Last week in the City March 23, 2018 | City Talk This week, China warned the US that it is not afraid of engaging in a trade war, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates again, and Facebook shares plummeted after allegations that millions of users' profile data had been harvested. The FTSE 100 was down 3.5% over the course of the week by mid-session on Friday. [...]
How and why rising trade tensions have moved stock markets March 23, 2018 | City Talk We explain all of the ins and outs of the turmoil in markets this week, focusing on at what might happen next with escalating trade tensions. How far have stock markets fallen this week? Global stock markets have come under pressure this week on fears over escalating trade tensions. The selling has been most marked [...]
Artemis: Investing for income March 23, 2018 | Sponsored On Britain’s railways, a double yellow light is an instruction to exercise “preliminary caution”. On seeing it, a train driver should continue to move forward but be prepared to begin slowing at the next signal; there may be an obstruction ahead. These are the conditions under which investors seeking income currently operate. Financial assets in [...]
An underappreciated side effect of Brexit talks March 23, 2018 | City Talk As the Brexit referendum nears its two-year anniversary, Brexit continues dominating economic and political media coverage. We have observed no shortage of angles, including: What is the latest snag in negotiations? Will Brussels and London make their deadlines? Can Prime Minister Theresa May keep her cabinet in order? We believe this nonstop Brexit coverage obscures [...]
The changing face of world shares March 22, 2018 | City Talk The US market represents more than one half of the total quoted wealth in world shares. It is, however, a very different pattern of wealth holdings from previous decades, reflecting the huge changes underway in business models and customer preference. Looking at just how much the index has changed is a good way of mirroring [...]
The Bank of England is setting up its own fintech hub March 22, 2018 The Bank of England (BoE) will set up a fintech hub to monitor developments that could help boost the UK's weak productivity levels. "We have set up a new fintech hub that will sit at the heart of the Bank, to consider both how the Bank understands and how it applies fintech, relevant to its [...]
Rihanna roils markets as China bags a key element March 21, 2018 | City Talk Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (March 12 to March 16, 2018). This week, Barbadian singing sensation Rihanna managed to wipe $1bn off the valuation of tech group Snap, the Chinese secured a major cobalt deal to help it produce electric [...]
A sensible way to play the robotics megatrend March 21, 2018 | City Talk In the next few decades, chief executives of major global corporations could all become redundant. They will be replaced by robots with highly-developed artificial intelligence, because machines are quicker, more rational and do not get bogged down with silly human emotions. That’s according to Jack Ma, the founder of Chinese internet behemoth Alibaba. Of course, [...]
Will ‘app only’ be the norm for financial services? March 21, 2018 | City Talk Mobile apps for smartphones and tablets only came into existence a decade ago, but they have fast become an essential component for managing modern life. Users prefer apps as they’re an easy-to-use version of a full website, or because they represent a simplified version of a longer process. They offer the intuitive delivery and instant [...]
The ‘£17,808 cost’ of mistiming your FTSE investments March 21, 2018 | City Talk Buying low and selling high is every investor’s goal. However, timing the market precisely is notoriously difficult, if not impossible. Research undertaken by Schroders shows how costly it can be when the timing is wrong. Over three decades, mistimed decisions on an investment of £1,000 could have cost you nearly £18,000-worth of returns. Our research [...]
