No more posturing — impact matters more than dogma in the fight against climate change July 15, 2020 “As the number of products that claim to be linked to firms’ sustainability performance increases, we need to be careful to ensure that investors do not end up buying products that are marketed as sustainable when in reality they are not”. That’s the view of Steven Maijoor, chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority. [...]
Blackrock punishes 53 companies over inaction on climate change July 14, 2020 Blackrock has punished more than 50 companies over their inaction on global warming after warning of huge investment risks from climate change. In January chief executive Larry Fink said Blackrock would get tough on companies that were too slow to take action on climate change. It announced it would put environmental strategy at the core [...]
Want to be a better investor? Six tips from Howard Marks, CFA July 14, 2020 | City Talk “No amount of sophistication is going to allay the fact that all of your knowledge is about the past and all your decisions are about the future.” — Howard Marks, CFA Oaktree Capital Management co-chairman Howard Marks, CFA, sat down with Bloomberg senior editor John Authers at the 73rd CFA Institute Annual Virtual Conference and offered [...]
What are “accidental savers” doing with their surprise savings? July 14, 2020 | City Talk Lockdown restrictions have curbed spending, resulting in higher savings in the UK. Some of this has found its way into the financial markets; actively managed responsible investment funds have been the biggest beneficiaries. The words “accidental” and “saver” don’t often appear in the same sentence together. Saving usually takes some effort and requires sacrifices and [...]
Wealthy investors anticipate lasting lifestyle shifts after coronavirus July 13, 2020 Wealthy investors have not been immune to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and anticipate long-term lifestyle changes as a result. Three quarters of wealthy investors in the UK see a permanent shift in the wake of the crisis, according to research by wealth manager UBS. The survey of 200 UK-based investors, with between [...]
Private equity firms eye listed companies as economy starts to reopen July 11, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has left a number of UK-listed companies scrambling for cash, with private equity firms tempted to swoop as the crisis develops. PE firms are eyeing opportunities as they move to deploy more of their dry powder into public entities as the economy starts to reopen in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. [...]
Peter Harrison: UK business needs a £30bn equity injection July 10, 2020 | City Talk The winning companies of tomorrow need help to survive today. This is how we, and the government, could help. The full economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis is now beginning to be felt as each day brings fresh news of job losses. It will get worse. £30 billion fund needed There is a chance to [...]
WFH: Is it the death knell for offices? July 7, 2020 | City Talk Some real estate investors believe the successful working from home experiment during this crisis will lead to a long-term decline in demand for offices. We think this is premature. One of the more mundane aspects of the coronavirus has been the sudden evacuation of offices and mass adoption of home working. In the US it [...]
Egypt and Morocco capital markets attract growing international recognition July 7, 2020 | City Talk Heidi Raubenheimer, PhD, CFA, is head of Journal publications at CFA Institute. Experienced Board Member with a PhD focused in Business Management and Administration from University of Stellenbosch. CFA Institute has examined Africa’s 10 largest capital markets in a major report compiled by Heidi Raubenheimer, CFA, our senior director for journal publications. Here we highlight key [...]
AIM high: At 25, the junior index is coming of age July 7, 2020 In June, AIM turned 25 years old. The index has passed its somewhat risky youth and maturity is treating it well. With stripped-down regulatory and governance requirements, the junior exchange has, over the past 25 years, offered companies an easier platform to raise capital. As the London Stock Exchange puts it, “AIM helps founders and [...]