Oil Cool, Precious Metals Hot

Chidem Kurdas

Barclays forecasts high but stable-to-slightly-lower oil prices in the next quarter, assuming the Iran nuclear stand-off does not get worse. The reversal of the rising price trend could mean losses

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Barclays: MBS Proposal Promising

Chidem Kurdas

US regulators are preparing a plan for

My Kingdom for a Hedge!

Chidem Kurdas

Today people sold stocks and piled into US Treasuries, driving 10-year yields to another low. Everybody is trying to protect themselves.  Funds are hedging their portfolios but to put up defense against a crash is very costly now. There is no good-value, low-risk place to hide. Risky assets, on the other hand, are cheap.

Buying Treasuries looks like the one thing not to do.

FrontPoint Clients Seek Healthcare Replacement

Chidem Kurdas

A number of large investors were in the FrontPoint healthcare fund  that has been shutting down after inside trading allegations surfaced against a portfolio manager. Some of the investors are funds of funds that want to have healthcare equity strategies in their portfolio.

Analysts see healthcare as an attractive place to be. The healthcare sector is cheap, says Barry Knapp, head of  US equity strategy and a managing director at Barclays Capital.