Category: Investment Insight

Whatever your politics, one has to feel a bit of sympathy (maybe) for the new Chancellor.  It has been a very tough first week in a new job; lambasted by the media, accused by the Labour leader of ‘crashing’ the pound and causing higher inflation and interest rates; and a bad report from the IMF.

The fear of losing money is a very real emotion and the marketing promises of absolute return funds – no losses and high returns – may be appealing to some.  Most absolute return funds aim, as a minimum, for a positive return over a specified time horizon, with a return target of cash plus something,

At times like this, when it can feel like there is much doom and gloom in the news, it is worth taking a step back to gain a little perspective. For most investors the accumulation of wealth is a slow process as money is put aside month-on-month into pensions and ISAs, inheritances are invested, or

Uncertainty abounds – it always does. Today, it certainly feels like the world is in a very uncertain place. Authoritarian states are flexing their muscles, with Russia violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and China’s ongoing subjugation of Hong Kong with the new National Security Law alongside its apparent support for Russia, being cases in point. The West

A new variant of Covid-19, dubbed “Omicron”, is affecting some countries around the world, and it could lead to further restrictions in the coming months. The variant comes as supply chain issues caused by the pandemic continue to affect businesses and households. UK The UK’s latest GDP figures suggest the economy is lagging behind other

While economies continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic, there are signs that the pace of growth is beginning to slow. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the recovery of the world’s major economies is losing momentum. The organisation said consumers remain reluctant to eat out, visit attractions, and

A year after lockdowns around the world began, Covid-19 continues to affect economies and investment markets. While the volatility experienced almost 12 months ago may have calmed, uncertainty remains and it’s important for investors to focus on their long-term plan. In February, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), called on leaders

2020 was an eventful year. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns around the world had a huge impact on life, which inevitably affected stock markets and investment portfolios. The stock market volatility experienced a year ago will be fresh in the mind of investors, but the crash wasn’t unique. Investors have experienced ups and down for

2020 was a year marked by volatility and uncertainty. With everything that was going on, you might think that investors finished the year with losses. Yet, world markets ended the year almost 13% up. It’s a reminder that while short-term volatility does happen, focusing on the long-term and your plans is important. The Covid-19 pandemic

Global stock markets continued to be affected by Covid-19, but there was good news mixed among the negative. While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned the global economic recovery was ‘losing momentum’, markets rallied during the month based on the news that a vaccine was on the way. Pfizer was the first to announce a