Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open May 25, 2016 Oil is climbing and China has fixed the yuan at its weakest level in five years. Here's what you need to know before the market open at 14:30 London time. The pre-market is pointing to a strong rise at the open. The S&P is up by 0.36 per cent, while the Nasdaq is up by 0.44 per cent. [...]
Why long-term investors shouldn’t fear Brexit: Alarming projections have emerged about the impact of Britain leaving the EU on sterling, stocks and bonds. But there are reasons not to expect the worst May 25, 2016 You’d be forgiven for thinking the investment industry is united against Brexit. Accompanied by alarming forecasts about the impact of a Leave vote on sterling or the risk to various sectors of the UK economy, repeated reports have painted the referendum as a choice between emotion and reason, with Remain the only sensible option for [...]
The big squeeze: Should you consider VCTs as part of your retirement planning? May 24, 2016 A total of £429m of new money was raised by Venture Capital Trust (VCTs) managers in 2014-15 – the fourth highest yearly figure ever. Introduced back in 1995, these listed investment vehicles enable investors to access pooled funds of smaller, higher risk firms in a tax-efficient manner, while providing a crucial lifeline to fast-growing UK [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open May 24, 2016 China is trying to smooth US trade ties after threats of a tax hike on imports from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the European Commission could decide today whether to allow ABInBev to buy SABMiller. Here's what you need to know before the open at 2:30pm London time. In the pre-market futures are pointing up. The [...]
Cut capital gains tax with EIS investment May 24, 2016 Investors facing a capital gains tax bill have an opportunity to cut it down by investing in the UK’s early stage businesses. Chancellor George Osborne recently cut the rate of capital gains tax to 20 per cent, down from 28 per cent. It’s applicable in the current tax year, but anyone who made a capital gain [...]
At the close: FTSE falls after oil price drop erases earlier gains May 23, 2016 A meandering start to the week saw the FTSE 100 climb strongly shortly after the open only to fall back before lunch time. The blue-chip index ended the day at 6,136.43, down 0.32 per cent from yesterday's close price. The falling oil price, down over one per cent and moving away from the psychologically important $50 per [...]
Before the bell: What you need to know before the US market open May 23, 2016 The latest round of consolidation in the drugs and chemicals industry is on after Germany Bayer made a $62bn bid for US seeds company Monsanto while European PMIs this morning have added to European economist concerns. Here's what you need to know before the open. US pre-market futures are mixed today. The S&P is down by 0.06 per [...]
Investors unimpressed by Obama and back Brexit despite stock market fears May 23, 2016 UK personal investors have been unimpressed by politicians in the run-up to the EU referendum and a majority say they will vote for a Brexit, new research has found. The 56 per cent backing for Leave – compared with a 39 per cent vote for Remain – comes despite a majority feeling that a Brexit would [...]
UK dividend attraction falls as it lags behind global payout growth May 23, 2016 UK dividends fell by five per cent in the first quarter of 2016, lagging behind global growth, a new report out today has found. Since 2009, UK dividends have grown 44 per cent, behind the global average of 59 per cent, according to Henderson Global Investors. In the first quarter of this year, the report [...]
Investment Association issues stern warning to kitchen sink companies May 22, 2016 The Investment Association late last week fired a warning shot to companies which rejig their profit forecasts as soon as a new management team is appointed, essentially washing the business' value down the drain. The association, which represents unit trust and investment fund managers, has issued a letter to chairmen at FTSE 350 companies, telling them that they [...]