Global Cities 30 index: Seattle’s boom is about far more than Amazon May 5, 2017 | City Talk The Schroders Global Cities Index ranks the fastest growing urban economies in the world, focusing on the potential for property investment. Read more on the Global Cities Blog. On this post, we examine Seattle's success and its future prospects . Why Seattle? Sitting at no.25 in the Global Cities Index, we rate Seattle as a [...]
The only question you need to ask yourself before investing in an ISA May 4, 2017 | City Talk Nick Kirrage, author on The Value Perspective blog, questions whether savers are really making the most of ISAs… There is no doubt the individual savings account – or ‘ISA’ for short – has proved a huge hit among the UK’s savers and investors. In the 2015/16 tax year (the most recent for which official figures [...]
How does the FTSE 100 perform before elections? May 2, 2017 | City Talk Data shows that markets tend to rise in the lead-up to elections when there is a degree of confidence about who the likely winner will be. Clear-cut general election campaigns tend to have a positive effect on the stock market, history suggests. Our analysis looked at the final six weeks of the last seven elections [...]
Trump’s first 100 days: how markets have performed April 28, 2017 | City Talk Is the “Trump bump” over? The surge in the stock market, the dollar and bond yields that welcomed Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House has shown signs of flagging as his first 100 days approaches. Donald Trump sailed into the White House on a wave of populist, pro-trade polices. He promised to spend big, [...]
How shares with low yields can pay the most income April 28, 2017 | City Talk Investors are often tempted to buy shares which promise bumper dividends today, largely because they need the income immediately, perhaps to support early retirement. Those who can wait longer may want to consider an alternative – investing in companies that offer the potential of fast dividend growth. Companies which can grow their dividends rapidly can [...]
Following the crowd: Good for survival – bad for investment April 27, 2017 | City Talk The instincts that helped to keep our ancestors alive tens of thousands of years ago can be a positive disadvantage when it comes to modern-day investing, says Andrew Williams of The Value Perspective blog… “Where all think alike, no-one thinks very much.” – Walter Lippman, The Stakes of Diplomacy Stopping at a red light is [...]
What Macron’s victory means for investors: seven questions answered April 25, 2017 | City Talk Stock markets surged and bond yields fell sharply following the results of the first round of the French election. Former economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, finished in first place with 23.9%, ahead of anti-EU candidate Marine Le Pen with 21.4%, making him easily favourite for the second round due to be held on 7 May. Gains [...]
How currencies move stock markets April 19, 2017 | City Talk Many factors move stock markets but the strength of a country’s currency can have a surprisingly large bearing. Several high profile events have underlined this in the past year – most notably Brexit and Donald Trump’s US election win. The way currencies affect stock markets are different in each country. Rising currencies may serve to [...]
Seatbelt laws created a new danger – and a lesson for investors April 18, 2017 Australia was first to enact seatbelt legislation in 1970, creating some unexpected results. It underlines an important point for investors about risk, according to value investing blogger Kevin Murphy. No matter what anyone may tell you or try to do, attempts to reduce risk in any system – investment or otherwise – only succeed in [...]
Singapore REITs: Do they still possess long term value? April 10, 2017 | City Talk Globally, real estate investment trusts (REITs) have become a popular way for investors to invest in property while at the same time receiving an income. This is particularly true in Singapore, which has developed into a hub for REITs in Asia ever since CapitaLand Mall Trust became the first one to launch back in 2002. [...]