AMP: data-block-on-consent Smartad Iframe
Week in review: S&P slides on concerns over Trump agenda
A sharp sell-off for US financial stocks helped drive the S&P 500 index down more than one per cent on Tuesday – its worst one-day performance since before Donald Trump’s election victory in November. That…
Small savings get big
David Prosser explains how regularly saving small amounts can pay off in the long run. If your new year’s resolution for 2017 is to spend less and save more, it’s worth taking a look at…
Week in review: sometimes boring’s best for markets
This week, the major events influencing global financial markets were not so much tales of the unexpected as stories of the entirely predictable. After a year of shocks and political upheaval, investors were reassured by…
Why do investors love equity income?
The pull of dividend income has become a very powerful one and there is no sign of any decline in its popularity. In this short guide, we explore why companies that pay dividends are in…
Central Bank Nuances and Economic Growth Plans
Everyone is trying to understand the nuances of central bank communications – indeed, this has been a decades long pastime. In recent years, the parsing of communications was for signs of how much more extraordinary…
Week in Review: holding fire
For someone who goes under the nickname “Spreadsheet Phil”, UK Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first Budget was surprisingly upbeat. Containing only 28 measures compared to 77 within George Osborne’s previous Spring Budget, it was a noticeably…
Politics and financial markets: an uneasy relationship
By Cherry Reynard. Politics have influenced financial markets, but does this mean they should influence investors? The influence of political events on markets is largely unpredictable Political disruption may bring opportunities where markets over-react …
A turning tide for globalisation: The impact on emerging markets
By Cherry Reynard. Anti-globalisation sentiment threatens to dent global trade Emerging markets have been a beneficiary of globalisation and therefore look vulnerable Reversing the tide of globalisation will be extremely difficult and emerging markets may…
Charts That Make You Go Hmmmm! STOP PRESS
First, apologies to Grant Williams, author of “Thoughts that make you go hmmm!” for bastardising the name of his research letter. We sit here running out of superlatives to describe the majesty of the rise…
Week in Review: Snap’d up
Yesterday saw Snapchat go public in the largest float since Chinese eCommerce giant Alibaba in 2014. The company’s young founders – one of whom is a Stanford drop-out – become the latest tech multi-billionaires. In…
Alternative Investments for an Alternative World
Chris Darbyshire, Chief Investment Officer. 28 February 2017. Professional analysts, bookmakers and pollsters failed to predict the outcomes of two key votes in 2016. Contrary to most expectations, we are now hurtling down the road…
Into the wilderness…
While we are typically a ‘glass half full’ bunch, recent developments around the world might have left many investors feeling slightly negative in their outlook for global markets. Let’s start with President Trump. Yes, though…
The Confluence of Price, Momentum, Sentiment and Positioning is Very Interesting
With fixed income and FX markets just showing signs that the Trump reflation trade is at risk of faltering, next week sees some important speeches. On Tuesday, President Trump will address The House in what…
With the launch of the new 12 sided £1 coin in March, we look again at the future of cash in society
Is cash still the bedrock of our civilisation? As the table below reflects, we’ve been writing off cash for 6 decades. Last year Waverton fund manager James Mee put forward the question: “Is the cashless…
Week in review: Germany powers ahead
For most of February, the UK has been in the heady position of boasting the world’s fastest growing major advanced economy. First estimates from the Office for National Statistics, published at the back end of…
Week in review: the return of inflation
Inflation is back. Figures released this week on both sides of the Atlantic painted a picture of rising prices – and the possibility of an end to the days of ultra-low price increases. The UK’s…
The Struggle Between Equity and Bond Investors
As we sit here trying to navigate the markets and the news flow, we are seeing a number of inconsistencies crop up. With US equities continuing their march upwards, it would appear that these guys…
Commodity Price Bounce
Ben Kumar, Investment Manager. 17 February 2017. Over the last 12 months, commodities have been surging in value, with the Bloomberg Commodity Index rising 14% in US Dollar terms. On the back of this, we’ve…