Like the UK, Latin America has suffered greatly during the pandemic – perhaps even more so. The World Bank estimates that regional GDP may slip by as much as 8%, with more than four million…
Week in review: Europe grows while the UK slows
This week: optimism soars for emerging markets, and “The Mooch” gets the boot. The Bank of England (BoE) left interest rates unchanged at 0.25% and slashed growth forecasts as uncertainty over Brexit weighs on the…
A Mini Wake up Call as we Head into Summer?
Having been far too one directional with exceptionally low volatility in recent weeks, it feels like financial markets received a slight jolt last week just as many will be heading off for summer vacations. Nothing…
Week in Review: the end is nigh for Libor
The notorious benchmark lending rate is set to be dropped in 2021, according to FCA boss Andrew Bailey. Regulators will aim for a more reliable marker now the scandal-hit Libor days are numbered. Elsewhere, the…
Where’s the clever money going? July 2017
As we head into the second half of 2017, a number of commentators have been reviewing performance over the eventful first six months of the year. With the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president…
Fundamentals Versus Market Analysis
With central bankers preparing for their summer vacations, markets have been hanging onto their every word and nuanced syllable for guidance of what they may deliver in the Autumn. There was a mixed response to…
Week in review: winter is coming?
“We’re not there yet.” This was Thursday’s message from Mario Draghi, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), as he put off any decision on curtailing the ECB’s monetary stimulus programme. Citing low inflation,…
Mid-year outlook: be more selective in the second half For Professional Investors Only
At the mid-year point, US equities seem expensively valued in the face of dull economic growth and rising rates. By contrast, Europe looks attractive, as some of the key political risks fade, and the positive…
When will you retire?
Matthew Yeates, Quantitative Investment Manager New research from Seven Investment Management (7IM) has highlighted that many in the UK believe that early retirement is an impossible dream. On average, people would like to retire at…
A Rare Opportunity in Soft Commodities
From time to time, we show charts drawn from the Commitment of Traders report to show when speculators (hedge funds and CTAs) are holding extreme positions, either long of short, of say a fixed income…
Week in review: All aboard the gloom train?
This week: a bleak forecast for the UK economy, NASDAQ shows its FANGs and a piggy in the middle of a city. The UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) struck a sour note this week…
Unexpected Brexit opportunities
Alasdair McKinnon, Manager of The Scottish Investment Trust, explains why the surprises of the past year have been a gift for 'ugly duckling' investors. At The Scottish, we’re contrarians to the core. So we aren’t…
An Outlook – On Guard
Alex Scott, Deputy Chief Investment Officer Last month, we focused this commentary on our currency positioning: we prepared portfolios for the possibility of Sterling strength as the government position on Brexit is forced to soften…
The Euro is at a Very Interesting Juncture
The bond markets are having a bit of a hissy fit, and as noted last week, this seems to be primarily driven by a position adjustment as speculation rises about the ECB’s normalisation path. We…
Week in review: the rise of the volts wagon
Perhaps it’s too early to sound the death knell for the internal combustion engine. But Swedish carmaker Volvo this week moved the motor industry closer to an electric future, by announcing that from 2019, it…
Alex Crooke on Japan: Value released from corporate change
The Bankers Investment Trust contains a broad mix of global equity stocks. We aim for a blend of small, medium, and large-sized firms, seeking those with strong and rising dividends as well as those with…
Expect things to get a bit more difficult
Chris Darbyshire, Chief Investment Officer Can political uncertainty become so elevated that it affects a country’s economy? We are about to find out. British businesses, already dealing with the coming departure from the EU, must…
The future is Real The future is Real
Will Fulton, Manager of UK Commercial Property Trust, on what’s next for UK real estate. After a difficult 2016, UK commercial real estate has started 2017 in a much more positive fashion. Capital values have…
Now with Added Income
New dividend policy approved Shareholders of the Martin Currie Asia Unconstrained Trust have overwhelmingly voted in favour of the proposed resolution to allow payment of dividends from capital. The final dividend for the financial year…