It’s been a fantastic start to the new year for Accendo Markets’ equity trade ideas. Market sentiment remains as positive as it did into Christmas and the global equity rally has continued with gusto, supported by solid macro data and geopolitical uncertainty failing to concern, merely extending an already impressive Santa Rally on both sides of the Atlantic. While this week’s/month’s/year’s new trades are already in profit, several of our longer running positions from Nov/Dec hit their targets thanks to the UK Index kicking off 2018 on the front foot.

It’s early days, but the saying “As January goes, so does the year” comes to mind.

Last week’s Long AstraZeneca (27 Dec) hit its limit on Tuesday, much quicker than expected, as the UK Index opened higher to help the shares build on a timely broker upgrade last week just after we published (+3.7%). Long St James’s Place (14 Dec) extended its Santa Rally bounce all the way to revisit our limit of June highs (+5.8%). Long Royal Dutch Shell (11 Dec) benefited from oil prices pushing even higher to hit our limit on a combination of geopolitical unrest and tighter supply (+4.5%).

Wednesday saw yet more limits hit after Long Next (29 Dec) benefited from a surprisingly strong Christmas trading update and management upgrading profits guidance (+8%). Long Int. Cons. Airlines (16 Nov) accelerated to the ceiling of its rising channel and tonour limit after buying Air Berlin’s Niki. (+11.7%).

Long-running Long Admiral (10 Oct) was closed out today on our trailing stop after hoped for support at 1915p gave way (-0.6%). The only blot on this week’s report, although the benefits of a trailing stop came into their own, keeping the loss to a minimum.

New trades this week included Long Lloyds Banking (2 Jan) which is in profit after bouncing off the floor of a 3-week rising channel (+0.3%). Sell Antofagasta (3 Jan) is also in profit thanks to copper prices having topped out helping the shares pull back from falling highs resistance (+1.6%). Long Standard Chartered (5 Jan) is breakeven, having only just been opened this afternoon following a strong breakout to multi-month highs (+0.0%).

Trade alerts are part of the excellent research service you can expect from Accendo Markets, providing evaluation of a share price that could be set to rise (or fall). But there is much, much more. Our aim, after all, is to educate, inform and stimulate readers, helping them identify profitable trade opportunities, several times a day. This can range from equities like BP and Lloyds, indices such as UK Index or Dow, commodities including Gold and Oil and FX pairs like GBP vs USD.

Other publications include our Morning Report which is essential reading for clients (as well as our journalist contacts) to provide a run-down of our views about market sentiment before trading starts each day. Index Focus takes another look at the markets mid-morning, Another Level looks at a selection of carefully picked blue-chip shares at key make-or-break levels.

If you are not receiving our award winning research, and all the above publication, why not take this opportunity to make a proper new year’s resolution. You know, one that you can actually stick to and best of all potentially benefit from.. financially. Up for it ? Get priority access here and reap the many benefits which keep our clients happy each day.

Happy New Year to you all!

Mike van DuIken, Head of Research, 5 Jan 2018