magazine archive


magazine archive

Talking Point

Takeover activity means infrastructure funds are back in demand

Thursday 19 Jul 2018

The 145.2p per share cash takeover offer for John Laing Infrastructure ( JLIF ) on 16 July has renewed investor interest in a sector dogged by political risk of late. Infrastructure as an asset class had been gaining greater traction over the last five years or so. It is relatively uncorrelated to...

Is there still a place for bonds in your portfolio?

Thursday 12 Jul 2018

In the past, before extraordinary monetary policy became a mainstay of central bank decisions across the world, holding bonds in your portfolio was a popular way of investing. Some government bond yields across Europe have moved into negative territory due to asset purchases by the European Central...

Can Rightmove be unseated from a dominant market position?

Thursday 14 Jun 2018

In the last decade or so, the way we buy and sell houses has been transformed by the internet. Property listings website Rightmove ( RMV ) has enjoyed spectacular returns thanks to its position as a first mover in this space. However, could the company be about to face a genuine competitive threat...

The next OPEC meeting is crucial for the direction of oil prices

Thursday 07 Jun 2018

In just over two weeks oil producers’ cartel OPEC will hold its latest meeting in Vienna (22 Jun), an event that could have a major influence on the direction of oil prices. Oil prices have already started to retreat from recent highs above $80 per barrel ahead of this summit. Why? There is...

EasyJet vs Ryanair: Which shares could have made you richer?

Thursday 31 May 2018

Low-cost airline EasyJet ( EZJ ) has surprised the market by delivering a pre-tax profit of £8m over the traditionally loss-making winter period and revealed an interesting new growth strategy. The airline sector is embroiled in a price war that contributed to the demise of rivals Monarch and Air...

Are investors getting fed up with share buybacks?

Thursday 10 May 2018

Having bought back a record $23.5bn of its own stock in the first three months of the year, US consumer electronics giant Apple has announced plans to extend its buyback programme by a further $100bn. On this side of the Atlantic several high-profile buybacks have been unveiled recently including...

Will the next batch of US corporate earnings live up to expectations?

Thursday 19 Apr 2018

As we write the US first quarter corporate earnings season is in full swing. Whereas in the UK most companies report results just twice a year, US firms report in full once a quarter. This has attracted some criticism on the basis it leads to too great a focus on short-term performance among...

What changes to fund rules mean for investors

Thursday 12 Apr 2018

New regulations are likely to lead to a significant shake of the asset management industry with implications for anyone who invests in funds. The Financial Conduct Authority, a UK regulator, wants to make investing in funds better value for money. In a policy statement released on 5 April it...

The key reasons why Facebook’s data scandal matters to UK investors

Thursday 29 Mar 2018

The scandal over the use of data by social media giant Facebook has wiped tens of billions off the company’s market valuation and has significant implications for several areas of the market including some UK-listed stocks. The event is also important to many UK investors as Facebook is a popular...

Why clarity is key when communicating strategy

Thursday 22 Mar 2018

In his revered investment book One Up on Wall Street , US fund manager Peter Lynch wrote: ‘Before buying a stock, I like to be able to give a two-minute monologue that covers the reasons I’m interested in it, what has to happen for the company to succeed, and the pitfalls that stand in its path… ‘...

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