Independent Investor

Pair Trading is the practice of betting on a specific company’s performance by at the same time betting against a rival.   This seems to be odd, but it does have a compelling logic.
A large part of any share’s performance will never be down to the management, no matter how could or bad they are.  The general economy and investor sentiment toward the sector will also have a lot of effect.  This was seen most graphically in the internet boom when an enormous amount of …

As contracts for difference are seen as a risky investment choice they are seen by many investors as something to be avoided if at all possible.  This is a shame, as they can be very useful for most retail investors.
There are two main roles for a contract for difference as part of a balanced portfolio that encompasses shares, commodities and investment funds.  The first is as a hedge and the second is as a way of playing a movement in the markets.
A hedge means …