European Equities: Back to School

September in the Northern Hemisphere tends to be the beginning of the new school year. This year there seems to be a large amount on the ‘curriculum’. Starting with Brexit, the temperature is rising as…

What’s in a name?

Ben Kumar, Investment Manager, Seven Investment Management Have a look at this list: 1.          Apple 2.         Alphabet 3.          Microsoft 4.         Amazon 5.          Berkshire Hathaway 6.         Johnson & Johnson 7.          Facebook 8.         Alibaba Group 9.          Tencent…

Chart-catching – Value vs Growth Stocks

The chart below displays the performance of Value versus Growth equities, set against the US 10 year Treasury yield.  Value stocks are those which trade at a discount valuation to the market whereas growth stocks…

Deciphering the Message from the Bond Markets

This week’s report is a little shorter than usual due to both non work commitments and also a sense that our market views are slightly out of synch with what is actually happening. This occurs…

Tracking the economy

Ben Kumar, Investment Manager, Seven Investment Management In finance ‘footsie’ means something other than tangle-toed flirting. The FTSE 100 is the first stock index encountered by newcomers to the world of finance. It is often…

The mixed messages are concerning

Ben Kumar, Investment Manager, Seven Investment Management When we look at the financial markets, the mixed messages are concerning. By extrapolating today’s low interest rate environment almost indefinitely into the future, quality government bond markets…

Where’s the clever money going? August 2017

July was a fairly quiet month in the markets, with most indices making some gains. The FTSE 100 has tracked broadly sideways during July and so far in August, wavering between 7300 and 7500. It…

Plus ça change: credit crunch 10 years on

Chris Darbyshire, Chief Investment Officer, Seven Investment Management Viewers of Paramount’s ‘The Big Short’, will remember a scene towards the end of the film when the US housing market is in freefall, mortgages are defaulting…

From Low Volatility to No Volatility

Just when we thought that it couldn’t get any worse for traders, markets have almost come to a standstill. Simply put, unless price actually moves, traders cannot make any money. And so it is with…

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…

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…

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…

Central Bankers’ Message to Markets

We have been bombarded by Central Bank speakers in recent days. What does it all mean; if anything at all? Do we need to change our thinking on markets? These are serious questions for investors…