How I scored in an investment IQ test – and what I learnt January 8, 2018 | City Talk What type of investor are you – optimistic, impulsive? Do you follow the herd? We all have a range of “biases” – of which we are often unaware – and which can affect the way we invest. I’m intrigued by this branch of science, known as behavioural finance. As a fund manager specialising in value [...]
Are markets too complacent about the US economy? January 3, 2018 | City Talk The status of the US as the world’s most dynamic and important single country economy remains intact, not least among investors. Its strengths are now very much reflected in financial market valuations. This is evident in stocks, with the US having been at the vanguard of a multi-year bull run, while bond yields have reached [...]
DEBATE: Should the City be optimistic about 2018? January 3, 2018 Should the City be optimistic about 2018? Gerard Lyons, chief economic strategist at Netwealth Investments, says YES. Be positive. The City will get a boost from LSD this year. L is for liquidity, which remains ample as the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank continue to ease, while the US Federal Reserve and [...]
If water firms still use ‘diving rods’, what magic should investors believe in? December 29, 2017 | City Talk With Santa Claus steeling himself to fill the stockings of more than two billion children in a matter of hours last Sunday night (NB: figures not adjusted for final naughty/nice calculations), Christmas is traditionally a time of magic or, perhaps, the willing suspension of disbelief. However, we do wonder if there is enough of either [...]
The unprofitable reality of tobacco stocks December 28, 2017 | City Talk Chestnuts may be roasting on an open fire – at least on the speakers of every shop we have visited since October – but here our focus is smoke. More precisely we will be considering its continuing disappearance as more and more people quit cigarettes – and what this could mean for tobacco companies and [...]
The FTSE in 2017: Five charts that tell the story December 27, 2017 | City Talk The FTSE 100, 250 and All-Share indices made strong gains in 2017. A record year for dividend payments and ongoing loose monetary policy from the Bank of England helped each index hit a record high in 2017. By the close on 13 December 2017 the FTSE 100 was up 5%. But it was outperformed by [...]
The 10 most in demand jobs in 2018, according to a recruiter December 27, 2017 New year, new job? If your eyeing up a new gig for 2018, you're not alone. More than half (55 per cent) of the UK workforce are doing just that, research from recruiter Hays reveals. And the good news is that an even greater proportion doing the hiring (71 per cent) are on the look [...]
Which of the major stockmarkets are ‘cheap’ going into 2018? December 26, 2017 | City Talk Finding value in stock markets at present is like looking for the sixpence in a Christmas pudding. It’s there but it’s hard work finding it. Others round the table are likely to end up disappointed. Stock markets have been on quite a run for several years now and 2017 has failed to disappoint. Unfortunately for [...]
These will be the best-paying jobs for graduates in 2018 December 22, 2017 Ah, Christmas: the time of year when our thoughts naturally turn to how far our salaries will stretch over the festive period. The good news is that new research has found City employers are still the best payers when it comes to graduate roles, although tech companies are creeping up the list. The study, by [...]
Are UK markets overstretched? December 21, 2017 | City Talk With the FTSE 100 and All-Share a wee bit below their all-time highs and valuations above average, many fear equities are too high and will soon fall. However, in our view, such worries are misplaced. Valuations aren’t predictive, and markets routinely set all-time highs during bull markets. We expect UK markets to keep making chart-topping [...]
