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  • 6 Reasons You Need A Forex Demo Account in Jordan

    If you’re new to forex trading, honing your skills through a forex demo account is essential before you start trading for real in Jordan. This article will give you 6 reasons why you might need to open a demo account. 

    Did you know that in 2018 global trading volumes in the forex market were at an all time record high? Why? Because of the volatility in the world markets, more and more people are turning to forex to trade in, in order to get a better rate of return. 

    In the US alone, over 14 million households (according to Statista) have an online trading account. The forex market turns over more than $5 trillion each and every day – if that isn’t incentive enough to get into forex trading, what is? 

    Of course this can be an incredibly daunting market to break into, which is why practicing trading through a forex demo account first, is crucial, if you don’t want to lose money making silly mistakes. 

    What is a forex demo account

    You’ve probably got a fairly good understanding of what a Jordan forex demo account is – it’s essentially a paper trading account which gives you information from live markets, simulating the real trading environment. All without putting any of your actual money at play (or at risk).

    Using a demo account allows you to start trading online quickly and easily, practicing and learning what works for you before doing it for real, with cold hard cash. 

    If this is your first time trading, then using a forex demo is a must to get a feel for what live trading is actually like, as well as to get used to the trading platform and the broker you’re using.

    How to open a forex demo account

    Opening a demo account is quick and easy. All you have to do is pick your prefered platform and in a matter of minutes you’ll have a practice forex account all set up –  ready for you to try your hand at trading currency, without losing money, should it all go horribly wrong. 

    Why trade with a demo account?

    The safety net of a demo account will be invaluable as you navigate the often confusing world of forex. By using a demo account you’ll quickly learn the ins and outs of your chosen trading platform. You can figure out your prefered trading strategy too, analysing the results once you’ve made your trades (not that this will necessarily translate through to success in the real markets). It’s a risk free way of learning how to trade on the global currency market. 

    Let’s take a look at these in more depth.

    1. Learn how to trade risk free

    When you trade with a demo account it’s identical to a live account. You’re learning to trade on the job, but without any of the risk. 

    You can put all of your trade training into practice without losing any real money. In a demo account you trade with virtual funds, and you don’t have to switch to a live account until you’re entirely comfortable trading on the demo account. 

    Most platforms also have a learning hub where if you’re new to trading you can learn how to trade for free. Even if you’re a novice, or intermediate, or even an experienced trader you should never stop learning.

    2. Get to know your trading platform

    MetaTrader4, more commonly known as MT4, is the most popular trading platform for online traders to use. It has an interface that’s been developed to handle the full range of clients that use it, making it the best tool for both beginner traders through to professional forex traders. 

    When you open a demo account you learn how to trade using this platform – how to close your trade and how to put all the different tools to best use. 

    Before you open a live account, it’s essential you’re completely familiar with the ins and outs of trading – when you go live it’s your actual capital at risk. By using a demo account you’re setting yourself up for long term financial success.  

    3. Discover your boundaries

    Trading brings out a range of emotions and you need to know where your boundaries are, and you don’t want to discover them when you’re trading with your actual money. 

    Overconfidence can carry you way beyond your comfort zone, and when you’re trading for real, this can equal devastating losses. 

    By playing around with your boundaries on the demo account, you’ll learn how to deal with euphoria and disappointment, so they don’t cloud your judgement in future trades.

    5. Develop your trading strategy

    Testing and adjusting a trading strategy is key to success. One trading strategy won’t work for all trades, such is life. You need to develop a trading strategy that allows you to be flexible and roll with the punches. You can learn and develop such a strategy, or strategies on a demo account. 

    Over time, the more trades you do, the more you’ll see what your own trading patterns look like, and you can analyse what you’re doing well and what you need to improve on. 

    Not putting your own capital at risk in a demo account means you can be as creative as you like and try all sorts of trading strategies, including really far-fetched ones and find out which work best for you.

    6. Figure out your trading routine

    Once you know your strategy, you can then figure out your trading routine. Just because you live in Jordan, doesn’t mean must you solely trade in Jordan. 

    That’s the beauty of online trading, you have access to the global forex markets. Most traders choose to trade around the opening of the big markets – Tokyo, London and New York (12am, 8am and 2.30pm GMT). However that doesn’t mean that you have to trade then. 

    You want to find a time that suits you. A time when you’re completely focused on what you’re doing – develop your routine to fit around your work and home life. The last thing you want is to make poor trading decisions because you’re distracted. 

    Finally

    Remember, forex trading is a marathon – so plan for the long term and practice, practice practice trading on a forex demo account. It’ll pay dividends in the long run.

    The post 6 Reasons You Need A Forex Demo Account in Jordan appeared first on Wall Street Survivor.

    source https://blog.wallstreetsurvivor.com/2020/05/21/6-reasons-you-need-a-forex-demo-account-in-jordan/

  • How ESG Funds Have Been Outperforming the Market

    The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact upon the world’s financial markets, but there is one sector that has fared better than most: funds that are focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies. These funds look to invest in quality companies that are also socially responsible, and that they are doing well is not by accident, nor should it be considered a short-term trend.

    While you have a myriad of good investment options available to you, ESG investing, which has been growing in popularity in recent years, is one of the more interesting and promising ones. This article describes what ESG investing is, how and why ESG funds are currently outpacing other sectors, their future outlook and how you can take advantage of this trend.

    What Is ESG Investing?

    ESG investing is different than traditional forms of investment in that the focus of investors goes beyond financial factors such as growth potential and risk. These additional factors relate to whether a company’s activities are having a positive impact upon the world. This impact can take shape in various forms, such as environmental sustainability, how it treats its customers, employees and community, and how it is structured to both encourage openness and prevent corruption.

    In essence, investors are looking for companies that not only perform well but also act well.

    Prior to the coronavirus epidemic, ESG funds had not only been growing tremendously, they had also been less volatile than standard funds.

    How and Why ESG Funds Have Lately Been Outperforming the Market

    During the coronavirus pandemic, the performance of ESG funds has been dramatic. In March of this year, Bloomberg looked at close to 3,000 ESG funds. They found that about 400 of them produced a positive return for the year even before the stock market began to rebound. Close to 50 of these even managed to produce gains of 10% or more.

    Although Bloomberg also found that the average ESG fund at the time had lost 12.2% since the beginning of the year, this represented about half the decline of the S&P 500 over the same period. An analysis from Morningstar further backed these findings. They found that 24 of the 26 ESG funds that they looked at performed better than comparable non-ESG funds during the crisis.

    Numerous factors can be credited for this performance. This includes better risk management among the companies within the funds’ portfolios, less exposure to companies related to or reliant upon fossil fuels, and a general interest among investors to support companies that are doing their part in trying to heal the world.

    The Outlook for ESG Funds

    Some may be concerned with how ESG funds will perform once the pandemic is over, especially as, in the past, these funds have only outperformed standard funds in the aftermath of crises and during years in which the stock market was experiencing a downturn. But we may find ourselves in a world that has fundamentally changed forever.

    Some now see ESG investing as a mega trend. Steen Jakobsen, who is the chief economist of Saxo Bank, has said, “For the first time since World War II we sense a shift in which climate and the environment — not growth — will become the priority of governments and their citizens, as shortages of food, clean water and air become existential questions.”

    How You Can Take Advantage of the Trend Toward ESG Investing

    You can take advantage of the trend toward ESG investing by selecting from the large number of ESG funds that are available. They come in the form of both mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with some being passive index funds that build their portfolios based on established ESG rankings and others being actively managed.

    There are also many types of ESG funds to choose from. There are broadly diversified funds as well as those that focus on either large or small companies. There are further funds that invest in foreign countries and those that operate specifically in emerging markets.

    You can additionally invest in ESG funds that focus on specific interests, such as climate change or the conservation of important resources.

    Summary

    There are very real reasons why ESG funds are performing better than other sectors during the pandemic. What’s more, there are good reasons to believe that this trend will continue even after the current crisis has subsided, making it an attractive investment option to consider.

    The post How ESG Funds Have Been Outperforming the Market appeared first on Wall Street Survivor.

    source https://blog.wallstreetsurvivor.com/2020/05/21/how-esg-funds-have-been-outperforming-the-market/

  • Trump arrives in Michigan to visit Ford plant amid political tensions

    Trump arrives in Michigan to visit Ford plant amid political tensionsPresident Donald Trump travelled on Thursday to the crucial U.S. election battleground state of Michigan to visit a Ford Motor Co plant amid hostility with its Democratic governor over how quickly to reopen its economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, seen as a potential vice presidential running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, is facing a backlash from some critics against her stay-at-home orders in a state hit hard by the last recession. Trump has encouraged anti-lockdown protests against Whitmer held in Michigan’s capital.

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  • Latest Bitcoin price and analysis (BTC to USD)

    Latest Bitcoin price and analysis (BTC to USD)Bitcoin has suffered a momentary lapse in its pursuit for a $10,000 valuation after a panicked sell-off to $9,200 yesterday evening. The move to the downside was as a result of 50BTC being moved from a wallet that has seemingly been dormant since 2009, stoking fears over whether Satoshi Nakamoto had begun to access his stash of Bitcoin. From a technical perspective Bitcoin did well to recover and continue trading above the $9,300 level of support, with a break down in price being prevented in the short term. However, as Bitcoin continues to consolidate around the current level of support it won't take a lot of bearish pressure to push it back down to $8,830. Corrections are undeniably expected especially

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  • Goldman Says Buy World’s Worst Stock Market Because Rebound Is Coming

    Goldman Says Buy World’s Worst Stock Market Because Rebound Is Coming(Bloomberg) — Goldman Sachs is bullish on the world’s hardest-hit stock market.Down more than 48% this year when measured in dollars, Brazilian stocks will benefit from growing appetite for risky assets and a recovery in commodities prices during the second half of 2020, strategists led by Kamakshya Trivedi wrote in a report dated May 20.“Brazilian equities are an ideal bounceback candidate,” the strategists said. They recommended investors go long the benchmark Ibovespa index with a target of 90,000 points, or about 9% above current levels.Investors have fled from Brazilian stocks and its currency this year as the Covid-19 pandemic battered the economy and worsened the nation’s already-fragile fiscal outlook. Assets have been further undermined by political turbulence and a lack of confidence in President Jair Bolsonaro as he downplays the coronavirus threat even as Brazil becomes the world’s hotspot for new infections.To be sure, a rally to 90,000 would still leave the Ibovespa about 22% below where it was at the end of last year.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • Pelosi Says House Will Review Bill to Delist Chinese Companies

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  • ‘Sell in May and go away’ isn’t happening this year, and that’s a good thing: Strategist

    'Sell in May and go away' isn’t happening this year, and that’s a good thing: StrategistMore investors watching stocks this summer may decrease volatility, top strategist tells Yahoo Finance

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  • 3 Big Dividend Stocks Yielding Over 7%; BMO Says ‘Buy’

    3 Big Dividend Stocks Yielding Over 7%; BMO Says ‘Buy’The rally we’re experiencing in the stock markets has become something of a sensation. While equities generally are down some 15% from their all-time high levels, reached back in February, the rebound has been substantial. The S&P 500 is almost 33% from its March 23 trough.The big factor, of course, is the coronavirus crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has – justifiably – taken the lion’s share of the news broadcasts. But that intense focus on one item has left investors with an incomplete picture. BMO Chief Investment Strategist Brian Belski has issued a report to correct this, by broadening the picture to point out other factors that are impacting markets and investor sentiment."While the COVID-19 virus is obviously still the big concern out there in the market, several others have also been recently brought up in our client interactions, including high market cap concentration atop the S&P 500, a surge in negative dividend actions by companies, and several sector weights approaching lows […] While we do believe these data trends should certainly continue to be monitored in the coming months, our analysis suggests that they may not be the roadblocks to US stock market performance moving forward that many investors appear to be expecting," Belski wrote.Belski says that the dividend stocks on the S&P 500 are still strong, and have not yet deteriorated as far as they did in the 2009 financial crisis. With the real possibility that an economic recovery may start in 2H20 – several states, including powerhouses like Texas and Florida, are moving to reopen now – this makes dividend stocks a valuable insurance policy for investors.With this in mind, we’ve used TipRanks database to pull up the details on three high-yield dividend stocks recommended by BMO analysts, in line with Belski’s report. Citizens Financial Group (CFG)We’ll start with Citizens Financial, one of the top retail banking companies in the US. Citizens offers an array of deposit, insurance, investment, and loan services in the commercial and retail segments.The company’s earnings, which had been solid in the $0.95 to $1.00 range for much of 2018 and 2019, slipped to just 9 cents per share in Q1 2020, and have a similar outlook for Q2. Through all of this, CFG has kept up its dividend. In fact, the company has raised the payment 5 times in the past three years. The current payment, at 39 cents per share quarterly, annualizes to $1.56 and gives a 7.2% yield. This compares highly favorably to the 2.16% average yield found among peers in the financial sector.The overall outlook is not perceived as grim – at least, not yet. The bank showed increased income from fees, clear gains in both mortgage and trust banking, and improvement in deposit balances. While low rates are bad for the loan business, CFG also showed an uptick in loan balances that bodes well. CFG has set up a small-business grant program, which is likely to both help the business sector most harmed by the COVID-19 epidemic and drum up longer-term business for the bank. In addition, the company has shored up its liquidity position through an issue of $1.5 billion in senior notes.Looking at the whole picture, BMO’s 5-star analyst Lana Chan says, “We believe that its capital and liquidity position appears sufficient to weather the COVID-19 related economic downturn.” In a more detailed outlook, she writes, “NII +low-mid single digits as strong loan growth more than offsets sizeable decrease in NIM, noninterest income down low-mid SDs, noninterest expense up slightly, LLP will depend on depth of recession and pace of recovery, significant loan growth reflecting commercial line draws, government programs, and increased demand in education.”Chan puts a $28 price target on CFG, backing her Buy rating. This target implies an upside for the stock of 31% in the coming year. (To watch Chan’s track record, click here)All in all, the analyst consensus view on Citizen’s Financial is a Strong Buy, based on 12 reviews that include 11 Buy and only a single Hold. Shares are deeply discounted and trading at $21.45, while the $28.50 average price target suggests an upside of 33%. (See Citizen Financial stock analysis at TipRanks)Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC)Next up is Ares Capital, an asset management company. Ares is well known for strong dividends, even in a business niche that usually pays out high yields. The company is currently paying out $1.60 annually, or 40 cents quarterly, making its dividend yield a robust 11.2%. Ares also has a history of adjusting its dividend payment to keep it in line with earnings, and sustainable.The company’s earnings, which took a hard hit from the coronavirus-inspired shutdowns, had already been trending down for three quarters – but remained in positive territory in Q1. EPS came in at 41 cents, missing the forecast by 4.6%. However, investors were heartened by the company’s lower reported expenses and positive activity in its portfolio. Ares also had taken successful efforts to shore up its liquidity position and overall balance sheet. These were seen as outweighing the generally expected drop in earnings.BMO’s Lana Chan was impressed by the company’s cash position. She noted, “ARCC currently has ~$460 million in cash and $2.1 billion in undrawn credit commitments. This gives it flexibility to support existing borrowers (with tighter loan documentation) and dry powder to take advantage of mis-priced opportunities (including select credit investments, large portfolios, or M&A). This extra liquidity and capital strength has the power to be a differentiating factor among BDCs…”While keeping her Buy rating on this stock, Chan lowered her price target to $16 – but this still indicates confidence in an 12% upside potential. (To watch Chan’s track record, click here)Ares Capital has a unanimous Strong Buy analyst consensus rating, based on no fewer than 14 Buy reviews. The stock’s price is trading at $14.36, and the average price target implies a modest upside of 6.4%. (See Ares Capital stock analysis at TipRanks)WP Carey & Company (WPC)You can’t talk about dividend stocks without at least mentioning one real estate investment trust. REITs are known high-performers among dividend plays, and WP Carey, with a market cap exceeding $10 billion, is one of the larger companies in the niche. The company specializes in commercial real estate, leasing properties long-term to clients in the US, and Northern and Western Europe.While most companies saw a steep earnings hit in Q1, due to this year’s pandemic, WPC managed to avoid that. The long-term nature of the company’s leases provided insulation, and Q1 FFO (funds from operations) came in at $1.25, beating the forecast by 5%, and broadly in-line with the previous five quarters’ income reports.WPC is currently paying out $1.04 per share in quarterly dividends, which annualizes to $4.16 and produces a strong yield of 7%. Like the stocks above, this dividend is sharp – and favorable – contrast to the average yields found among peer companies. WPC has a history of reliable payments, and has grown the dividend gradually over the past 6 years. The payout ratio is 83%, comparable to other REITs, and indicating that the payments are affordable at current income levels.WPC impressed BMO’s Jeremy Metz, and the analyst set a $70 price target, suggesting a 13% upside, to back his Buy rating. (To watch Metz’s track record, click here)In his comments, Metz wrote, “Our bull case on WPC in the current environment has been its revenue composition with limited relative exposure to retail, and at risk retail in particular (~2%)… the balance sheet/ liquidity remains in good shape.”Wall Street is both bullish and cautious on this stock. The Moderate Buy consensus rating is based on 2 Buy and 1 Hold set in recent months, while the $62 average price target projects a minimal upside – less than 1%. The share price has been mostly range-bound since early April, suggesting that it has found resistance at the average price target level. (See WPC stock analysis at TipRanks)To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.

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  • Canada’s Shopify CEO says era of ‘office centricity is over; most staff to permanently work from home

    Canada's Shopify CEO says era of 'office centricity is over; most staff to permanently work from homeOttawa-based Shopify, which briefly became Canada’s most valuable company earlier this month, had more than 5,000 employees and contractors worldwide as of December. “As of today, Shopify is a digital by default,” Tobi Lutke, who is also the founder of Shopify, said in a tweet. “Office centricity is over.”

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  • What AstraZeneca’s $1B funding for Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine means for the U.S.

    What AstraZeneca's $1B funding for Oxford's coronavirus vaccine means for the U.S.Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca secures $1.2 billon to produce the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine. Yahoo Finance’s Anjalee Khemlani breaks down the latest developments.

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