ECB eases digital euro doubts and backs proposed currency to thrive March 25, 2021 The European Central Bank today eased doubts in Germany about the launch of a digital euro, insisting that the electronic cash would not be used to penalise savers or upend banks. The ECB is looking to launch a digital version of the euro within the next five years to see off competition from cryptocurrencies such [...]
Income investors need to broaden their horizons March 25, 2021 | Sponsored Investors with sufficient geographic and sector diversity have managed to side-step the worst falls in dividend payments Asia and emerging markets promise to be rewarding places for income again in 2021 Income stocks may be in prime position for economic recovery 2020 may have been a fallow year for income investors overall, but much depended [...]
FTSE 100 slips as fears of third Covid wave spark recovery concerns March 24, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 dipped by 0.2 per cent on Wednesday as a jump in Covid cases across Europe sparked concerns about its near-term economic impact. The blue-chip index was edged down by bank stocks including HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds falling between one per cent and 1.5 per cent. British consumer price inflation fell to 0.4 [...]
Gut instinct and social media drives young people to risky investment decisions, warns FCA March 23, 2021 The financial watchdog has warned that young people are increasingly engaging with risky investments like foreign exchange and cryptocurrency, despite not having the capacity for loss if the investment goes wrong. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) research found nearly two-thirds (59%) of young investors claimed that a significant investment loss would have a fundamental impact [...]
Active success: what does Greek mythology teach us about investing? March 23, 2021 | City Talk At the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus sets sail to return to his family, his wealth, and his kingdom on the Greek island of Ithaca. The journey should have taken 10 days. Instead, it took 10 years. Odysseus encounters unexpected challenges on his voyage home. He is captured by a goddess. He battles the [...]
Wall Street rallies on tech rebound as FTSE closes in the green March 22, 2021 Wall Street closed in the green on Monday as technology stocks rebounded from a recent selloff sparked by surging bond yields. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index closed up 1.2 per cent, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones inched up 0.7 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively. A sharp run-up in Treasury yields since mid-February [...]
Which lockdown habits could last a lifetime? March 22, 2021 | City Talk “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” This cautionary quip, attributed to Nobel Prize winning quantum physicist Niels Bohr, is applicable to anyone making forecasts, and particularly investors at this point in time. Stock markets will continue to be buffeted by daily newsflow around the pandemic. Successful investing in consumer stocks over the next [...]
Why transparency is key to see through the greenwash March 22, 2021 | Sponsored Adam Robbins, senior investment relationship manager at Triodos Investment Management, offers his view as to why transparency is so important when you’re exploring the many shades of ‘green’ impact investments. Globally, there are undeniable changes shaping our future, such as climate change, ecosystem collapse, population growth, and scarcity of natural resources. Add to those the [...]
Treasury mulls slashing higher-rate tax relief on pensions contributions March 20, 2021 The Treasury is reportedly considering huge cuts to tax relief on pensions contributions amid the spiralling cost of measures brought in during the pandemic. On 23 March, which has been dubbed “tax day”, the Treasury will announce new consultations on proposed taxation reforms, which could include reforms to pension tax. When people pay into their [...]
What investors can learn from Bill Gates’ climate warning March 19, 2021 | City Talk When one of the world’s wealthiest individuals writes a book on avoiding climate disaster – and suggests changes we all need to make to our lifestyles – it is easy to be cynical. But the high-profile intervention of Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the climate change debate should be welcomed. This is not just a [...]