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The US Equity Bull Market Was Damaged Last Week. Perhaps Gold is a Partial Remedy
The action in equity markets this past week suggests that some serious damage has been inflicted on the bullish trend. Is the damage serious enough to mortally wound the bull? It is far too early…
Week in review: Fury, fire and fear
This week: tensions mount between North Korea and the U.S. Geopolitical tensions ratcheted up several notches this week as saber-rattling from North Korea brought threats of “fire and fury” from U.S. President Donald Trump. On…
How to supercharge your returns
David Prosser explains how reinvesting dividends makes a huge difference. Where do your returns come from when you invest in the stock market – in the shares of the companies that trade on that market,…
‘Peak’ everything?
John Pattullo, Co-Head of Strategic Fixed Income In the 1980s I remember writing an economics homework essay about how the world was going to run out of oil by the year 2000 — Marion King…
Plus ça change: credit crunch 10 years on
Chris Darbyshire, Chief Investment Officer, Seven Investment Management Viewers of Paramount’s ‘The Big Short’, will remember a scene towards the end of the film when the US housing market is in freefall, mortgages are defaulting…
From Low Volatility to No Volatility
Just when we thought that it couldn’t get any worse for traders, markets have almost come to a standstill. Simply put, unless price actually moves, traders cannot make any money. And so it is with…
Five reasons to consider European equities For Professional Investors Only
The “United States of Europe” (USE) has been a work in progress since the end of World War II, when the region started the long, painful task of reunification and rebuilding. Now, with fallout from…
Week in review: Europe grows while the UK slows
This week: optimism soars for emerging markets, and “The Mooch” gets the boot. The Bank of England (BoE) left interest rates unchanged at 0.25% and slashed growth forecasts as uncertainty over Brexit weighs on the…
A Mini Wake up Call as we Head into Summer?
Having been far too one directional with exceptionally low volatility in recent weeks, it feels like financial markets received a slight jolt last week just as many will be heading off for summer vacations. Nothing…
Week in Review: the end is nigh for Libor
The notorious benchmark lending rate is set to be dropped in 2021, according to FCA boss Andrew Bailey. Regulators will aim for a more reliable marker now the scandal-hit Libor days are numbered. Elsewhere, the…
Where’s the clever money going? July 2017
As we head into the second half of 2017, a number of commentators have been reviewing performance over the eventful first six months of the year. With the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president…
Fundamentals Versus Market Analysis
With central bankers preparing for their summer vacations, markets have been hanging onto their every word and nuanced syllable for guidance of what they may deliver in the Autumn. There was a mixed response to…
Week in review: winter is coming?
“We’re not there yet.” This was Thursday’s message from Mario Draghi, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), as he put off any decision on curtailing the ECB’s monetary stimulus programme. Citing low inflation,…
Mid-year outlook: be more selective in the second half For Professional Investors Only
At the mid-year point, US equities seem expensively valued in the face of dull economic growth and rising rates. By contrast, Europe looks attractive, as some of the key political risks fade, and the positive…
When will you retire?
Matthew Yeates, Quantitative Investment Manager New research from Seven Investment Management (7IM) has highlighted that many in the UK believe that early retirement is an impossible dream. On average, people would like to retire at…
Week in review: All aboard the gloom train?
This week: a bleak forecast for the UK economy, NASDAQ shows its FANGs and a piggy in the middle of a city. The UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) struck a sour note this week…
Unexpected Brexit opportunities
Alasdair McKinnon, Manager of The Scottish Investment Trust, explains why the surprises of the past year have been a gift for 'ugly duckling' investors. At The Scottish, we’re contrarians to the core. So we aren’t…
An Outlook – On Guard
Alex Scott, Deputy Chief Investment Officer Last month, we focused this commentary on our currency positioning: we prepared portfolios for the possibility of Sterling strength as the government position on Brexit is forced to soften…