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The reassurance of a quality dividend
Dividends are an important ballast for a portfolio in difficult market conditions, but some sectors are vulnerable to cuts and dividend volatility. - Dividends form the bulk of an investor’s overall return - Regular and…
Asia, without the jitters
Asian markets have been volatile as fears over a trade war and economic weakness mount Thailand’s position as a regional hub has made it less vulnerable Upcoming elections are providing positive news flow By Adithep…
The value in US markets
Performance in the US market has been strong, but there are fears of overheating This recovery may have been long, but it has been weak relative to history There are many opportunities in the US…
A good time to be a dividend investor
It has been a difficult time for those looking for an income from their stock portfolio. Some of the key dividend paying sectors, such as financials and telecoms, have been unloved, with markets led higher…
A century’s old pedigree
Investment trusts have endured, largely unchanged, since the late 1800s The closed-ended structure, and not having to manage inflows and outflows, has been found to contribute to performance Flexibility of income generation will be important…
Japan: looking beyond the economy to its resilient companies
By Kwok Chern- Yeh, Senior Investment Manager, Aberdeen Japan Investment Trust PLC The Japanese stock market has been in a sweet spot but headwinds are mounting From robotics to healthcare, Japan has a number of…
Asia: the demographic dividend
By Adrian Lim, Investment Director, Edinburgh Dragon Trust plc Asia has a young, entrepreneurial and increasingly wealthy population This brings investment opportunities in areas such as healthcare and financial services As entrepreneurship declines in the…
Emerging markets: what lurks beneath?
Volatility has returned to emerging markets following a period of relative calm Blame has fallen squarely on the strong dollar and rising rates Excessive pessimism has distracted investors from the strength of emerging markets Over…
Why Asian income stocks are different
Payouts from Chinese listed companies exceeded 1 Trillion Yuan for the first time in 2017, as companies paid out around a third of their profits. It is symptomatic of a dividend revolution in Asia, which…
Why picking winners matters in Asia
When markets are buoyant, active investing can seem old-fashioned. Why bother with all that research - looking at cash flow, monitoring sales growth, meeting management - when an index fund is giving you a good…
Asia: growth in the right places
The Asian growth story has been well told: economic growth rates are exciting; there is a nascent consumer boom, fuelling by a growing middle class; there is a growing culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. The…
Should trade tariffs matter to investors in Asia?
The threat of a trade war between the US and China has created considerable volatility in Asian markets in recent weeks. Investors fear that it poses a continued threat to the growth of Asian companies…
Was 2017 as good as it gets for Asian stock markets?
2017 was an exceptional year for Asian stock markets, but it has been a more turbulent ride since the start of 2018. From trade tariffs, to slowing global economic data, volatility has re-emerged and the…
Not just temples and beaches, why Thailand is a unique investment destination
Thailand is more often thought of as a holiday destination than a place to invest. However, if you can look beyond its beaches, it is the hub of a thriving regional economy, presenting real opportunities…
Week in review: apocalypse now? No, not yet.
Generally, it’s only reports of death that are said to be exaggerated, but the other Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse all made an appearance this week. Happily, though, investors seemed relatively unaffected by a sense…
Week in Review: US bonds: shaken and stirred
Higher US inflation sparked a sell-off in bonds this week. Investors’ fear of an overheating US economy increased this week as the US government reported that consumer prices rose more quickly in January than analysts…
Week in Review: Meltdown!
It’s been a while, but share-price volatility is back – and how! This week, the world’s main equity markets plunged sharply on Monday, bounced briefly mid-week, then slumped again on Thursday. The S&P 500’s 4.1%…
Week in Review: The hangover kicks in
Many of us are celebrating the end of what has been a bleak and joyless month. Pay day has come around at last and it’s time to dispense with ‘dry January’, or forget about those…