The rising tide of inflation: Investment ideas to protect your portfolio February 8, 2017 Inflation is a real bogeyman for investors, and it rankles most when you don’t see it coming. Few predicted the oil price rebound at the end of last year – a big influence on prices – or the optimism which caused yields to rise after Donald Trump’s election. The threat that rising prices will erode wealth [...]
Investing in automation: If robots are coming for your job, how can you make money out of it? February 7, 2017 "Robots are coming to take our jobs,” scream the headlines. The debate around automation has become alarmingly dichotomous – either your job requires skills which are resistant to computers and machines, or you’re destined for the scrap heap. The reality is probably more nuanced. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, it is unlikely that specific jobs [...]
Fund managers plan executive pay crackdown to avert need for government intervention February 5, 2017 A group of fund manager giants have agreed to club together to combat excessive executive pay. Aberdeen Asset Management, M&G Investments and Standard Life Investments were among 13 firms involved in the recent pact. The agreement came after an 18 January meeting of the Investment Association, which came around the time Blackrock, the world’s biggest fund manager, indicated [...]
After the FTSE 100’s 37% return, should I still invest? February 3, 2017 | City Talk The rise in the FTSE 100 since a low last February has been remarkable. The index was up 33% between 11 February 2016 and mid-January 2017. Including dividends, the index returned 37%. The index also recorded a fresh all time high during that period, reaching 7,337.81 on 13 January 2017. Stocks in certain sectors led [...]
Startup Dead Right aims to bring digital disruption to the funeral industry February 1, 2017 A new digital disruptor is aiming to put the ‘fun’ in funeral. Dead Right, a service comparison startup, is backed by advertising exec Sir John Hegarty and his company Garage Soho, and is in the process of seeking further funding. Read more: A startup sprouting up across London could be getting a massive investment from Softbank [...]
Do strong brands make good investments? Brand Finance certainly think so February 1, 2017 When purchasing consumer goods, we’re attracted to brands we know and love. We buy Coca Cola, rather than an own brand product. We prefer Ray Ban sunglasses, Colgate toothpaste, Apple’s iPhone. And we’re willing to pay a premium for the privilege. Consumers have an affinity with the real thing, not just through overt awareness – [...]
How Trump’s presidency might affect your investments February 1, 2017 | City Talk While Donald Trump’s presidency is not the only factor that could affect investments in 2017, it is potentially a major one. Trump’s plans to boost employment, rebuild infrastructure and bring businesses back to the US could have massive repercussions, both positive and negative, for global trade and growth. His policies have already had an effect. [...]
Why Tesco could be better off leaving Booker on the shelf February 1, 2017 The stock market’s initial reaction to takeover deals can often be a poor indicator of how those deals work out. Just look at the market’s sceptical response to Sainsbury’s purchase of Argos owner Home Retail Group as a recent example. Now we have another unexpected deal in the supermarket sector with Tesco bidding to take [...]
Why active investing is staging a comeback in 2017 February 1, 2017 Fashions wax and wane in investing as much as in any other field. But one fashion that many commentators believe is much more than a passing fad is passive investing. So much so that some would extrapolate the explosive growth of passive funds in the last few years and predict the demise of active investing [...]
Investors failed to keep calm and carry on in 2016, despite markets hitting new highs January 31, 2017 Investors were spooked by politics in 2016 and, despite markets like the FTSE 100 hitting record highs, fund sales were at their lowest since 2008, new figures show. Total net sales for 2016 were £13bn, according to the Investment Association, down from £22.4bn in 2015. Retail investors proved the most pessimistic, with sales totalling £4.7bn, down [...]