Why do some nations hold more gold? December 7, 2016 As an asset, gold is entirely speculative. It provides no income or dividends, and has few industrial or medical applications. Investors buy it only in the confidence that humans’ peculiar and enduring fascination with the lustrous metal will ensure its value through the decades and centuries to come. Unlike other securities, its price is not dictated [...]
Marcus Brookes: How we’ve prepared for the return of inflation December 6, 2016 | City Talk Inflation was already on the rise. Now I expect the policies likely to follow in Donald Trump’s presidency will pile on further price pressure. The deflating effect of QE We have been changing our portfolios over the last year to reflect our view that inflation may be returning to the financial system. Yes, quantitative easing, [...]
No-go zone: With Matteo Renzi set to resign following his defeat in the Italian referendum, should investors stay away from the Eurozone? December 6, 2016 Italy’s referendum will not weaken the European project as much as critics hope, and Trump could help equities, says Will Railton "The vote looks to me to be more about the euro than constitutional change”, tweeted Nigel Farage shortly after the Italian polls closed on Sunday night. Eurosceptics are heralding the resounding result (a 59.1 [...]
Gold is now an accepted Sharia investment under new Islamic banking rules December 5, 2016 Gold can now be used as a commodity to back Sharia-based financial products, with rules about using the metal as an investment set out for the first time. The World Gold Council announced the new Sharia gold standard, which sets out the way in which financial institutions can apply Sharia principles in the direct physical handling [...]
The league table of countries with the most ‘caring’ investors December 2, 2016 | City Talk Europeans are less concerned about environmental issues when it comes to selecting investments than Asians or Americans, according to a major study of attitudes in 28 countries. Investors in Asia were far more likely to consider environmental concerns, particularly those in Indonesia and Thailand. Investors in China and India also ranked the importance of these [...]
How to prepare your portfolio for inflation December 2, 2016 | City Talk Concerns about inflation were already on the rise. Donald Trump’s victory in the US election has further stoked expectations that price pressure, absent in most Western economies since the financial crisis, may make a return in 2017 and beyond. The basics Inflation is a measure of how fast the prices of goods and services are [...]
The ‘75%’ chance that the Santa Rally exists December 2, 2016 | City Talk Stock markets are more likely to rise in December than any other month, according to analysis of nearly three decades of data. The analysis conducted by Schroders, which covers the world’s largest markets, adds to the debate over the existence of the “Santa Rally”, an alleged effect often dismissed by seasoned investors. Our analysis measured two [...]
FCA wants customers to shop around for the best bank interest rates and have revealed who gives the best returns on cash December 1, 2016 With interest rates at rock bottom levels we've all become accustomed to the fact we shouldn't expect much of a return from our bank accounts. And today, the UK's financial watchdog named and shamed the banks paying the lowest interest rates on cash savings accounts. Read more: City watchdog warns of asset management "market failure" [...]
After the Trumpflation trade, should investors expect a Santa rally in equity markets this month? December 1, 2016 Brad Holland, fund manager at Nutmeg Savings and Investments, says Yes. Central banks across the world have been desperately trying to create inflation for years now. If inflation did return to the radar screen, monetary policy wonks could celebrate that the past decade’s extraordinary policy measures are finally beginning to lift the global economy out [...]
City veteran Sir John Beckwith launches new asset management business November 30, 2016 Sir John Beckwith’s Pacific Investments has announced the launch of a new asset management business. Pacific Asset Management (PAM) will initially have $250m (£201m) in assets under management (AUM). Pacific Investments has previously founded Liontrust Asset Management, River & Mercantile, Nevsky Capital, Thames River Capital and Europa Capital. These businesses currently manage more than $20bn [...]