Exporting to the Commonwealth: What is the opportunity for small businesses in Britain? December 1, 2016 It's hard to avoid using enormous numbers when discussing trade. And the numbers don’t come much bigger than for the Commonwealth. A diverse grouping of 52 states, spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, the Commonwealth is home to some 2.3bn people and has a GDP projected to reach $14 trillion by the end [...]
After the Trumpflation trade, should investors expect a Santa rally in equity markets this month? December 1, 2016 Brad Holland, fund manager at Nutmeg Savings and Investments, says Yes. Central banks across the world have been desperately trying to create inflation for years now. If inflation did return to the radar screen, monetary policy wonks could celebrate that the past decade’s extraordinary policy measures are finally beginning to lift the global economy out [...]
UK pension funding deficits remain at nearly one-third of UK GDP, despite recovery of £50bn in November December 1, 2016 A £50bn improvement in the deficit of defined benefit pension funds in November 2016 failed to offset declines earlier in the year, leaving the total deficit at £580bn. The deficit is still over £100bn higher since the start of the year, according to PwC’s Skyval Index. Deficits have leapt since Spring after asset value growth failed to [...]
City veteran Sir John Beckwith launches new asset management business November 30, 2016 Sir John Beckwith’s Pacific Investments has announced the launch of a new asset management business. Pacific Asset Management (PAM) will initially have $250m (£201m) in assets under management (AUM). Pacific Investments has previously founded Liontrust Asset Management, River & Mercantile, Nevsky Capital, Thames River Capital and Europa Capital. These businesses currently manage more than $20bn [...]
Healthcare trust to float on Friday despite falling short of £200m target November 30, 2016 Bellevue Asset Management is set to float a new investment trust on the London Stock Exchange on Friday. BB Healthcare Trust missed its target of £200m, but will list on the main market this week after raising £150m. Paul Major, who will co-manage the fund with Dr Daniel Koller, played down the £200m target, saying the minimum [...]
The average British worker loses 70 working days a year by being unproductive in the office – but coffee machines could be the answer November 30, 2016 If you're angling for a pay rise, new research showing that higher earners are more likely to be unhappy at work could give you pause for thought. A study by office services provider Service Partner One found that the average worker takes 2.8 sick days per year – and 1.5 of those days are taken due [...]
Hosting the Christmas party (without the hangover) November 30, 2016 The Christmas party season is upon us again. For many, it is the highlight of the year – an opportunity to celebrate and be rewarded for a year of hard work, and to strengthen relationships with colleagues. But even if you’re not drinking, many employers find the Christmas do an annual headache, with disciplinary issues to [...]
Who’s afraid of the big, bad pensions deficit? Contrarian stock-pickers can find hidden value in companies with large holes in their defined benefit pension funds November 30, 2016 For some UK companies, having a large pension deficit is like a proverbial albatross around the neck – unsightly and foreboding. This can make the shares appear cheap on some measures. But valuing stocks with large schemes is difficult, due to the enhanced complexity of pension accounting. Actuaries and trustees make numerous assumptions regarding future [...]
The Royal Mint is putting gold bullion on the blockchain November 29, 2016 It’s not just currency that’s going digital – £1bn of the Royal Mint’s gold will soon be on the blockchain. The 1,000-year-old government-owned institution is working with exchange giant CME Group create a new digital trading platform for investors to buy and sell gold using blockchain’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) to track ownership. Why use [...]
