Three themes for 2019 – and some black swans February 8, 2019 2018 was a challenging year for investors with US equity and government bond markets both returning less than cash. Two factors were instrumental in delivering this outcome: disappointment with global growth and less cash flowing through the global economy (tighter liquidity). These factors will continue to influence markets in the year ahead. We have identified [...]
The yield curve explained: is it predicting recession? February 6, 2019 The yield curve has been a reliable predictor of US recessions over the last four decades. Each time the yield curve has inverted, the US economy has entered a downturn within 18 months. At the start of 2019, the curve is precipitously close to inverting again. The yield curve is the difference between the interest [...]
Weekly Grill: Launceston Place head chef Ben Murphy on creating simple, no-nonsense food, and vegans who eat butter and cream February 5, 2019 Who are you and what do you do? My name is Ben Murphy and I’m 28 years old. I’m head chef at Launceston Place in Kensington and I’ve been cooking professionally for eight years now. Cooking has always been a personal passion, so being paid to do what I love is a bonus. What’s new [...]
What is the outlook for interest rates in 2019? February 5, 2019 US Concern over the outlook for US interest rates was one of the dominant themes of 2018, especially as the year progressed. President Trump got involved in the debate, tweeting in December that it was “incredible” that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) was considering raising interest rates again. Despite the pressure from the president, the [...]
TfL urged to be ‘open’ with Londoners about Northern Line extension delay February 5, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) has been told to be "open" with Londoners about the reasons behind the Northern Line extension delay after boss Mike Brown said a revised opening date would have "no material impact" on its revenues. The extension, which will lengthen the Northern Line to Battersea and create 25,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes, was scheduled to open next [...]
Will 2019 be the year gold regains its shine? January 28, 2019 Gold had a mixed year in 2018, quickly peaking around $1,366 in January, but falling as low as $1,160 by August. For a while it seemed that the correlation between risk-off appetite and gold prices had broken, with the yellow metal overlooked even in times of heightened uncertainty. But after a 7% recovery since early [...]
Think you know how Britain feels about Brexit? Think again January 22, 2019 Having seen her Brexit proposals rejected in the largest defeat for a sitting government in British parliamentary history, the Prime Minister returned to the House of Commons on Monday with a plan B that looks startling like plan A. Yes, there have been some tweaks around the edges, such as scrapping the fee for EU [...]
29 reasons not to invest in the stock market January 21, 2019 Wars, disasters, economic strife and political instability have been persistent themes over the last three decades and they can affect people’s attitude towards investing. In many cases they make an already tough decision to part with your money and invest even harder, leading some to not invest at all. Behavioural scientists have a name for [...]
Debate: As we endure Blue Monday, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? January 21, 2019 As we endure Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? Yes- Mike Foster is creative director of brand design agency Straight Forward. Keeping employees happy makes good business sense apart from anything else. Smart employers want their team members to feel fulfilled, connected [...]
Editor’s Notes: It’s easy to see why Gillette’s latest ad was not the Best A Man Can Get January 18, 2019 The "father of advertising” David Ogilvy once said “I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information”. Were he around today he would have to concede that the current industry takes a different view. Today’s advertising campaigns are meant to be shared, reviewed and discussed whether they [...]