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Please see the expected dividend adjustment figures for a number of our major indices for the week commencing 27th December 2021. These are projected dividends and likely to change. IG cannot be held responsible for any changes made.

Spiking inflation has been a hot-button topic in 2021, but U.S. Treasury yields have actually declined in recent weeks, suggesting there may be more to this story than meets the eye.

The primitive forces of capitalism rule markets like the laws of gravity. Buyers and sellers provoke a battle to find a happy medium agreement in every financial market. As prices dance around on charts, traders are often looking for reasons to explain price movements however, the underlying source of price movement boils down to the relationship between supply and demand.

FOMO – Fear of Missing Out - is a relatively recent addition to the English language, but one that is intrinsic to our day-to-day lives. A true phenomenon of the modern digital age, FOMO affects 69% of millennials, but it can also have a significant bearing upon trading practices.

The COT report is a weekly sentiment report that can provide forex traders with important information on the positioning of currency pairs. Issued by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) the COT report can be cross-referenced with a trader’s underlying forex strategy.

Nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, reported daily infections are rising again as the omicron variant spreads rapidly around the world, in countries ranging from the U.S. and the U.K. to South Africa and Australia.

What is a virus, How they spread, & How they make us sick? By IG Community member skyreach.

FTSE 100 and GBP/USD Price, Chart, and Analysis:
Omicron may not be as severe as the Delta variant, according to recent studies.
US Q3 GDP data beat market expectations.

Gold investors saw back-to-back double digit returns for 2019 and 2020, at 18% and 25% respectively. Perhaps more impressive were the returns of the gold miner ETFs which outpaced both the Gold ETF (GLD) and S&P 500 (SPY) for the 2019, 2020 stretch. Whether utilizing the larger gold miners (GDX) or the small-cap, “junior” miners (GDXJ), investor had an impressive two-year run as miners were seemingly propelled by general stock index euphoria, coupled with a rising price of gold.

The Harami candlestick pattern is frequently used in forex trading to identify trend reversals or extensions. Technical traders respect the indications produced by the Harami candle which makes this pattern invaluable in a trader’s arsenal. This article will cover the following principal topics outlining the Harami candlestick pattern in forex

GBP/USD Price, Chart, and Analysis:
Mixed UK Q3 GDP data lends Sterling a small bid.
Market liquidity continues to thin ahead of the holiday period.

A trading journal is a log that you can use to record your trades. Traders use a trading journal to reflect upon previous trades so that they may evaluate themselves, and you should too! You can use journals to evaluate where you can improve your trading. They are a useful form of record keeping.

Whether you want to blame it on the spread of the Omicron variant and impending global lockdowns or the upcoming slowdown of the Federal Reserve’s asset purchase program, the broad stock indices are taking a turn. Gone are the days of back-to-back, nonstop rallies in the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100 and Russell 2000, for now at least. The S&P and Nasdaq hit all-time highs on November 22nd, while the Russell found its high on the 8th of November. Since then, all three are in rougher shape with the Russell down almost 12% off of the high.

Agriculture is one of the world’s oldest markets. Though it’s been negatively affected by COVID-19, it’s made an impressive recovery. Check out the agribusiness stocks to consider in 2022.

When the UK first entered lockdown on 23 March 2020, the FTSE 100 had just collapsed 30% in the space of a month. With the Omicron variant surging, could a January lockdown cause a similar fall?

Implementing a trading checklist is a vital part of the trading process because it helps traders to stay disciplined, stick to the trading plan, and builds confidence. Maintaining a trading checklist presents traders with a list of questions that traders need to answer before executing trades.

GBP, FTSE 100, FTSE 250, BOE Analysis and News:
BoE Rate Liftoff Despite BoE’s Cautious Communication.
Historical Performance of UK Assets During BoE Hiking Cycles.

SPDR S&P 500 ETF, NASDAQ 100, VIX AND MONETARY POLICY TALKING POINTS:
The S&P 500 completed a volatile range swing to end this past week, but the index clearly lacks for an explicit bearing.
In a mirror to the S&P 500, the Dollar’s rally has pushed the upper boundary of its own multi-week range without committing to a clear trend.
While there is some notable event risk and open-ended themes like monetary policy ahead, the name of the game is liquidity until the new year.

TRADING GOALS - MAIN TALKING POINTS: Why set trading goals? What your trading goals shouldn't be. The effectiveness of process-oriented goals. Goal tracking and measuring your progress.

The next two weeks are, as is usual, quite. Only Nike on 20 December is of note on the corporate front. Meanwhile, US durable goods orders in the first week, and then Chinese PMI data right at the end of the year, provide the only real major economic events to watch.

GBP/USD PRICE, CHART, AND ANALYSIS
Tories lose the North Shropshire seat for the first time in nearly 200 years.
UK PM Johnson is under increasing pressure.
Sterling is underpinned by a supportive macro backdrop.

There are many types of forex traders, and each demands a different approach. Whether you choose the fast-paced sprint of day trading or the prolonged marathon of position trading, selecting the right style for you will maximize your chance of success. Read on to learn more about the types of forex traders active in the world’s largest market.

The US Federal Reserve has announced a reduction in policy support at its final meeting of 2021. However, the markets have reacted positively to the move.

BANK OF ENGLAND, GBP PRICE, NEWS AND ANALYSIS:
The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee has voted by eight votes to one to increase UK Bank Rate to 0.25% from 0.1%.
The initial reaction to the news was a jump in GBP/USD as the markets were undecided beforehand whether the MPC would raise rates or leave them unchanged.

The Bank of Japan is set to hold their monetary meeting across 16 – 17 December 2021, with the meeting bringing about a review of its Covid-19 business financing aid package.