Bond investors and sustainability: is it all greenwash? March 29, 2021 | City Talk With issuance of green, social and sustainability bonds expected to hit a record $650 billion this year, Schroders’ Head of Sustainable Credit Saida Eggerstedt tackles the topic of greenwashing. “We are in a boom era for borrowing linked to sustainability criteria,” according to Saida Eggerstedt, Schroders’ Head of Sustainable Credit. In 2020, the global issuance [...]
Investment trusts beat dividend drought with record payouts March 29, 2021 As companies across the globe slashed payouts during the pandemic investment trusts beat the drought by raising dividend payments to record levels. Investment trusts dished out an extra £87bn in dividends last year, equivalent to a 4.2 per cent annual increase. Between April and December 2020 more than three quarters of trusts investing in equities [...]
FTSE 100 and Wall Street rise on recovery optimism March 26, 2021 FTSE 100 climbed further this afternoon as Wall Street opened higher on renewed economic recovery optimism. London’s blue-chip index is trading 0.9 per cent higher this afternoon as higher retail sales triggered a new wave of confidence in the economic recovery. Mining stocks including Rio Tinto, Anglo American and BHP pushed higher after a slow [...]
FTSE 10 and Wall Street slip despite encouraging economic data March 25, 2021 Mining stocks continued to drag down the FTSE 100 this afternoon while Wall Street opened lower despite an encouraging set of unemployment figures. London’s blue-chip index is down more than one per cent this afternoon with Antofogosta and Glencore all shedding more than four per cent. Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane said he [...]
Private markets: the quest for diversification March 25, 2021 | Sponsored By Nalaka De Silva, Investment Manager, Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust plc Institutional investors have long thought of private markets as a way to boost returns. But the recent challenging economic conditions have further enhanced the role that private market investments can play in portfolios. In particular, investors are now relying on private markets [...]
Income investors need to broaden their horizons March 25, 2021 | Sponsored Investors with sufficient geographic and sector diversity have managed to side-step the worst falls in dividend payments Asia and emerging markets promise to be rewarding places for income again in 2021 Income stocks may be in prime position for economic recovery 2020 may have been a fallow year for income investors overall, but much depended [...]
Exclusive: City fund managers on pandemic volatility, inflation and value vs growth March 24, 2021 It has been a surreal year for fund managers in the City, with unprecedented volatility descending on practically every investment vehicle, asset manager or investor operating out of the Square Mile. The unpredictability of the ongoing pandemic is one of the reasons why the age-old investment-driven debate about ‘cheap’ value stocks versus ‘expensive’ growth equities [...]
FTSE 100 slips as fears of third Covid wave spark recovery concerns March 24, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 dipped by 0.2 per cent on Wednesday as a jump in Covid cases across Europe sparked concerns about its near-term economic impact. The blue-chip index was edged down by bank stocks including HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds falling between one per cent and 1.5 per cent. British consumer price inflation fell to 0.4 [...]
Goldman Sachs boss praises staff for speaking out against ‘inhumane’ treatment and 100-hour weeks March 23, 2021 Goldman Sachs boss praises staff for speaking out against 'inhumane' treatment and 100-hour weeks
Active success: what does Greek mythology teach us about investing? March 23, 2021 | City Talk At the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus sets sail to return to his family, his wealth, and his kingdom on the Greek island of Ithaca. The journey should have taken 10 days. Instead, it took 10 years. Odysseus encounters unexpected challenges on his voyage home. He is captured by a goddess. He battles the [...]