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Week in Review: ‘gotta catch ’em all’
New Chancellor Phillip Hammond delivered his first round up of the economy this week as official figures showed a narrowing deficit. UK retail figures have taken a turn for the worse though, with June delivering…
Week in review: poker face
Poker face How low would they go? That was the question on investors’ lips this week as they looked to the first meeting of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) since the UK’s…
Week in review: in for a penny…
Now that two weeks have passed since the momentous referendum result on 23 June, some of the implications for markets and the UK economy are becoming clearer. On Wednesday, sterling touched a 31-year low against…
Week in review: Brexit – a Shakespearean drama
The internet was awash with jokes and cheeky puns following last week’s historic Brexit vote followed by England’s defeat to minnows Iceland at the Euro 2016 football championships. “England leaves Europe twice in one week”…
Market review: Brexit
Britain woke up on Friday to the news that the UK has voted to leave the European Union. Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned, and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney did not hesitate in…
Week in review: Microsoft’s missing link?
The UK stock market came under further Brexit-related pressure this week, sending the FTSE 100 2.7% lower to close below the psychologically important 6,000 barrier on Thursday evening. However, there was an injection of some…
Euro 2016: the bond investor’s guide to the odds
Fans across Europe are preparing for the continent’s biggest football tournament – Euro 2016. 24 national teams will battle it out over 30 days across 10 venues in France. Here, we take a look at…
Market review: safe as houses?
The UK stock market began the week well, with share prices moving up in tandem with the oil price, which rose above $51 on Wednesday. But things turned sour thereafter, leaving the FTSE 100 index…
US rate rise? You can bet on it
There’s an old Wall Street saying, “Don’t bet against the Fed”. But in recent times, markets have been doing exactly that and winning. Only last December, the Federal Reserve set out a clear path for…
Week in review: the gloves are off
Vienna played host to both oil ministers and European Central Bank’s (ECB) delegates for meetings in the Austrian capital this week. In the UK, the upcoming European Union (EU) referendum continues to dominate headlines while…
Week in review: this is not just any profits warning…
Hundreds of millions of pounds were wiped off Marks & Spencer’s market value on Wednesday after the high street icon warned that a plan to revamp its clothing range would tear a hole in its…
Week in review: ruffled feathers
“I know a hawk from a handsaw.” William Shakespeare, Hamlet And so, evidently, do the markets. Four hundred years on from Shakespeare’s death, investors are in absolutely no danger of mistaking the merest hint of…
Undiscovered gems
Thailand’s political situation may have attracted more headlines than its stock market in recent years, but the turmoil in government obscures the encouraging prospects for its corporate sector. Thai companies have shown themselves capable of…
Week in review: talking nonsense
In celebration of the birthday of author and poet Edward Lear, Thursday was declared National Limerick Day. Former Bank of England monetary policy committee member Andrew Sentance took this to heart and decided the form…
Week in review: triumphant Trump
“It will change. We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with winning. Believe me.” Well, well, well - it certainly has changed. Whether we get bored of…
Aberdeen Asian Income Fund Limited
Asia: fertile ground for income seekers The world economy is subject to increasingly uncertainty: There are concerns over the oil price, over global growth, over the likely impact of a US rate hike. Political tensions…
Market review: inertia – gaining momentum?
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” Will Rogers (1879-1935) Mr Rogers was a man of multiple talents – Depression-era humourist, newspaper columnist, political commentator, vaudevillian…
Market review: oiling the wheels
The week began with a whimper, as the Doha oil talks – at which the world’s major oil producers discussed cutting production – ended without agreement on Sunday. Although the oil price initially dipped in…