Ethan Miller/Getty Images PredictIt is a "stock market for politics" where users can make or lose money playing on the goings-on in Washington. The die-hard users will often reach out to political journalists asking for tips or inside information. WASHINGTON — If you have ever had money riding on a cloture vote, it is likely that you were playing the "stock market for politics" called PredictIt, a New Zealand-based prediction market where patrons can make money on the news of the day. PredictIt has an office just a few blocks east of the US Capitol Building in Washington on Pennsylvania Avenue. It has several televisions in the window running the gambit of cable news channels, and it looks like an off-track betting shack with a political twist. While their office is in Washington, PredictIt is fueled by Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Division of Market Oversight gave Victoria the go-ahead in … [Read more...] about There’s a ‘stock market for politics’ where users can make money on Washington’s chaos
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Stock markets gloomy on Italian crisis
Aug 20, 4:03 PM EDT Newsletter Signup BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury World By AFP News 08/20/19 AT 11:51 AM European stock markets turned lower on Tuesday as political crisis in Italy weighed on sentiment, while US stocks flatlined, cutting short their recent recovery.European markets had started higher, lifted by hopes for central bank and government stimulus measures, and for easing tensions in the China-US trade war.Trading floors have been on edge for weeks owing to a number of concerns including the trade war, Brexit, a global economic slowdown and tensions in the Middle East.Equities still got a positive start to the week, with Germany reportedly planning government support to avert a recession in Europe's biggest economy and central banks elsewhere looking to ease monetary policy.But on Tuesday investors worried mostly about Italy, where a political crisis was set to come to a head after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he would … [Read more...] about Stock markets gloomy on Italian crisis
Stock markets play waiting game before Powell
Aug 22, 7:27 AM EDT Newsletter Signup BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury World By AFP News 08/22/19 AT 7:12 AM European and Asian stock markets faltered Thursday on the eve of a speech from Federal Reserve head Jerome Powell for clues on the outlook for US interest rates."Caution is the word of the day... ahead of the key speech by the Fed chairman Jerome Powell," said analyst Naeem Aslam at trading firm ThinkMarkets.Markets were unmoved by US President Donald Trump providing yet more fresh hope for China-US trade talks.Wall Street ended Wednesday with healthy gains thanks to blockbuster results from retailers that indicated strong consumer demand.Investors turned cautious Thursday before Powell's address to the central bankers' symposium at Jackson Hole on Friday.Minutes published Wednesday from the Fed's July meeting -- when it cut rates for the first time since the financial crisis -- said policymakers were flexible and borrowing costs were … [Read more...] about Stock markets play waiting game before Powell
Stock markets play waiting game before Fed chief speech
Aug 22, 10:16 AM EDT Newsletter Signup BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury World By AFP News 08/22/19 AT 9:52 AM PreviousNextGlobal stock markets traded sideways Thursday as investors avoided risk on the eve of a speech by Federal Reserve head Jerome Powell, hotly anticipated for clues on the interest rate outlook.The British pound, meanwhile, gained on optimism that an orderly Brexit may yet be on the cards."Caution is the word of the day... ahead of the key speech by the Fed chairman Jerome Powell," said analyst Naeem Aslam at trading firm ThinkMarkets.Markets paid little attention to US President Donald Trump providing some fresh hope for China-US trade talks.Wall Street, which posted healthy gains Wednesday thanks to blockbuster results from retailers, started Thursday's session on a modestly firmer note.Minutes published Wednesday from the Fed's July meeting -- when it cut rates for the first time since the financial crisis -- said … [Read more...] about Stock markets play waiting game before Fed chief speech
Stock markets reverse gains as China targets US imports
Aug 23, 10:12 AM EDT Newsletter Signup BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury World By AFP News 08/23/19 AT 9:50 AM PreviousNextGlobal stock markets fell on Friday as trade war worries returned with a vengeance when China said it would target US imports worth $75 billion with new tariffs.The new round in the bruising trade war between Washington and Beijing caused a sudden trend reversal in European markets which had been showing solid gains in the morning.Wall Street, which had been expected to open higher, also came off to a weaker start.US stocks were "decisively lower", said analysts at Charles Schwab, "with the threat of new tariffs on $75 billion of US goods by China causing trade fears to ramp up".Trade blues even overshadowed excited anticipation ahead of a key speech by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell, which will be parsed for clues about the US central bank's plans for monetary policy.'Dangerous assumption'There are hopes Powell will … [Read more...] about Stock markets reverse gains as China targets US imports