Which stock markets look ‘cheap’ as we head into 2019? December 31, 2018 | City Talk 2018 was a rumbustious year for stock markets, with things really coming to the fore in the latter stages. With investors having grown accustomed to an unusual oasis of calm over recent years, volatility was back with a bang. However, as the dust settles, there is a silver lining for stock market investors. Even before [...]
How a measure of bitcoin’s worth proved worthless December 28, 2018 | City Talk The financial pages are noticeably shorter on bitcoin stories than this time last year – which may or may not have something to do with the precipitous fall in the cryptocurrency’s price over the last 12 months. On 14 December 2017, a single bitcoin was trading at an all-time high of £14,749 whereas, as of [...]
This ‘bond with a twist’ is sending a worrying message on risk December 27, 2018 | City Talk In the world of finance, not all investors are created equal. In fact, this is a truth largely held to be self-evident and the reason for investors’ composure on the issue largely boils down to a matter of risk versus reward. Broadly speaking, equity investors expect to see greater returns in the longer run than [...]
Bear markets: Lessons from history December 21, 2018 | Sponsored Simon Edelsten, manager of the Artemis Global Select Fund and the Mid Wynd International Investment Trust, asks what history can tell us about bear markets… There are many who claim an ability to anticipate the next correction, whether through fundamentals, charts, or the fact that their taxi driver has started offering stock tips. Others take [...]
Brexit the top concern for UK investors December 21, 2018 | City Talk Investor concerns about Brexit have soared in 2018 according to Schroders’ annual Adviser Survey, completed by more than 400 financial advisers from across the UK. A remarkable 90% of advisers said that the impact of Brexit was a concern for their clients for the next 12 months, up from 81% in 2017 and 71% in [...]
Nex Group founder Michael Spencer to invest millions in blood testing startup December 20, 2018 Nex Group founder Michael Spencer is set to invest millions in a pioneering blood testing company. Spencer’s private investment company will subscribe to a “significant” amount of shares being issued by Osler Diagnostics in its £30m funding round, Sky News reported. The fundraise, which is expected to value the firm at £70m, is set to [...]
Forget Brexit, the government must get cracking on Britain’s industrial strategy December 20, 2018 Given the breakneck speed at which news on UK politics has been moving in December, it’s understandable that the first anniversary of the launch of the government’s industrial strategy went largely unnoticed. But in the face of uncertainty over Britain’s international future, it is all the more important that the government makes progress on delivering [...]
Why 2019 might be a better year for investors December 19, 2018 | City Talk 2018 has been a disappointing year for most investors. Almost all markets, both stocks and bonds, have fallen in value this year, under pressure from rising interest rates, political developments such as Brexit, and the trade dispute between the US and China. With hindsight, markets were priced for perfection at the start of the year [...]
Celebrations Twix vs Mars… the lesson for investors December 19, 2018 | City Talk Christmas, as my colleague Andy Williams crooningly reassures us, may well be the most wonderful time of the year but, in social terms, it is also potentially the most blunderful. And while solutions to age-old concerns such as gifts people truly have always wanted and friction-free family get-togethers are still works-in-progress, our Value Perspective blog [...]
A third of investors believe more non-UK fund managers will open London offices after Brexit December 17, 2018 More non-UK fund managers could open offices in Britain to retain access to expertise following Brexit, new research has found. One in three institutional investors believe the UK’s exit from the European Union will lead to an increase in merger and acquisition activity, with European firms buying UK businesses to give them a presence in [...]