At Aberdeen Standard Investments we are pleased to bring you this offer from Money Observer magazine – a vital read for anyone who is serious about investing. Money Observer is a monthly personal finance and…
Week in Review: The only way is up
It’s all getting a bit tiresome, isn’t it? Many global stock markets hit yet another succession of fresh highs this week. The strongest returns came from Asian markets, with the MSCI Pacific Index up 1.4%.…
Week in Review: global equities hit record highs
The new year began pretty much as the old year ended, with shares continuing to chart a seemingly inexorable upward path. Stock market indices touched record highs in the first three business days of 2018.…
Week in Review: hybrid vigour
With the Nasdaq gaining some 28% this year (and Bitcoin up a mere 1,624% against the dollar), technology’s been the talk of the town. But the lines between tech companies and other areas of the…
Latin America, but without the noise
Latin America is seen as a hotbed of political disruption and volatility, but there are ways to generate a smoother ride in the region. - Latin America is an exciting place to invest, but investors…
Week in review: bordering on the farcical
We got there in the end. After a week of diplomatic toing and froing and more than one trip back to the drawing board, the UK finally reached a historic deal on its EU divorce…
Myths about the US market
Active investors in North America face a number of persistent myths: The first, and most common, is that it is impossible to beat the US market. Many continue to believe that there is little mispricing…
Week in review: a bit of a bubble?
Digital currencies were in choppy waters this week. The value of bitcoin surged above $11,000 for the first time, before dipping by around 16% on Thursday. Such volatility is not unusual in the world of…
Week in Review: Walking a tightrope
Opponents of Angela Merkel may have felt a hint of Schadenfreude this week. Once Europe’s most powerful leader, she is now fighting to prolong her 12-year reign as Germany’s Chancellor. Merkel’s angst The troubles started…
Week in review: electric nightmares?
Global equity markets failed to light up this week as investors reacted to mixed economic data and corporate earnings news. At first, positive corporate trading reports were thin on the ground, and included a disappointing…
Week in Review: “And now there came an Amazon …”
So ends one version of the Iliad, as the Amazon queen Penthesilea arrives to do battle with the Greeks. The Amazons of ancient myth were fearsome female warriors from Scythia. The modern incarnation is an e-commerce…
Week in Review: take a hike
The Bank of England increased interest rates for the first time in a decade in an effort to ward off inflation pressures. Its Monetary Policy Committee voted seven to two in favour of raising the…
Small is beautiful
It has become commonplace to say that the UK is facing uncertainty: from its borders, to its trading arrangements, to its political make-up, Brexit brings plenty of potential pitfalls. In theory, UK smaller companies should…
Week in review: Tech stock shock on ‘Super Thursday’
“Big Tech” continues to smash analysts’ forecasts. Shares in Alphabet – Google’s parent company – Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter all moved sharply higher on Thursday. The S&P 500 technology index has now gained more than…
Week in Review: Damage from Catalonia?
In a mixed week for the world’s stock markets, European shares fell sharply on Thursday as the Spanish government indicated that it would seek to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish constitution and suspend Catalonia’s…
Week in Review: Chips with that?
Korea has rarely been far from the headlines recently, given the North’s nuclear tests and missile launches. But the Korean Peninsula offers chips as well as fission. With microchip sales soaring, South Korean shares have…
Week in review: Manchester May-day
British Prime Minister Theresa May used her keynote speech to deliver a powerful message to the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester this week. That message? “Bui_ding a c__ntry tha_ _orks _or ___ryon_”.* Mrs May’s…
Week in review: Mutti makes it four in a row
Signs that populism is on the wane have been warmly welcomed by investors in recent months. European stock markets and the euro currency have both risen since far-right politicians failed to make gains in the…
India’s economic gain, in spite of short-term pain
India has seen a challenging 12 months with an ambitious demonitisation plan and the reform of the goods and services tax This has created short-term disruption but seeks to address key structural problems in the…