3 in November.
"While consumers are ending 2018 on a strong note, back-to-back declines in Expectations are reflective of an increasing concern that the pace of economic growth will begin moderating in the first half of 2019," said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at the Conference Board.
Chemical stocks showed a significant move to the upside late in the session, driving the S&P Chemical Sector Index up by 1.9 percent. The index continued to rebound after ending Monday's trading at a two-year closing low.
Networking, software, and housing stocks also moved notably higher, contributing to the late-day recovery by the broader markets.
On the other hand, notable weakness remained visible among oil service stocks, as reflected by the 1.1 percent drop by the Philadelphia Oil Service Index. The weakness in the oil service sector came amid a pullback by the price of crude oil.
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MNI Indicators is scheduled to release its report on Chicago-area business activity in the month of December at 9:45 am ET.
The Chicago business barometer is expected to dip to 62.0 in December after jumping to 66.4 in November, although a reading above 50 would still indicate growth.
At 10 am ET, the National Association of Realtors is due to release its report on pending home sales in the month of November. Pending home sales are expected to drop by 0.7 percent in November after plunging by 2.6 percent in October.
A pending home sale is one in which a contract was signed but not yet closed. Normally, it takes four to six weeks to close a contracted sale.
The Energy Information Administration is due to release its report on oil inventories in the week ended December 21st at 11 am ET.
Crude oil inventories are expected to decrease by 2.7 million barrels after falling by 0.5 million barrels in the previous week.
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Shares of Aphria (APHA) are moving sharply higher in pre-market trading after the Canadian cannabis producer said a hostile takeover bid by Green Growth Brands valued at $2.1 billion significantly undervalues the company.
Restaurant chain Wingstop (WING) may also see initial strength after Wedbush upgraded its rating on the company?s stock to Outperform from Neutral.
Shares of First Republic Bank (FRC) are also likely to move to the upside on news the bank will replace SCANA Corp. (SCG) in the S&P 500 effective prior to the start of trading next Wednesday. | | | Become a Shareholder in High Times The Original Voice of Cannabis. Join our investor community and help shape the emerging cannabis industry.
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European markets have moved to the upside on Friday, recovering from the multi-month lows recorded in the previous session. The markets have taken a positive lead from Wall Street, where stocks rebounded sharply on Thursday after an initial setback.
Although worries about global economic growth, the impact of a partial government shutdown in the U.S., and uncertainty about a U.S-China trade deal and Brexit continue to weigh on sentiment, traders are busy picking up shares ahead of the end of the year.
While the U.K.?s FTSE 100 Index has surged up by 2.2 percent, the French CAC 40 Index is up by 2 percent and the German DAX Index is up by 1.7 percent.
British American Tobacco, Capita, RBS, CRH, Dixons Carphone, Babcock International, BP and Mediclinic International are posting standout gains.
Glencore, Old Mutual, Legal & General, Standard Chartered, Sage, Centrica, WPP, National Grid, Ashtead Group, Aviva and Micro Focus have also moved notably higher.
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Asian markets ended mostly higher on Friday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. Buying interest was a bit subdued in some of the markets in the region, with investors staying cautious due to concerns about global growth and doubts about U.S. and China agreeing on a long-term trade deal anytime soon.
Australian stocks ended notably higher, led by gains by financial, healthcare and energy shares. Information technology, telecom, resources and industrials shares exhibited a mixed trend.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index ended up 57.10 points or 1 percent at 5,654.30 and the broader All Ordinaries Index closed with a gain of 53.90 points or 1 percent at 5,716.00.
Orocobre surged up 5.7 percent and Emeco Holdings gained 5 percent. Bega Cheese Limited shares ended 3.5 percent higher, Infigen Energy jumped 3.5 percent and Galaxy Resources added 3.3 percent.
The Chinese markets rebounded after the previous session's setback, with the Shanghai Composite Index rising 10.81 points or 0.4 percent to 2,493.90. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index inched up 25.32 points or 0.1 percent to 25,504.20.
The markets were led higher by gains by financial, consumer staples, utilities, electricity and hospitality industry stocks, while information technology, insurance, energy and telecom stocks moved to the downside.
South Korean stocks ended notably higher, with the benchmark Kospi climbing 0.6 percent thanks to gains recorded by shares from the chemicals, heavy industries, computer services and construction sectors.
On the other hand, the Japanese markets ended lower, as investors took profits after recent strong gains. Some disappointing economic data also contributed to the weakness in the market. The Nikkei 225 Index ended down 62.85 points or 0.3 percent at 20,014.77.
Shares from the pharmaceuticals, power and retail sections lost ground, while Fujikura surged up 3.6 percent, Furukawa Electric jumped 4.2 percent and Toshiba Corp. spiked 3.5 percent.
Mitsui Mining, Nissan Chemicals, Yahoo Japan, Okuma Corp., Sumitomo Metal Mining, Nitto Denko, Nippon Electric Glass, TDK, Sumitomo Chemical, Advantest Corp. and JTEKT Corp. also moved to the upside.
J Front Retailing was the worst performer in the Nikkei index, tumbling by 9 percent. Sumitomo Dainippon ended lower by about 5.5 percent, and Sapporo Holdings, Familymart, TOTO, Takashimaya, Aeon and Otsuka Holdings also moved significantly lower.
On the economic front, the jobless rate in Japan came in at a seasonally adjusted 2.5 percent in November, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Economists had expected the jobless rate to come in at 2.4 percent.
A report from the Ministry of Economy and Industry showed Japanese industrial production dropped by a seasonally adjusted 1.1 percent in November, exceeding expectations for a decline of 1.5 percent following the 2.9 percent jump in October. On yearly basis, industrial production was up 1.4 percent.
Meanwhile, retail sales in Japan declined by a seasonally adjusted 1 percent in November compared to a month earlier. That missed expectations for a decline of 0.4 percent following the 1.3 percent increase in October.
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Crude oil futures are rising $0.50 to $45.11 a barrel after tumbling $1.61 to $44.61 on Thursday. Meanwhile, after climbing $8.10 to $1,281.10 an ounce in the previous session, gold futures are slipping $1.70 to $1,279.40 an ounce.
On the currency front, the U.S. dollar is trading at 110.32 yen compared to the 111.01 yen it fetched at the close of New York trading on Thursday. Against the euro, the dollar is valued at $1.1455 compared to yesterday?s $1.1430.
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