Amazon HQ2 – “Mr. Bezos, why didn’t you call?” January 2, 2019 | City Talk Amazon’s HQ2 search went live on 7th September 2017 and it selected the winning cities, New York and Washington, in November 2018. The Global Cities databases that we use to quantify our investments comprise exactly the data that Amazon needed to make its decision. It wasn’t just Mr Bezos’ time that was wasted. When Amazon [...]
FTSE 100: These are the biggest winners and losers of 2018 January 2, 2019 THE UK market felt the impact of Brexit last year as politicians scrambled to reach a deal on Britain’s fast approaching departure from the European Union. With a vote on Theresa May’s heavily criticised deal not expected until mid-January, and as the government pumps billions into planning for a no-deal Brexit scenario, it seems unlikely [...]
Which stock markets look ‘cheap’ as we head into 2019? December 31, 2018 | City Talk 2018 was a rumbustious year for stock markets, with things really coming to the fore in the latter stages. With investors having grown accustomed to an unusual oasis of calm over recent years, volatility was back with a bang. However, as the dust settles, there is a silver lining for stock market investors. Even before [...]
How a measure of bitcoin’s worth proved worthless December 28, 2018 | City Talk The financial pages are noticeably shorter on bitcoin stories than this time last year – which may or may not have something to do with the precipitous fall in the cryptocurrency’s price over the last 12 months. On 14 December 2017, a single bitcoin was trading at an all-time high of £14,749 whereas, as of [...]
This ‘bond with a twist’ is sending a worrying message on risk December 27, 2018 | City Talk In the world of finance, not all investors are created equal. In fact, this is a truth largely held to be self-evident and the reason for investors’ composure on the issue largely boils down to a matter of risk versus reward. Broadly speaking, equity investors expect to see greater returns in the longer run than [...]
Bear markets: Lessons from history December 21, 2018 | Sponsored Simon Edelsten, manager of the Artemis Global Select Fund and the Mid Wynd International Investment Trust, asks what history can tell us about bear markets… There are many who claim an ability to anticipate the next correction, whether through fundamentals, charts, or the fact that their taxi driver has started offering stock tips. Others take [...]
Don’t ruin Christmas by bringing Brexit to the dinner table December 21, 2018 The build up to Christmas has almost reached its agonising conclusion. Since November, when the first few flinching bars of Slade seeped from the radio, we’ve crawled through endless reels of TV adverts and Christmas lights. It’s nearly over, though; the bonus has been frittered on tat for loathed relatives, the out-of-office message is on, [...]
Brexit the top concern for UK investors December 21, 2018 | City Talk Investor concerns about Brexit have soared in 2018 according to Schroders’ annual Adviser Survey, completed by more than 400 financial advisers from across the UK. A remarkable 90% of advisers said that the impact of Brexit was a concern for their clients for the next 12 months, up from 81% in 2017 and 71% in [...]
Nex Group founder Michael Spencer to invest millions in blood testing startup December 20, 2018 Nex Group founder Michael Spencer is set to invest millions in a pioneering blood testing company. Spencer’s private investment company will subscribe to a “significant” amount of shares being issued by Osler Diagnostics in its £30m funding round, Sky News reported. The fundraise, which is expected to value the firm at £70m, is set to [...]
Forget Brexit, the government must get cracking on Britain’s industrial strategy December 20, 2018 Given the breakneck speed at which news on UK politics has been moving in December, it’s understandable that the first anniversary of the launch of the government’s industrial strategy went largely unnoticed. But in the face of uncertainty over Britain’s international future, it is all the more important that the government makes progress on delivering [...]
