The following is a guest post.
If you’re interested in expanding your online portfolio and venturing into the world of stocks, shares and forex then you need to be fully aware of what’s affecting the markets. People who invest in forex and have a stock portfolio can generate large amounts of profit but, the risks are also high. Due to this, you must be fully aware of what’s happening in the markets. Here’s what’s been affecting and influencing trends this week.
The Syrian Conflict and the case for Western intervention:
With David Cameron losing a preliminary vote on the use of potential British force in Syria, America has (for now at least) been forced towards a solo mission. Although this vote is non-binding, it does still significantly lower the chances of British involvement without a UN resolution. UK intervention could be entirely dependent on whether we are provided with a definitive answer as to whether President Assad is using chemical weapons.
In addition, the lack of a clear mandate from the UN has led to severe levels of concern from several voices in Western nations. It is clear that the UK in particular is still scarred by the legacy of the Iraq war and that they’re wary of taking action as a result. This, however, doesn’t mean that strikes will not occur in the future and Western forces still remain in the area ready to strike if commanded to do so.
As a direct result of this, we have seen President Obama and the US begin to develop plans that are not reliant on other forces- it appears as though America (if necessary) is willing to go it alone.
There remains, however, a lack of immediacy in the planning of strikes as UN inspectors are now not scheduled to leave the country until Saturday, thus cooling the prospect of an impending conflict.
The standpoint of Syrian allies such as Russia and Iran looks as though it will be crucial in dictating the terms of the conflict. If such a conflict expands onto a global scale then this will affect stock prices, especially the price of commodities such as oil.
Joshua Mahony of www.alpari.com has found that “The Brent crude rise throughout recent weeks has seen prices hit a six month high around $117, with a clear possibility of higher prices should the Syrian conflict escalate.”
Economic stability and the likelihood of Fed tapering:
Of late, we have seen an increasingly bright outlook for the dollar, with recent data suggesting that Fed tapering could come as early as September.
The headline GDP rate has risen to 2.5% for Q2 and indicators such as this will be key for FOMC decision-makers who will discuss possible tapering this month. Despite the broadly positive outlook, markets are mixed with regard to tapering as there remains a relative lack of data which fails to provide a full picture of the economy.
Both of these events have led to the creation of a mixed market and, although stable for now, the findings of both the UN Weapons Inspectors and the FOMC could both impact the markets hugely, although in very different ways.
Photo by Aleksandar Mijatovic/ShutterStock.