US stock markets in 2015: Are there any pockets of value? Fund managers are finding opportunities in retail shares. According to IMF forecasts, US growth will accelerate to more than 3 per cent in 2015 (compared to just over 2 per cent this year), tearing past other G7 countries like Britain, which is expected to grow by around 2.7 per cent. The Dow Jones and S&P [...]
Oil price hits a five-year low: What does this mean for markets? Equities could see a lift, but it’s bad news for oil exporters Looking ahead to 2015, there’s plenty for markets to fret about. Rate hikes in the UK and US are a near certainty – after years of extraordinary monetary stimulus that propped up asset prices and kept sovereign bond yields low – as are [...]
Are you making the most of the boredom effect? Studies suggest that more yawning can help boost your creativity. It's never been harder to be bored. Through personal music devices, podcasts or brief forays into the non-work-related web, the modern office dweller has a near endless supply of diversions ready for moments of tedium. Even the meeting – that epitome of workplace monotony [...]
Japan’s perpetual QE machine: Could the exercise end in tears? December 1, 2014 Some analysts think inflation at any cost is the wrong aim THE WORLD’S third largest economy now has the same credit rating as Bermuda, Oman and the Czech Republic, after rating agency Moody’s downgraded Japan’s debt from “Aa3” to “A1” yesterday morning. The yen crashed against the dollar (dollar-yen topped ¥119 just after the announcement, [...]
Unruly 2014 viral video report: Oliver Smith talks online sharing and viral videos November 30, 2014 Marketing tech firm Unruly has released its 2014 viral video report. Its Europe, Middle East and Africa managing director Oliver Smith talks about the key trends to watch. Activa, Fox and Nike – the three brands with the most-shared video ads of 2014, according to Unruly. And while you might think these firms’ [...]
Should culture trump strategy? It’s no contest November 27, 2014 Forget Alton Towers away days – values do not change overnight. The baseball team, the club, the academy and the fortress – four categories of corporate culture outlined by Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld in 1988. Is your firm a group of well-rewarded star players, prone to moving on to better opportunities (the baseball team)? Or [...]
As Harriet Green exits Thomas Cook, what’s the right amount of time to stay in a job? November 26, 2014 Quitting while ahead may help you to move on to bigger things. Whenever high-flying chief executives abruptly part company with their firm, the gossip antennae of City folk immediately start twitching – searching for signs of a scandal or cover-up. Not so with outgoing Thomas Cook chief executive Harriet Green, who yesterday resigned [...]
DIY investing: Five crucial tips to remember when going it alone November 25, 2014 Think carefully about your risk profile and platform choice REFORMS to the way financial advice is charged for in the UK have led to a sharp uptick in the number of investors shunning advisers in favour of self-managed portfolios bought through a platform. The Retail Distribution Review (RDR), introduced at the end of 2012, stopped [...]
The Narendra Modi effect: Why Indian stocks could keep on soaring November 11, 2014 Of the 1,559 equity funds monitored by FE Trustnet, the top seven performers over the last 12 months have all been India specialists. Eighth spot is held by a biotech fund, but the next six spots are again occupied by funds focused on India. Out of the top 20 funds, 16 are India equity [...]
Everything you need to know about spread-betting charges November 10, 2014 Pay close attention to the overnight holding fee and spreads. After a relatively quiet summer, traders are finally seeing global market volatility pick up again. The Vix equity volatility index, for example, hovered between 10 and 12 for long stretches of June and July, but was back up above 20 a few weeks ago. [...]
