magazine archive
magazine archive
Talking Point
Can stocks fight back after US-China truce?
Thursday 06 Dec 2018The final quarter of 2018 was shaping up to be a bruising period for investors as stocks drifted in September and then capitulated in October amid a host of economic and geopolitical concerns. A truce on the trade war between the US and China seems to have been a catalyst for an easing of these...
Why is the oil price collapsing?
Thursday 29 Nov 2018Black Friday is a term typically associated with the retail sector, but it could have summed up the mood of boardrooms in oil and gas firms across the globe on 23 November when oil hit its lowest level in 12 months after a significant intraday crash in prices. Even after crawling back just above $...
Should investors look at ways to play the fight against obesity?
Thursday 22 Nov 2018A recent demand from campaign group Action on Sugar to ban milkshakes with chocolate, sweets, cake, cream and sauce known as freakshakes, has reignited the debate on how to tackle the obesity epidemic. With some freakshakes containing over 1,000 calories, campaigners are right to be concerned, but...
Could logistics firms benefit from stockpiling ahead of Brexit?
Thursday 15 Nov 2018Food and beverage companies seem to be following in the footsteps of the drug firms in making preparations for a ‘no-deal Brexit’. Heineken recently announced plans to deal with supply chain issues and back in July pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca ( AZN ) caused quite the stir when it announced...
Superdry co-founder plots boardroom coup in a bid to ‘fix’ the retailer
Thursday 08 Nov 2018Shares in branded fashion retailer and wholesaler Superdry ( SDRY ) have shed almost 60% of their value since the start of January, dropping from £20.76 to a bombed-out 875p on disappointing trading and earnings downgrades. This share price fall from grace has stirred Superdry co-founder Julian...
The skew phenomenon: how a handful of stocks can drive the entire market
Thursday 01 Nov 2018In mathematics, ‘skew’ means a slant or an oblique angle. In everyday use, skew means some type of bias or tendency away from normal distribution. Many of us should be familiar with the 80/20 rule which says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort. Business coaches claim that 80% of...
Will Auto Trader be overtaken by Ebay?
Thursday 25 Oct 2018On 19 October two pieces of potentially negative news emerged to put Auto Trader’s ( AUTO ) shares in reverse gear. First the UK’s largest independent car dealership Pendragon ( PDG ) warned on trading and then online auction site Ebay announced the purchase of Motors.co.uk, creating a bulked-up...
Why it isn’t game over for growth stocks
Thursday 18 Oct 2018Among the high growth stocks which have sold off in the recent roiling of equity markets are online fashion phenomenon ASOS ( ASC:AIM ) , online grocer-turned-platform, Ocado ( OCDO ) , video games services provider Keywords Studios ( KWS:AIM ) , attractions software supplier Accesso Technologies...
Best of new boom in subscriptions economy is yet to come
Thursday 11 Oct 2018The subscription business model is booming and could be considerably bigger in the coming years, so investors need to sit up and take notice. We tend to think of subscriptions in terms of newspapers, magazines, gym memberships and pay-TV services. You could argue that utility bills and mobile phone...
Why the oil price is at a four-year high
Thursday 04 Oct 2018The price of Brent crude oil is at its highest level in four years above $85 per barrel as traders react to impending US sanctions on major oil producer Iran and news of a breakthrough in trade talks between the US, Canada and Mexico. WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE OIL PRICE? In the last 12 months the...