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A Tour of Financial Markets
We have been looking for the end of the risk rally for a few weeks now. US equity and credit markets have been the most robust and have so far refused to rollover. Elsewhere, we…
Long Term Issues Dominate Sterling – It’s not just about Brexit
The UK finds itself in a very uncomfortable position at the moment. Although most of the scary headlines recently have surrounded the question of whether we vote to leave the EU or not, we see…
Week in review: waving Tata to British steel
Prime Minister, David Cameron, held an emergency meeting this week to decide what the future holds for troubled steel operator, Tata Steel. Though there’s unlikely to be any major decisions made immediately, Cameron has all…
Week in review: muted Easter markets
We bring you a shortened week in review to mark the end of this four-day working week as we move into Easter. But the holiday weekend has been overshadowed by Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in Belgium,…
Corporate Earnings and Capital Flows are the Focus for the Weeks Ahead
Although markets seemed to really quieten down ahead of the long Easter weekend, there was still enough happening and enough on the near horizon to keep us on our toes. Rather than dive into a long essay…
Investment trusts continue to deliver
Global equity investors had a mixed year in 2015, with varying performances across global markets. The Japanese market produced the strongest returns, with the Topix up 12% in yen terms, while European equities saw decent…
Steering to a soft landing
Asia can look forward to another tough year. Global demand for goods and services is unlikely to improve anytime soon. Investor sentiment towards emerging markets hasn’t been this bad in ages. Stock markets plunged as…
Time to be Bearish Again as the Reflation Trade is Topping
The rally in risk assets has been fast and furious in the last five weeks. Back on 14th February, we said “we certainly see the potential for a bit of a bounce if the "animal spirits"…
Focusing on Asia’s future winners
Nigel Cayzer looks back on 20 years as Chairman of Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC. In 1995, Aberdeen Asian Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC was an idea that recognised the economic powerhouse that…
Built for staying power
How time flies when you are enjoying yourself as a personal finance journalist. I can’t believe that nearly 30 golden years have passed since I first started writing about the virtues of investment trusts. I…
Understanding risk
Risk means different things to different people; its essence is embedded in the eye of the beholder. While the concept of fate has long been established, our understanding of risk is still quite new in…
Week in review: the ‘Bittersweet’ Budget
This week George Osborne opened his red briefcase and revealed the latest figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility. The Chancellor appeared somewhat less optimistic towards the UK economy than he was four months ago,…
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…
How Will Markets React to the ECB’s Last Bullet?
Back on 12th December (in our note titled “Some Dangerous Signals Appear in Financial Markets”, see here, we outlined what we thought were two potential scenarios for 2016. In the note, we said ”…we believe…
Interview With Peter Taylor, Senior Investment Manager, Aberdeen Investment Management
The economic situation in Brazil looks dire; should investors stay away? Peter Taylor: We are not top-down macro investors but obviously we have to recognise the macro economic environment. Right now the outlook for Brazil…
Market review: Saving the euro
For many years now, Mario Draghi has relied on a four-word promise to keep the Eurozone ship on an even keel. The European Central Bank (ECB) president has repeatedly asserted that he would “do whatever…
Low-cost exposure or face to the future?
The first step into the stock market from being a cash investor, safe in bank deposits but earning minimal rates (the current best 2-year fixed-term bond pays just 1.85%, and top-paying cash Isas yield around…
Dividend heroes – investment companies with at least 20 year records of dividend rises
2016 began with a rocky start for markets, but there is some better news for income seeking investors. Today, the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has published a list of the investment company sector’s dividend…