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The most recent World Payments Report projected mobile payments will expand globally from 4.6 billion transactions in 2010 to 15.3 billion in 2013 – a growth rate of 48.8 percent per year. Last month, market intelligence firm IE Market Research projected the global value of such transactions will reach $945 billion in 2015, compared to $31.5 billion last year.

It’s clear, mobile payment technology is the future of payments. But what is it? Where are they being adopted? And who are the main players?

Mobile payment, in a general sense, refers to any sort of financial or monetary transaction that is handled through a mobile device – be it a smartphone or a tablet computer. However, the more sensational and groundbreaking aspect of mobile payment technology is the ability of consumers to use their phones as wallets, wherein users can scan a compatible device with their phone to make a purchase. This

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“If you are expecting the market to rise, the risk is relatively small and you are seeking substantial long-term wins.  If you are expecting the market to fall, then you would have to wait until you actually see it falling… The true trend of the market is found in the longer-term charts.  I have always felt that the big money is made by finding the time frame in which you can see and trade the trend.  Sometimes it is as small a time frame as a 15-minute chart, perhaps even less.  But at other times, it requires stepping up to the very largest time frames.”   – Joe Ross Hello: Nicolas Darvas was one of the past market wizards (thanks to Mr. Ralf Kraemer for shedding more light on Darvas’ trading method). Though, he embarked on a multi-year world tour, he maintained constant communication with his broker. He understood the nature of the market. To him, the market behavior was compared to that of a dancer who’d first squat before getting ready for a jump. This means that some consolidation would be in place after a price jump; something that makes the market ready to jump to the next higher target. There was a time wh Read more…

German consumer sentiment remained  at one year low but printed above the market forecast as consumers in Europe’s largest economy remained untroubled by the surrounding sovereign debt crisis. The GFK measure of consumer sentiment was 5.2 versus 5.1 eyed, the same reading as the month prior.

German’s expectations of income continued to rise increasing to 35.1 points from 27.6 points in August signaling that the the labor markets remain string despite the recent slowdown in growth.  However, the forward looking economic expectations index slipped sharply to 4.8 points from 13.8 points in the period prior. Finally, the propensity to buy remained at a high level although its was off its best levels of the year.

Overall the news on the consumer front was not nearly as dour as analyst’s expectations  given all of the recent the turmoil in European financial markets that put the very very existence of the euro into question. Nevert

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Risk FX staged a mild rebound in quiet European morning trade helped by slightly positive equity flows as currency markets absorbed yesterday’s massive selloff amidst a very quiet economic calendar. EUR/USD recovered above the 1.3500 figure while Aussie rallied through .9850 and cable performed best of all holding the 1.5450 level after BBA mortgage applications printed a bit better than forecast.

The G20 pledged a “strong and coordinated” response to challenges facing the global economy, but its statement had only a limited impact on trade as currency markets awaited some sort of tangible policy move. Greek Finance Minister Evaneglos Venizelos stated that Greece face three possible scenarios with respect to its sovereign debt situation. In a speech to Greek lawmakers Mr. Veniz

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The euro is finding support on the assumption that the sovereign debt crisis will be contained. Many forex traders seem to think that European leaders are serious about finding a solution to the debt crisis, and that it will be contained.

Even though there doesn’t appear to be plans to expand the EFSF, there is an expectation that European leaders will do something to prevent the spread of sovereign debt contagion before it can bring down Italy, Spain, and possibly France. Right now, efforts to require recapitalization for banks appears to be in the works, as well as a focus on protecting the ECB from problems stemming from the amount of Greek debt it is exposed to.

Right now, these considerations don’t seem to be causing a lot of disquiet, though. At 13:51 GMT, EUR/USD is higher at 1.3615, a change of 0.0083 above the open of 1.3533. EUR/JPY is also higher, 104.05 rather than 103.33. EUR/GBP is virtually unchanged from the o

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Details

As widely expected, the FOMC has announced an increase in the maturity of its holdings of Treasury securities. It will actively sell USD400bln of Treasury securities with maturities below 3 years and reinvest the proceeds in maturities of 6 to 30 years. The Maturity Extension Program will be conducted through the end of June 2012.

The USD 400bln of purchases will be distributed 32% in 6-8Y, 32% in 8-10Y, 4% in 10-20Y, 29% in 20-30Y and 3% in 6-30Y TIPS. The relatively significant amount of purchases in the long end of the curve was a bit of a surprise for the market. 30Y bond yields declined by 18bp on the move, with the 10-30Y flattening by 13bp.

Further, the FOMC announced a change in the reinvest policy for MBS and agency bonds. It will no longer reinvest principal payments in Treasuries, but recycle the proceeds into Agencies instead. While the move seems a bit inferior to the ‘twist operation’, it might be a very important hint. This could be a signal that the Fed is leaving the door open for purchasing Agency bonds if further quantitative easing becomes relevant. Ind Read more…

Delhaize Group (ADR), NYSE:DEG has been Upgraded to a buy at HCM with a 2012 price target of $70 issued today by Shayne Heffernan.

In May 2011 Delhaize Group announced that BlackRock, Inc. reached an equity stake in the Company of 5.07% as of May 19, 2011. The stake is held through a number of legal entities controlled by BlackRock, Inc.

In August Delhaize posted second-quarter operating profit below expectations after price cuts to lure more customers into its stores in the United States hurt margins.

The group generated operating profit of 209 million euros ($298 million), below the 217 million expected in a Reuters poll of 11 analysts.

Delhaize said it had not fully passed on higher input costs, while U.S. supermarket chains Kroger , the biggest player in the U.S.

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Bob Prechter has just released a FREE report — with urgent analysis from his August and September 2011 Elliott Wave Theorist market letters. It will help you put these uncertain markets into perspective so that you’ll be better positioned to both protect your investments when needed and prosper when opportunities arise.

One of the worries that plagues many Americans is the issue of wills and estate planning. Many vehicles exist for handling an estate in the case of a death, most of them applying in particular or exacting ways. However, there is a new vehicle in play that can provide unmatched flexibility. This vehicle is a trust known as an inheritor’s trust, one which is similar to dynastic trusts. The trust is one that stands alone, allowing changes in investment strategies and other terms, so long as the beneficiary works with granters in the situation. The result is a trust which is made for individuals with long term goals, even those that extend over multiple generations avoiding the transfer tax for skipping generations.

The big benefit to the trust is the protection that is offered in situations that can deplete an estate. Divorce and creditors can tap regular estates vehicles, and the government can take a cut with taxes. There are many ways that a trust can be deplete before the estate ever reaches the beneficiary.

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GBP/USD’s pull back from 1.6618 extended to as low as 1.6207 last week but subsequent rebound argues that such pull back might be finished already. Initial bias is mildly on the upside this week for a retest on 1.6618 resistance first. Break will resume whole rally from 1.5780 towards 1.6746. On the downside, however, below 1.6207 again will extend the fall from 1.6618 towards 1.6110. Break there will indicate that rise from 1.5780 is completed and will turn outlook bearish for this support.

In the bigger picture, price actions from 1.3503 (2009 low) are treated as consolidation to long term down trend from 2007 high of 2.1161. Rise from 1.4229 is treated as the third leg of such consolidation. The corrective structure of the fall from 1.6746 to 1.5780 suggests that such rebound is not completed yet. Further rise could be seen through 1.7043 resistance. But we’d expect strong resistance at 50% retracement of 2.1161 to 1.3503 at 1.7332 to limit upside and bring reversal. Nevertheless, break of 1.5780 will revive the case that GBP/USD has already topped out at 1.6746.

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