How finding the quality within value was crucial in 2020 January 20, 2021 | City Talk There are two broad areas of value in the UK market, financials and commodities, that in aggregate make up around a third of the FTSE All Share index. Within this, however, there are vast differences in both quality and performance. (Please see the end of this article for a glossary of terms). 2020 was a [...]
The vaccine challenge facing emerging markets January 18, 2021 | City Talk News that effective vaccines against Covid-19 are slowly being rolled out in some parts of the world has brought the end of the corona crisis into view and buoyed investor sentiment. But we are not yet out of the woods, particularly in emerging markets (EM) where some countries are suffering renewed outbreaks of the virus. [...]
Why climate change is creating a 1929 moment January 15, 2021 | City Talk The battle against Covid-19 has been brutal, inflicting a terrible cost on society. But it will be overcome; scientific endeavour will prevail. Looking decades ahead, my greater concern is climate change. By 2050 we may find the effects of the pandemic will be dwarfed by the consequences of unchecked global warming. The future actions of [...]
Why everyone’s talking about hydrogen January 14, 2021 | City Talk What is all the excitement about? Renewable energy can and will decarbonise power generation. Renewable energy and batteries can and will decarbonise the automotive sector. But these technologies will not be as viable for aviation, shipping, commercial vehicles, steel or fertiliser manufacturing. In all of these vital industries it looks as though hydrogen will be [...]
Democrat sweep to open fiscal floodgates and boost growth January 11, 2021 | City Talk Democrats have completed a sweep of Congress following the double victory in the state of Georgia’s run-off election. The disturbing scenes of protestors storming Capitol Hill last night may have soured the victory, but nonetheless the Democrat party now have control of the Senate and the House of Representatives for the first time since 2009. [...]
The three Cs driving WFH and their impact on global cities January 5, 2021 | City Talk Investors in the office sector face a divergent picture due to the working from home (WFH) trend, says fund manager Tom Walker. Recent encouraging news regarding a Covid-19 vaccine means many of us are looking forward to resuming our “normal” lives. Getting out of the house will be top priority for many, particularly those of [...]
Are investors adjusting to the new normal? December 18, 2020 | City Talk Potential for recovery following Covid-19 and trends which have accelerated as a result of it give many reasons for optimism heading into 2021 The list of reasons for investor uncertainty heading into 2021 remains long. A global pandemic. Lockdowns. Volatile markets. Political turbulence. Uncertainty over jobs and the economy. Record levels of government borrowing – [...]
How much should I be saving for retirement? December 14, 2020 | City Talk Investors globally are saving actively toward their retirement, but how much is enough? It is a question that has confounded people for generations: how much is enough when it comes to saving for retirement? The unfortunate truth is that no one can know for sure. Our desires and needs in retirement change – as do [...]
Green and ESG bonds: what’s behind their rise? December 14, 2020 | City Talk The green and social bond market continues to grow, evolve and diversify, remaining a helpful tool in driving sustainability. We look at what this means for investors. Green bonds have been attracting attention for some time, being a key element of the development and growth of sustainable or environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing in [...]
UK companies are cheap: the smaller the cheaper December 11, 2020 | City Talk UK stocks have lagged their global peers, but is the stage set for a change of fortune? Many investors in UK stocks have looked on enviously at the super-sized returns that global stocks, and US stocks in particular, have been able to deliver over recent years. That all changed this month. As of 18 November, [...]