Cash is still king: Why hard cash continues to be a vital asset class for investors June 21, 2016 To many, cash represents an opportunity cost, an opportunity lost. These investors believe cash is a temporary holding medium between risk-assets, held unwillingly, often for a lack of better ideas. That is a limiting, myopic view. Cash is a core asset class, not a blank canvas from which to create an investment. Sometimes – even [...]
Another corporate finance firm is launching a fintech venture arm June 21, 2016 German exchange owner Deutsche Boerse is wrapping up its investments in financial technology companies into a standalone venture capital fund and will ramp up its funding in fintech firms, joining the rush of corporates eyeing a slice of disruptive startups. DB1 Ventures will include a handful of existing investments, including a stake in Blythe Masters' blockchain startup Digital Asset Holdings, some [...]
Now the PPF is warning proposed changes to British Steel Pension Scheme could set a precedent June 21, 2016 Proposed changes to the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) could set a precedent for other troubled industries, the UK's pensions lifeboat has cautioned today. Responding to an ongoing consultation into the BSPS, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has warned that one of the options on the table – which would involve using legislation to slash [...]
EU referendum: Confidence among private investors holds up ahead of vote June 21, 2016 Confidence among private investors edged up this month, despite widespread talk of unprecedented market volatility in the run-up to the EU referendum. A poll of more than 1,000 UK investors for the Lloyds Bank investor sentiment index showed the outlook towards most types of assets had improved slightly over the last few weeks, but is still considerably [...]
Do you work for one of the UK’s 25 most attractive employers? June 21, 2016 It's causing fevered debate in offices. Politicians are clashing over it. The cats of social media are up in arms about it. Yep, LinkedIn's list of the UK's top 25 most sought-after employers is out – and the good news is that City institutions are faring pretty well. The list, based on analysis of the site's 20m members, [...]
How to trade EU referendum night June 21, 2016 Sterling volatility has rocketed over the past few weeks, as markets have digested the ups and downs of the opinion polls in advance of the EU referendum. But if you think the sealing of the ballot boxes at 10pm on Thursday night will be the end of it (until UK stock markets re-open on Friday [...]
What will happen to UK equities if we leave the European Union? June 21, 2016 The pound and the FTSE soared yesterday, as the Remain camp wrestled back its lead in the polls. But the outcome of Thursday’s EU referendum is far from clear, with pundits saying that voter turnout will be pivotal in determining whether the UK stays or leaves. If Article 50 is triggered and sterling dives, what should [...]
Robot rubbish: Most workers don’t fear automation June 21, 2016 The robots are coming, or so say experts, pundits and commentators. The World Economic Forum predicted that expanded automation and artificial intelligence (AI) would mark the fourth industrial revolution, which could lead to the biggest upheaval in the labour market in a century. Meanwhile, the Bank of England’s Andy Haldane has hypothesised that up to [...]
Why Brexit could be the shock that saves the euro June 21, 2016 Threatened by the possibility of a British exit from the European Union, politicians across the continent have rightfully defended the fragile politico-economic bloc from a vote that could open the door for more countries to leave. But could such an upset potentially yield a brighter future for Europe and, more specifically, the countries that share [...]
Brexit causes gold rush – experts predict prices will hit $1,400 by month end if the UK votes to leave the EU June 21, 2016 The risk of Brexit has pushed up the price of gold, with every tightening of the bookmakers’ odds giving a boost to the value of the precious metal. The price of bullion is up 21 per cent so far this year, 8 per cent of which has come in the last month. Gold prices reached a [...]
