Stock market Experts: Stock Rally continues

Most stock experts have the opinion that there are more positive than negative things that affect the stock market right now, and many believe further price increases are ahead.

Spirits are at top in the global equity markets. The stock rates whiz in the air, and in several places the one record follows the other. The development follows a 2012, which was also an almost terrific year for equities where market prices in general increased by 22 percent. So it has been a good investment to put your savings in stocks in recent years.

“Fortune tellers” predict continued decline for gold

Societe Generale had the second April hardly expected that their forecasts for the end of 2013 should be fulfilled after only 13 calendar days.

The 2nd of April, the finance house Societe Generale published an analysis titled "The end of the gold era". In this the financial services company announced the expectation that the price of gold was facing a collapse, with a marked decline as a result. Their assessment at this time was that gold would fall from the current 1575 USD per. ounce to 1375 USD per. ounce at the end of 2013. Compared to the price at the end of 2012 it had the 2nd of April already droped almost 100 USD per. ounce from 1673 USD per. ounce to 1575 USD per. ounce, but this was a steady and slowly drop over three months.

Currency: Euro strengthened on ECB comments

The European Central Bank on Thursday kept the benchmark interest rate on the main refinancing operations at 0.75 percent. This was not a surprise from the ECB as the only few individual analysts and economists had expected a reduction in European interest rates.

Europe: German court voting in favor of participation in the ESM

The German Constitutional Court has approved its participation in the European Stability Mechanism, ESM.

Currency: Euro pushed up by poor job report

The past week has been in the common European currency's favor, and Friday the enthusiasm for the euro had no end.

For not only did the European Central Bank Thursday put heavy lines in the currency as one of the three major global currency units. The central bank also launched a European version of the American "operation twist" with the purchase of short-term bonds from the debt-ridden southern European countries.

Europe: ECB opened the floodgates

There was distinct relief in European markets after the ECB's presentation of a rescue plan for the euro and the debt-ridden southern European countries. After days of anxious waiting markets could relate to something real, and the investors were not disappointed. Quite the contrary. The wait was finally over, and it created intense activity and sharply rising prices.

Europe: Cautious dance before the ECB meeting

With the exception of London's FTSE 100 index, which fell 0.3 percent, there were generally small increases on the European stock markets on Wednesday.

The general European Stoxx 600 index rose by 0.1 per cent. to 265.56 after taking small jumps up during the day. Among the index stocks, the British soft drinks manufacturer Britvic rose to the top with an increase of 12.6 percent to 369.9 pence. The increase began early in the day, when Bloomberg News reported that there is talk of a merger with soft drink competitor AG Barr, which among other things produces the popular Orangina-soft drink.

Currency: Speculation on the ECB's intentions strengthens euro

Euro strengthened against the dollar and the yen on Tuesday morning on speculation that the ECB's president, Mario Draghi, will give the debt-ridden euro countries a helping hand by buying their bonds in the market.

According to Jean-Paul Gauze, who sits in the European Parliament for France, Mario Draghi said to the European parliament that he was open to the possibility of buying government bonds years in the market with a maturity of up to three.

Moody's: EU credit in the balance

The credit rating of the EU is in danger of being lowered.

The rating agency Moody's said that it has changed its outlook for the current assessment of the EU in a negative direction. It is usually a warning that creditworthiness will soon be downgraded.

Currency: Utter silence ahead of the ECB meeting Thursday

If there was quiet in the international currency markets late last week, there is deafening silence Monday. The market responded only briefly to chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke's speech on the financial summit in Jackson Hole on Friday night.