Diamonds are forever, Monopolies aren’t

As every girl knows, diamonds can make the best of friends.

Pain or pleasure for Aussie investors?

Do investors care more about their portfolio in good times or bad times?

The Canny Investor Hits the Road for a Grasp of Technology

My smartphone has taught me one thing - you can do more. Always more.

Cloak and Dagger TPP Deal Signed After 8 Years of Discussions

The cloak and dagger Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has been finally agreed, after eight years of complex negotiations fraught with numerous stumbling blocks.

The Retrospective Introspection Challenge

Voodoo Economics Enforced by Hoodoo Policymakers

Despite Government and central bank efforts to stem the tide of deteriorating economic conditions, inequality is rising at an increasing rate. The problem is not ignorance but the illusion of truth. 

ForexCT Spearheads Breakneck Technology Into Retail Clients

Introducing the ‘B-Book Liquidity Interceptor & New Deposit' (BLIND®) device.

Farewell letter to Alpari UK

Predicting the future isn't as fun as it ought to be.

FX Fixing Window Set for Widening to Reduce Propensity for Market Manipulation

As various proposals are implemented to reduce the propensity for FX manipulation, WM Company takes the simple step of widening the fixing window to 5 minutes. Does a wider window reduce the chance of collusion?

Another Bout of US Dollar Strength KO's Commodities

Ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical themes are pushing several asset classes to multi-year highs (lows) and causing significant angst amongst investors.

Despite the Regulatory Rigmarole, It’s All Just Business For the FX Riggers and the Market Triggers

The 'Trifecta' of regulatory agencies has missed one thing: front-office bankers are working in a savagely competitive environment founded on a hierarchy that breeds the desire to cheat. 

Tax Evasion Crackdown Hits the Buffers as Smoking-Gun-Wielding Banker Is Found Innocent

In a blow to attempts to restrain rampant tax evasion, a Senior ex-UBS banker is acquitted of defrauding the US government by helping UBS conceal $20 billion. The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion is the thickness of a prison wall.

Bank of Japan Shakes Its Money Tree: Raises Annual Monetary Base to $718 Billion

The Bank of Japan takes the unprecedented step of including equity and real-estate assets as part of its stimulus programme. With the monetary base expected to rise and keep rising year-on-year, the outlook for Yen pairs is bleak. 

As the Fed Mulls Pulling the Normalization Trigger, Can Bullish Markets Bear It?

The Fed's October meeting is highly anticipated and awaited by market participants of all types. Despite the Fed's pretence, if QE3 officially ends today QE4 will be what the markets scream out for in 2015.

UBS Adds $2 Billion to Its Litigation Warchest as Regulators Sharpen Their Sabres

The Top 10 banks are building sizeable capital reserves to mitigate a looming regulatory backlash specifically aimed at FX-rate manipulation. Regardless of the penalties, "litigation and regulatory matters will remain elevated for the foreseeable future".

LME Confirmed as New Metals Ringmaster as Market Rigging Fears Take Benchmarking Digital

With palladium and platinum price 'fixing' shifting to the LME in December, is benchmark manipulation likely to be curbed or compounded? Any system or solution is only as good as its wielder.

Debt, Tax Evasion and Competing Economic Doctrines Dominate IMF and World Bank Discussions

The rate of debt acquisition has slowed but its reduction will not begin until 2019 at the earliest. Posturing and political points scoring continue to lie at the heart of Europe's bureaucracy rather than economic sense.