Financial Betting Articles

Sanity prevailed last week as Merv King sent down 'the one that went straight on' - a 0.25% interest rate rise - and I was there to imperiously smash it back over his head for six. Despite the change being predicted, the FTSE still shed 25.5 ticks. Glad to see many of you sensibly picked the Daily Down bet and to the rest of you, oh how I wish you could have been there with me on that one!

This week inflation and unemployment are on the agenda. Come Friday, a clearer picture of the health of the UK economy will have emerged. Inflation data comes in the form of the Consumer, Retail and Producer Price Indices. Wednesday's Bank of England report will indicate their view on where the interest rate needs to go to deal with inflation. Inflation - Bad News - Back the fall. It's easier than whistling - you know how to whistle right?

Employment data on both sides of the Atlantic will give another indication of how the two economies are faring. First rule of economics - Moochers are not spenders (except at PoundMart). The more work-nags trammeled into service, the higher production and spending on shiny horse brasses, so you know profits and markets are going to climb higher. But whoa there! If the economy is nearing full employment, inflation is on the cards and so is an interest rate rise. This is more fun than betting on the gee-gees!

Monday sees UK house price data. The UK economy is more sensitive to its housing market than most, probably because we are such a tiny little (but incredibly mighty) island. Consumers spend more when their house value rises, making them feel wealthy. The Bank likes to keep house prices in check, as they can cause the whole economy to overheat.

It's a maelstrom of market moving messages - a week where big news could see startling turn-arounds in the blink of an eye. I suggest you get out there and use your moxie to find out which way the wind blows. Then what? Well visit ChoiceOdds.com and stick your Pound on a sou'sou'wester weatherman!

Mysteriously, on CPI day 21st February in the US, Wall Street finished level for only the fifth time in a decade.

After the last shock CPI result of 3.1% on 17 April, the FTSE fell for three days running.

Wall Street is on the roll of a lifetime at the moment - it has put on 2000 ticks in ten months. It previously took two years to add just 1000 ticks.

If you take the year Notorious B.I.G. was born (1972) from the number of Test runs scored by Geoffrey Boycott (8114 so far) and multiply the product (6142) by the number of games per goal scored by Sir Bobby Charlton for England (106/49 = 2.16, again career to date), then you get 13,266.72 - which is what Wall Street was trading at sometime on Friday afternoon. Don't ask me, I don't make the rules!

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