A calendar of potential investment shocks on the horizon December 2, 2016 The vote for Brexit and the victory of Donald Trump in the US election have been seen by some as an anti-establishment backlash and a vote against the economic status quo. Like Brexit, the implications of Donald Trump’s presidency remain unclear. The market’s response to both events has been to fluctuate wildly. While investing [...]
Editor’s notes: The uncertain art of measuring the UK’s economic uncertainty December 2, 2016 You may not have seen it on the News at Ten but Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Kristin Forbes delivered a fascinating speech last week on the nature of economic uncertainty and how best it can be measured. As Donald Trump said when he delivered his victory speech, “it’s a complicated business, folks”. [...]
How the stockmarket returned 80% without moving December 2, 2016 Reinvesting dividends is one of the most powerful tools available to an investor to boost returns over time. If you had invested £100 on 30th December 1999 in the FTSE 100, the capital growth would have produced a notional return of £0.97 (by 31/10/16). But on a total return basis, reinvesting all dividends, the £100 [...]
How to prepare your portfolio for inflation December 2, 2016 Concerns about inflation were already on the rise. Donald Trump’s victory in the US election has further stoked expectations that price pressure, absent in most Western economies since the financial crisis, may make a return in 2017 and beyond. The basics Inflation is a measure of how fast the prices of goods and services are [...]
A calendar of potential investment shocks on the horizon December 2, 2016 The vote for Brexit and the victory of Donald Trump in the US election have been seen by some as an anti-establishment backlash and a vote against the economic status quo. Like Brexit, the implications of Donald Trump’s presidency remain unclear. The market’s response to both events has been to fluctuate wildly. While investing for [...]
(Banco) Popular decision? Shares rise as chairman Angel Ron ousted December 1, 2016 Shareholders can be a harsh bunch sometimes; shares in Spain's Banco Popular shot up today after the board voted to oust its long-serving chairman. Angel Ron has sat at the helm of the struggling bank for more than a decade, but his leadership, include poor progress in ditching the lender's toxic assets, has recently sparked grumbles from [...]
FCA wants customers to shop around for the best bank interest rates and have revealed who gives the best returns on cash December 1, 2016 With interest rates at rock bottom levels we've all become accustomed to the fact we shouldn't expect much of a return from our bank accounts. And today, the UK's financial watchdog named and shamed the banks paying the lowest interest rates on cash savings accounts. Read more: City watchdog warns of asset management "market failure" [...]
UK manufacturing PMI falls to 53.4 but shows relatively confident sector ahead of leaving EU December 1, 2016 Confidence in the UK’s manufacturing sector posted a surprise fall in November, as the weak pound exerted pressure on manufacturers buying materials from abroad. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 53.4, down 0.8 points since last month, although rates of expansion are still "solid", according to survey compiler IHS Markit. This was the second [...]
Bank of England stress tests are getting tougher – but do they still add value? December 1, 2016 The Bank of England 2016 stress test was the toughest to date, with a more severe scenario which incorporated a combination of both a UK and global recession. Combined with a higher pass mark, this created challenges for several institutions. All of the banks started the exercise in more robust shape with a lower risk [...]
The Bank of England is treating £5 note drama with “the utmost seriousness” November 30, 2016 The Bank of England has responded to angry vegans who have objected to the use of animal products in the manufacturing of £5 bank notes. It has said it didn't know the animal material – known as tallow – was used in the making of the note. The statement comes after someone asked about the [...]