Two charts for those already suggesting the value bounce is finished December 13, 2016 | City Talk When you sign up to be a value investor, you soon learn you have not chosen the easiest path to tread. Even so, here on The Value Perspective, we still find ourselves occasionally astonished at the way the wider market can seem so willing to write off the discipline’s prospects. Take the recent resurgence in [...]
As Trump enters the White House, will the Federal Reserve hike interest rates more aggressively in 2017? December 13, 2016 It was Ronald Reagan who warned against inflation in 1984 by describing it creeping “like a thief in the night to rob our savings, rob our earnings, and take the bread off our tables.” It is ironic then that President-elect Donald Trump, who borrowed his forebear’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” to win the [...]
As analysts predict softer growth in both 2017 and 2018, are we still being too pessimistic about Brexit? December 13, 2016 | City Talk Gerard Lyons, co-chair at Economists for Brexit, says Yes. The UK’s big challenge is that we talk ourselves into an unnecessary downturn. Across the globe, people read constant negative comments from UK economists and politicians. The fact they were wrong before the EU referendum doesn’t seem to bother them. Despite this, many global firms are [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond calls for a four-year “soft Brexit” as the UK leaves the EU December 12, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond has backed a transitional period to ease Britain’s exit from the European Union, bringing relief in the Square Mile but exposing a potential split with senior Cabinet colleagues. Hammond said yesterday that “thoughtful politicians” could see the need for a “longer period to manage the adjustment” of leaving the EU. The comments [...]
Goldman Sachs banker Gary Cohn becomes Donald Trump’s main economic adviser December 12, 2016 Donald Trump has announced the appointment of former Goldman Sachs banker Gary Cohn as his most important economic adviser. Cohn has officially been named as director of the National Economic Council. He will be tasked with advising the President-elect on implementing his unorthodox economic campaign promises, which purportedly combine broad tax cuts with big infrastructure [...]
Mining stocks have finally recovered in step with commodity prices but can the rally continue? December 12, 2016 AS THE political earthquakes of the past few months exact a heavy toll on currencies including sterling, commodities have been a beneficiary. Iron ore prices, for example, have doubled from their January 2016 lows while other base metal prices like zinc have also climbed, up nearly 70 per cent in the year to date. The [...]
UK investors flock to fintech firm BullionVault as gold prices soar December 12, 2016 London fintech group BullionVault attracted a 90 per cent increase in UK gold investors this year and saw annual trading volumes increase by more than a quarter. Market volatility and uncertainty surrounding the EU referendum in June and ahead of the US election in November led gold and silver prices to soar, contributing to a trading [...]
Brent crude oil breaks $57 a barrel as deal with non-Opec producers triggers five per cent rally December 12, 2016 Oil prices shed earlier gains this evening after rallying more than five per cent during the day, as markets digested a landmark pact between oil producing countries and cartel Opec. Global benchmark Brent crude briefly rose above $57 a barrel for the first time since July 2015 in morning trading. This evening it was trading up [...]
UK video startup Newsflare lands £2.4m December 12, 2016 Newsflare, a British media startup, has landed a multimillion pound cash injection from a young investment fund aimed at boosting the country's creative industries. The £2.4m fresh funding comes from Edge Investments' Creative Enterprise Fund and will help the three-year-old startup's expansion. Read more: The Memo proves investors still like media startups, with six-digit funding The Newsflare platform connects user [...]
13 years of returns: history’s lesson for investors December 12, 2016 | City Talk There is no guaranteed route to success when it comes to investing, but the data below illustrates why it is important not to hold all your eggs in one basket. 13 years of asset class performances A widely-held belief is that shares deliver the best returns over the very long term, at least among the [...]