Are you motivated by morals or money? October 2, 2020 | City Talk Investing is a personal choice and a number of influences will hold sway over where you put your money. Your personal value system is one such influence and, for most people, this appears to be non-negotiable. More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of investors refuse to compromise on their personal beliefs when investing, even if [...]
Spotting the right opportunity, at the right time October 1, 2020 | City Talk For an active trader, volatility always represents opportunity. As the most traded commodity in the world, this is especially the case for traders in the oil markets. Oil has traditionally been viewed as a relatively safe bet. While there are countless examples of a stock price dropping greater than 50 per cent in an instant [...]
US proposal on ESG causes sparks to fly… but it’s the right move September 29, 2020 | City Talk A spotlight has been cast on the curious logic underpinning the case for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing by the US Department of Labor’s recent actions. In June, the DOL proposed a new rule that would limit the ability of most employee retirement plans to select investments based on ESG factors. More than 8,700 pieces [...]
Could decarbonisation be the mega-trend of the next decade? September 28, 2020 | City Talk US equities have led global stock markets higher over the past decade. In the last ten years, US equities have returned a stellar 292%, compared to just 73% for global equities (as measured by the MSCI USA Index and MSCI AC World ex US Index respectively, in US dollar terms, as at 31 August 2020). [...]
Retail trading – don’t become a one-trick pony September 28, 2020 | City Talk The markets around the world have recently been a hive of activity and volatility. When this occurs, it presents a multitude of potential trading opportunities. This has given birth to a new breed of traders accessing their platforms. The average trader nowadays does not want to be confined to a single asset class or product; [...]
UK investments remain resilient in the face of pandemic September 24, 2020 Total investments in the UK are set to near pre-pandemic levels this summer despite a torrid year for global markets amid the coronavirus crisis. Total assets under management (AUM) by members of the Investment Association (IA) reached a record high of £8.5 trillion at the end of 2019, a 10 per cent increase on the [...]
The “homebody economy” – investing in your digital back yard September 23, 2020 | City Talk It is clear that UK shares are unloved. No likes, no shares, no new friend requests. The level of gloom surrounding this market is remarkable even amongst UK based investors, who, you might think, should feel more comfortable investing here. This is not just pandemic queasiness. Although the UK economy is service-led to some extent, [...]
How Covid changed cyber crime September 18, 2020 | City Talk It might not be surprising that cyber criminals have taken advantage of coronavirus and the rush to remote working. The age of cyber warfare was upon us even before the crisis. New research suggests online fraudsters are boosting their attacks at an alarming pace, and it’s thought multimillion dollar ransoms could be at stake. Interpol, [...]
LGIM set to reopen property fund in October September 16, 2020 LGIM will reopen its property fund in October, seven months after the coronavirus crisis forced it to suspend dealing. In an update today, LGIM said its authorised fund manager, L&G Unit Trust Managers, intends to reopen the property fund and its feeder fund on 13 October. The board is now “confident” in lifting the suspension [...]
Is crypto trading making you overweight? Use a basket September 16, 2020 | City Talk Cryptocurrencies haven’t disappeared like some thought they would. If anything, its appeal as an asset class continues to grow. Customer interest in cryptocurrencies has spiked during all the volatility surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Cryptocurrencies are here to stay. So, you want in… but where to begin? There are two questions one needs to answer: how [...]
