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Where is the clever money going in 2016? – March
Where’s the clever money going in the course of 2016? The consensus is that we could be in for further bumpiness: the EU referendum and US election should see to that, regardless of economic progress…
Fund Sectors Performance Update – March
January and February have seen investors on a huge and at times quite scary rollercoaster. The FTSE 100 blue chip index dropped by over 11% from its high point of over 6,200 at the start…
What is Priced in to the ECB Meeting This Week?
Financial markets have enjoyed a very robust recovery in the last three weeks. In our opinion, the rally has not been driven by any fundamental improvement in economic growth or corporate or emerging market prospects.…
Market review: playing the game
Risk made a comeback this week – and we don’t mean the perennially popular, seemingly never-ending board game. Rather, investors – who recoiled as volatility struck equity markets early in 2016 – returned in their…
Why gold is performing well right now
While cyclical assets and the oft-cited safe haven of the dollar have started to struggle the traditional ‘port in a storm’ asset of gold has started to reclaim its place as the ‘true safe haven’…
Policymakers and Markets Face a Critical Period
Despite a bounce in risk assets in the last two weeks, February has been pretty brutal for many investors. Yes, losses are a lot less than those seen at mid-month, but long term confidence in…
Big Picture Thoughts on Financial Markets
In an attempt to keep an open mind on the future outcome for the global economy and financial markets, we thought we would share some thoughts and see how they fit into the economic and…
Market review: A bite of the apple
Leading tech firm Apple Inc announced on Tuesday its fifth multi-billion dollar offering of corporate bonds since 2013. Likely inspired by low interest rates, the household name synonymous with smart technology issued $12 billion of…
Regular as clockwork: 43% of investment companies pay quarterly dividends compared to 17% in 2010
AIC publishes dividend payment dates for member companies. It’s no secret that in today’s low interest rate environment, investors are on the hunt for yield. And it would seem that many investors also value…
The Concept of a Long Term Bear Market
We were initially going to have a bit of a rant about how Central Bank policies are not just ineffective at generating sustained economic growth, but how investors appear to be revolting against said policies…
Market review – Markets get the jitters
It’s been an edgy week for investors. Fears of a US recession are rising, with recent industrial production and manufacturing data proving disappointing. Exports have been hit by the strong dollar and weakness in…
Market review – Deal or no deal?
And so the duel in Westminster continues. Prime Minister David Cameron is, according to the outspoken Boris Johnson, ‘making the best of a bad job’. Hardly encouraging words for Dave as his draft EU…
Yet Another Central Bank Inspired Rally
Although markets ended the month on a more positive note, January was not kind for many investors. The current rally that began over a week ago is yet again predicated on more unconventional central…
Market review – Less Than Zero
We awoke on Friday to the news that the Bank of Japan had cut interest rates to below zero. This marks a new departure in the central bank’s quest to stimulate the economy and…
Investment company adviser purchases in first nine months of 2015 up 55% compared to same period in 2014
The AIC has published data from Matrix Financial Clarity, demonstrating that in the first three quarters of 2015, purchases of investment companies on platforms by advisers and wealth managers reached £549m. The Association of…
Central Banks Face Difficult Choices in a Changing Investment Environment
When we started writing this weeks’ commentary, we did not realise how long it would be. We hope that you find it interesting, as we truly believe that we touch upon the most important…
Market review – The bears are back
The year so far has been a particularly unhappy hunting ground for global investors. China, the tumbling price of oil and a recently downgraded forecast for global economic growth by the International Monetary Fund…
Markets are at a Tipping Point
Our work indicates that financial markets are at a tipping point and policymakers are probably getting very worried. After significant downward moves for equity markets and bond yields in the first two weeks of…