Market news & insights

GO Markets is pleased to announce our partnership with Currencycloud, the experts in simplifying business in a multi-currency world, to streamline and automate client deposits and withdrawals while benefiting from real-time, API-driven competitive FX rates. By integrating Currencycloud’s APIs, GO Markets can now offer a seamless and cost-effective service to its global clients. With access to a virtual multi-currency account, GO Markets can accept wire payments across a host of local and SWIFT payment rails while benefiting from the automated upload of funds that the Currencycloud platform enables, making the reconciliation process faster and more accurate than ever.

Nick Briscoe, Country Manager, Australia, Currencycloud, says of the partnership, “We are delighted to be part of GO Markets’ customer-focused solution, helping clients make the most of global investment opportunities. We look forward to enabling GO Markets’ expansion plans as they add new currencies, jurisdictions, and products to their repertoire.” “We are committed to providing our clients with a best-in-class trading experience. Integrating Currencycloud enables us to do just that.

We can now provide our clients with a complete global trading experience with expanded funding and withdrawal options. What’s more, the real-time FX liquidity, which Currencycloud provides, will enable us to open new markets for our clients,” said Soyeb Rangwala, GO Markets Director.

Backwardation and contango are terms used in the context of futures markets to describe the relationship between the prices of futures contracts with different expiration dates for a specific underlying asset, such as commodities, currencies, or financial instruments. In this article, we aim to explain these terms within the context of futures contracts. Futures Contracts Revised Let's start with a brief overview of futures contracts.

A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price at a specified time in the future. These contracts are traded on organized futures exchanges and can relate to a wide variety of underlying assets, including commodities, currencies, stock indices, interest rates, and more. Futures contracts can be settled in two ways: either through physical delivery, where the underlying asset is physically delivered on the specified date, or through cash settlement, where the difference between the contract price and the market price on the settlement date is paid in cash.

Each futures contract expires on the third business day prior to the 25th calendar day of the month preceding the delivery month. There are five key components of a futures contract namely: Underlying Asset: The specific commodity, currency, or financial instrument being bought or sold. Quantity: The amount or size of the underlying asset in the contract.

Price: The price agreed upon today for the asset's delivery at a future date. Delivery Date: The future date on which the asset will be delivered or settled. Delivery Location (if applicable): The place where the physical asset will be delivered if the contract involves physical delivery.

Futures contract participants are generally of three types Hedgers: Futures contracts can be used to mitigate the risk of adverse price movements in an underlying asset. For example, airline companies, which use a lot of fuel and are sensitive to changes in oil prices, can buy oil futures to lock in current prices and protect themselves against future price hikes. If oil prices increase, the gains from the futures contract can offset the increase in fuel costs.

Speculators: These are traders who seek profits by predicting market movements and opening positions accordingly. For example, a forex trader might think that the EUR/USD currency pair is going to rise in the next week based on economic indicators. The trader buys a futures contract on EUR/USD with the expectation of selling it later at a higher price.

Arbitrageurs: These individuals aim to profit from price discrepancies in different markets or times. For instance, if natural gas is trading at $3.00 per million BTU in the U.S. market and at $3.10 in the European market, an arbitrageur could buy natural gas futures in the U.S. market and simultaneously sell in the European market, profiting from the price difference. What are Backwardation and Contango?

Backwardation and contango describe the relationship between the spot price of an asset and the prices of multiple futures contracts for that same underlying asset with different expiration dates. Simply put, these states are determined by more than one price level. Backwardation Backwardation occurs when the futures prices for contracts with near-term expiration dates are higher than the prices for contracts with later expiration dates.

This situation suggests that the market anticipates a shortage of the underlying asset in the near future. Reasons for backwardation include: Supply Concerns: If there are expectations of a supply disruption or scarcity of the underlying asset in the near term, the immediate futures contracts might be bid up in price relative to those further out. Storage Costs: For commodities with carrying costs, such as storage costs for physical delivery, backwardation can occur when the convenience of holding the physical asset immediately outweighs the cost of holding it for delivery in the future.

Immediate Demand: If there is strong demand for the physical asset in the current period, futures contracts that reflect this demand might trade at a premium. Contango Contango refers to a situation in which the futures prices for contracts with later expiration dates are higher than the prices for contracts with nearer expiration dates. Contango suggests that the market expects the supply and demand dynamics of the underlying asset to be more balanced in the near term and potentially oversupplied in the future.

Reasons for contango include: Storage and Carrying Costs: If the cost of storing the physical asset for delivery in the future is higher, it can result in contango, as later contracts would need to compensate for these costs. Interest Rates: In some cases, the yield curve and interest rates might influence contango. If the cost of borrowing to buy the physical asset is lower than the expected gains from holding it, contango can occur.

Market Sentiment: Contango can also emerge from market sentiment indicating that the current supply-demand balance is sufficient, but future uncertainties might lead to a higher price expectation. The Futures Curve Backwardation and contango are often illustrated through the use of a futures curve, which shows how the prices of futures contracts change over different time horizons. This curve begins with the current spot price and includes the prices of futures contracts with various expiration dates.

By connecting these points, the curve's shape—whether in backwardation or contango—reveals market expectations about future supply and demand, the cost of carry, interest rates, and other factors. Oil futures Example The following table below shows a snapshot of oil futures prices from August 2023. Expiry Month Futures Prices by Expiry Month Sep-23 81.4 Oct-23 80.73 Nov-23 80.22 Dec-23 79.81 Jan-24 79.32 Feb-24 78.92 Mar-24 78.57 Apr-24 78.11 May-24 77.75 Jun-24 77.39 Jul-24 76.98 Aug-24 76.56 Sep-24 76.19 Oct-24 75.82 Nov-24 75.5 Dec-24 75.17 Although this is useful, the picture is far clearer when these prices are plotted on a graph (See below) As you can see the slope is downwards and so would be described as in backwardation.

Where Can I Get Information on the Curve? Most major financial exchanges that trade commodity futures, such as CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), provide information on current futures curves. Conclusion Contango and backwardation are relevant to a wide spectrum of market participants, from speculative traders to long-term investors and from individual investors to companies and institutional entities.

Understanding these market conditions is valuable for decision-making, risk management, and identifying potential opportunities. GO Markets offers a wide range of CFD futures contracts that you can trade on platforms like MT4 and MT5, and we would be delighted to assist you with any questions you may have.

What is a P/E Ratio? The Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio is a indicative valuation metric that measures a company's current share price relative to its earnings per share (EPS). It is relatively simple calculation and is simply worked out through dividing the current share price by the Earnings per share.

There are two common variations of the P/E ratio: Trailing P/E: Based on the past 12 months of earnings. Forward P/E: Based on analysts' forecasts of earnings for the next 12 months. Why is it Potentially Important?

Valuation Insight: The P/E ratio may help investors assess whether a stock is overvalued or undervalued relative to its earnings. In simple terms, a high P/E ratio might indicate that the stock is overvalued, while a low P/E ratio could suggest undervaluation.It is not only the number itself which may be important but also the underlying trend of how PE ratio may be decreasing or increasing which is worth consideration. Comparative Analysis: By comparing the P/E ratios of different companies within the same industry, it is suggested that investors can identify relative bargains or expensive stocks.

This issue of the same industry is an important point. If we look at the PE ratio of the S&P500 as a whole the forward 12-month P/E ratio (August 2023) for the S&P 500 is 19.2 (For context the 10 year average is 17.4).However, to look at this number as a benchmark for valuation judgements on a specific company is flawed as if we look at the trailing and forward PE of individual sectors it tells a very different story. The table below provides this (as of August 2023) to illustrate this point (source: Finviz.com).

PE Forward PE Energy 7.21 9.55 Financial 13.41 12.34 Basic Materials 13.74 17.02 Utilities 18.57 2.97 Industrials 20.56 16.45 Healthcare 20.9 17.51 Consumer Cyclical 22.45 20.93 Consumer Defensive 23.08 20.49 Communication 24.9 16.98 Real Estate 30.72 27.64 Technology 34.33 22.62 As you can see, there is a gross disparity between sectors. Comparing two companies' P/E ratios is like comparing apples with oranges. Therefore, consideration against the sector norm is a far more legitimate comparison than against either the index as a whole, any random stock, or an arbitrary number e.g. above or below 10.

Market Sentiment: The P/E ratio also reflects market expectations to some degree. A high P/E ratio may indicate optimism about a company's growth prospects, while a low P/E ratio might reflect pessimism. However, many would question using P/E ratios alone as a measure of this without the context of other data.

Viewing a P/E ratio without some reference to growth numbers and trends is an approach that is unlikely to yield good outcomes. Factors Contributing to a Rising or Falling P/E Ratio Earnings Growth and Stock Price Movement: Although there are minute-on-minute small fluctuations in price, and thus P/E ratios, clearly the most influential time in terms of moves in P/E ratios is that of earnings releases. At this time, both trailing and expected forward EPS will be recalibrated, and significant changes may be seen in the P/E ratio.If a company's earnings grow and the stock price stays the same, the P/E ratio will fall, reflecting a company at value.

Conversely, if earnings fall and the stock price rises, then the P/E ratio will rise, potentially indicating overvaluation. It would seem logical, if earnings are imminent, to reserve judgment on valuation until after any such news. Market Expectations: If the market becomes more optimistic about a company's growth prospects, investors might be willing to pay more for the stock, increasing its P/E ratio.

For example, with a policy shift to increase renewable energy, it would be reasonable to expect forward growth expectations to rise across the board for all stocks in that sector, rather than perceiving a particular stock as overvalued.However, if growth and P/E ratio are rising because of a specific competitive advantage for that company, then it is not necessarily indicative of overvaluation despite the high P/E. Judging based on a high P/E ratio alone could lead to significant missed opportunities. Once again, this reiterates the need to look beyond just a simple P/E ratio to make judgments.

Interest Rates: Lower interest rates often lead to higher P/E ratios, as investors are more inclined to invest in equities. Conversely, higher interest rates usually lead to lower P/E ratios, as bond yields become more attractive than the dividend yield offered by many stocks, and interest rate hikes potentially impact sales, the cost of servicing debt, and subsequent potential impact on earnings. Traditionally, growth stocks are likely to be more interest-rate-sensitive, and therefore the impact on stock price and P/E ratios may differ from sector to sector, and depending on whether business is conducted locally versus globally.

Economic Conditions: A strong economy might lead to rising earnings expectations and P/E ratios. Conversely, economic uncertainty or recession might cause P/E ratios to fall. Key data trends are likely to be a useful gauge.

This is particularly the case for the “big” data points such as GDP, CPI and jobs data. Other Company-Specific Factors: Changes in management, product launches, legal issues, or other company-specific news can affect both the current stock price and anticipated effect on earnings, thus impacting the P/E ratio.As many of these types of corporate events are unpredictable, when they do occur, it merits not only an evaluation of any prospective investment ideas but also of currently open positions when the P/E ratio may have been part of your decision-making process. In summary, although the P/E ratio is noteworthy for many investors, judging value and entering a stock with a low P/E ratio requires a rigorous and systematic approach, blending both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the issues discussed above.

A simple approach of comparing the P/E ratio of one company against another is unlikely to produce good outcomes. Focusing purely on this may mean that a low P/E ratio may be indicative of a company whose outlook is far from favourable, subjecting you to risk. Conversely, a high P/E ratio alone may not only indicate overvaluation compared to the current price but may also signify a company whose growth prospects are very positive.

Ignoring this based on the P/E ratio alone may result in missing out on opportunity. For those interested in a further exploration of evaluation of stocks with a low PE ratio, we have published an article that may help. “Look before you leap..FIVE reasons why a low PE may be a reason NOT to jump in” and can be accessed HERE

GO Markets has won three awards in this year’s Global Forex Awards; Best Forex Fintech Broker - Global Best Forex Trading Support - Asia Most Trusted Broker - Europe The Global Forex Awards recognise forex and related businesses from around the world, “who are pushing the boundaries of innovation in retail forex trading solutions.” GO Markets COO & Director Khim Khor said, “We are very pleased to receive these 3 awards, which recognise the efforts our business is making to constantly improve our services globally. At GO Markets, we are committed to providing outstanding trading experience and customer service to all our clients globally. Being recognized as the Best Forex Fintech Broker also highlights our dedication to innovation and progression.

We hope these awards will help to solidify our market position as the most trusted global broker." Hosted by Holiston Media, the awards are now in their fifth year. With 58 categories, the awards highlight those businesses at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, low-cost trading, comprehensive market research tools, advanced educational programs and world-class customer service for direct to consumer/trader businesses. “Well done to each and every one of this year’s winners. They have proven they are at the very top of their game in the global forex retail industry.

The Global Forex Awards 2022 - Retail are a true benchmark for success that will not only impress potential new customers, but will also boost existing client comfort and loyalty, ” said Mike Boydell, Director of Holiston Media. GO Markets Global Head of Operations, Yaazdee Jaunbocus, accepted the awards at a celebration in Cyprus last week. “It’s fantastic to see GO Markets recognised on a global stage, with acknowledgement of our customer support and trustworthiness as a business; two areas in particular that we focus a lot of our attention on. It was a pleasure to attend the awards ceremony last week and accept these awards on GO Markets’ behalf,” said Yaazdee.

Learn more about the Global Forex Awards here.

As traders and investors one of the important facts you need to get to grips with is the difference between Consensus (sometimes termed “expected”) and actual data. Variations in these can have a profound impact on asset prices and so are often part of your decision-making. In financial markets, the "consensus" refers to the average or median expectation of market analysts, economists, or other experts regarding a specific economic indicator or financial metric, such as corporate earnings, or market data that is indicative of economic growth or contraction.

The "actual data" refers to the real value of that indicator or metric as it is released by the relevant source, such as a government agency or a company. The market response to the difference between consensus and actual data can vary significantly and depends on several factors: Surprise Factor: The extent to which the actual data differs from the consensus is often referred to as the "surprise." If the actual data is significantly different from the consensus, it can lead to a stronger market response. A larger surprise could result in more pronounced market movements.

Direction of Surprise: Whether the actual data is better or worse than the consensus also matters. For example, if economic data is better than expected it might lead to positive share market reactions, as it indicates a healthier economy. Conversely, worse-than-expected data could lead to negative market reactions.

However, it is worth pointing out that this is a little simplistic, as it is the reality that different asset classes may respond in contrary directions. A prime example of this would be data that impacts positively on the USD (e.g. higher than expected interest rate decision), is likely to have the opposite impact on gold price. Importance of the Indicator: Some economic indicators have a more significant impact on market sentiment and investor behaviour than others.

For example, employment numbers, GDP growth, and central bank interest rate decisions are typically closely watched and can trigger significant market movements. Conversely, auto sales numbers as an example. are less likely to impact on the market overall but may impact primary on car manufacturers. Most economic calendars have a grading of market sensitivity to data to help the trader.

Underlying Market Sentiment: Market sentiment, which includes factors like investor psychology, risk appetite, and current trends, can influence how traders and investors react to economic data releases. Positive sentiment might mitigate negative reactions to negative surprises, or vice versa. You may hear some market commentators refer to ‘good news’ really being ‘bad news’ for the market.

For example, in an interest rate sensitive environment, strong jobs data, although logically one would assume is good news may mean it is more likely that a central bank is in a more favourable position to raise rates and therefore may have a negative impact on the stock market. Economic Context: Related to the above the broader economic and geopolitical context also plays a role. Market participants might interpret data differently based on prevailing economic conditions, global events, or the current stage of the business cycle.

Long-Term vs. Short-Term Impact: The immediate market response to data releases can be volatile and short-lived. However, if the data implies a shift in the underlying economic trajectory, it might have longer-term effects on market trends.

Therefore, if a longer-term investor rather than short term trader you will view economic data releases very differently. Sector and Asset Class: Different sectors and asset classes can react differently to economic data releases. For example, currency markets will be particularly sensitive to central bank decisions and interest rate expectations (or those data points which may influence such decisions e,g, jobs data), while equity markets although may fluctuate significantly to the same data are likely to react more strongly to corporate earnings reports.

In summary, the actual market response can include fluctuations in stock prices, bond yields, currency exchange rates, commodity prices, and more. Rapid and significant market movements can occur within seconds of a data release, but these may be short lived. As a trader/investor, recognising that data is unpredictable, there is two key tactics to employ, namely: Ensure you have access to and use an economic data calendar and know earnings dates of stocks you are in, so you have awareness of significant data releases prior to these happening.

This means you are able to make judgments about any potential risk management actions you should take. As part of your decision-making process make a judgment as to the potential degree to which data may have on your open positions and take remedial action as required, including portfolio balancing and appropriate position adjustment. We always discuss the potential and actual impact of economic data both before and after release at our daily LIVE update webinar sessions.

You are very welcome to join us every lunchtime (AEST) to get the latest events that may impact on your decision making. Check out our Education Hub for more information. (Keywords: Market data, economic data.)

The word Populism is probably the buzzword at the World Economic Forum this year. The headlines this week were heavily dominated by the concerns of the rise of populism around the globe. “Brazil’s Bolsonaro is the Face of Populism at the Davos Forum” “Merkel encourages multilateralism in the face of populism…” “Chrystia Freelans decries the rise of populism…” “Is Davos listening? Populist wind blows over…” “Business leaders concerned about the rise of US nationalism, populism…” This year, three Western Leaders are not present, and the reason behind it is tilted towards the issue of populism.

This is actually a “ Strong Message ” for the financial markets. The United States is not in attendance due to the shutdown related to the funding of the Wall. President Trump is taking a hard line on immigration and trade.

The United Kingdom is trapped with Brexit. Theresa May abstained from the forum as Brexit uncertainties linger. The UK leaving the European Union is the notable example of the rise of populism based on the desire to regain control over immigration and national sovereignty.

France is being rattled by the “yellow vests” protests which initially begun because of the fuel tax hikes and mean well. However, as it lingers through more than two months, there are concerns that it has given rise to populist strategies in French Is Populism a headwind for Economic Growth and the Markets? The IMF recently flagged how policies need to be adjusted to face the slowing global growth amid rising risks and has called for multilateral cooperation to tackle protectionism and trade tensions.

The message echoed the fears of the rise in populism in the markets. The concept of populist parties and economic growth can be complexed as the effects need to be assessed on the short-term and long-term basis. Populist political parties sometimes come with a fiscal spending policy that stimulates the economy in the short-term, similar to the outperformance of the US economy.

The Trump administration has boosted growth, business and consumer confidence and reduced unemployment through various policies such as tax cuts. However, populist parties often come with protectionism measures and anti-immigration policy which is a hindrance for long-term economic growth. Domestic economies are not able to reap the benefits that normally come with globalization which means that trade restrictions and labour immobility can create a stagflationary environment.

The US is the example of how the US economy bolstered during the first two years of Trump’s presidency mostly driven by fiscal spending, but the growth is expecting to slow down due to the gridlock in Washington. Similarly, the spread in populist parties has prompted market angst in the European markets. European shares have been underperforming compared to the global markets.

The % change for a year shows that the fall in major European equities – Euro Stoxx 50, FTSE100, the Dax and the CAC 40 is deeper compared to the US or Australian equity benchmark. Source: Bloomberg The shared currency is also under pressure. A look at the graph below shows that since the beginning of the year, major currencies are in the green against the US dollar compared to the Euro.

A combination of weak data, domestic political challenges and a rise in populism are weighing heavily on the Eurozone outlook. Populism and Emerging Countries The list of headwinds that the Emerging markets have to deal with over the past year is long: US Rising rates and the Fed Trade tensions The rout in oil markets Populist parties Without any doubt, we saw EM crashing last year on the three main points listed above. Populism is another significant point to monitor.

Emerging economies are the ones who benefitted the most from globalization. Trade barriers can have a big impact, and EMs rely heavily on exports to developed countries. Populism is among the most significant risks to the financial markets which are increasing the risk of triggering a crisis.