As suspected, Everton aren’t doing as well as Sporting Index Predicted. The spread is down to 51.50 - 53 points for them from an opening price of 55.50 - 57.
Chelsea are still favourites despite being kept to a 1-1 draw at home today. I think they will win the league but maybe not with that points total.
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Ben :: Aug.31.2008 :: Spread Betting :: No Comments »
A prediction on how many points a team will get during the course of the season.
The one that stands out for me is Everton. Last year the over achieved. No one is interested in any of their players. They’ll be lucky to get top 10 this year I think. 55.50 - 57 is too high and I think its a sell. Last year’s 65 points will not be repeated.
For example, if you agree with me and think on will get less than 55.5 points and you sold at £10 a point. Say if Everton ended up on 50 points, you would make £55 profit. If however they did do well and got 65 points, you would lose £95.
I prefer this to the bookies handicap market because you can still win even if you are not totally right.
Manchester Utd Points 82.50 - 84
Chelsea Points 82 - 83.50 Continue Reading »
Ben :: Aug.09.2008 :: Spread Betting :: No Comments »
The telegraph reports that UK’s largest spread betting company is still worth a flutter.
Punters who bet on the stock market like it when share prices are volatile; there are far more opportunities to make money. So the recent ups and downs of global markets are great news for IG Group, the UK’s largest spread betting firm that specialises in gambling linked to financial markets.
IG yesterday guided that its revenues are set to be higher than expected this year - and are on track to rise 50pc on 2007.
Demand is strong for IG’s offering, which also includes contracts for difference (CFD), derivatives that allow the buyer to have an economic interest in a share without actually owning it.
There are obviously still people with money around. IG’s UK spread betting business is opening 2,000 accounts a month and new CFD accounts worldwide exceeded 2,000 for the first time in April.
For investors as well as gamblers, however, there are reasons to be cautious when laying down your money. IG’s costs have jumped because it is ploughing cash into opening up in overseas markets, including France, Spain, the US and Singapore. Most of those businesses are up and running but it is too early to tell whether they will be the engine for the profits growth that IG needs to keep on its upward trajectory.
The profit margin has been hit in part by this investment, and also because the company has been paying higher betting duty. You could regard this as good news, because most clients take out long positions in spread bets which in the difficult markets of recent months have not paid off. As a result, IG has made more from the bets, leading to higher tax.
Should the UK slump into a recession, IG would be affected. But it may be cushioned because its clients tend to be wealthy investors with experience - if hopefully not expertise - of the stock market. IG trades at a discount to exchanges and internet stocks. Even with some uncertainty about the future, IG continues to be worth a punt.
Ben :: Jun.11.2008 :: Spread Betting :: No Comments »