magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
Shell has opened the floodgates for dividend cuts
Thursday 07 May 2020Oil producer Royal Dutch Shell ( RDSB ) was meant to be the company that never disappoints when it comes to dividends. Sadly its decision to slash its payment by two thirds means other stocks effectively now have free rein to do the same. The drastic actions by companies to preserve cash have now...
How return to work plans influence share prices
Thursday 30 Apr 2020The forward-looking nature of the stock market means that investors are looking to future events which will act as markers for how they might feel about buying or selling shares. We saw this with data on coronavirus cases in China and signs that the growth in death rates had peaked. Even though...
Oil price slump could happen again in May
Thursday 23 Apr 2020While the International Monetary Fund is busily warning of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the S&P 500 is, as we write, back above its levels at the beginning of 2019. Against a backdrop of global stocks enjoying something of a recovery, the oil market is in a...
A simple guide to understanding market corrections
Thursday 16 Apr 2020A reader wants to know how market corrections work, why certain stocks fall more than others, who is selling and why some stocks bounce back first. Stock markets involve buyers and sellers making transactions based on expectations for what might happen to a business. The price will fall if more...
Help the coronavirus fight now and profit later
Thursday 09 Apr 2020Investors and the general public are going to view many companies in one of two ways once the coronavirus crisis has abated. They will either hold them in high esteem or view them with bitterness, with their opinion shaped by how companies behaved during the pandemic. Companies are essentially...
Two things you must seek in fund managers’ latest reports
Thursday 02 Apr 2020The start of April means fund managers should now being issuing their latest quarterly reports. Normally that wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary, yet these reports will contain the first insight into how many funds have coped with the global market sell-off in late February and most of March...
Preaching patience amid the coronavirus crisis
Thursday 26 Mar 2020These are extraordinary times. In a matter of weeks the coronavirus outbreak has gone from an event which was seen as having a localised impact in mainland China to a global crisis which has effectively seen the pause button hit on the world’s economy. Equity markets, slower than other asset...
Reasons to stay optimistic despite falling markets
Thursday 19 Mar 2020The speed at which markets have fallen has left investors feeling depressed with the state of their portfolios. Even thinking about taking a look at your ISA or pension can bring on a sense of anxiety. You are not alone in feeling this way. Coronavirus has had a fast and hard impact, meaning very...
Has diversification saved your portfolio?
Thursday 12 Mar 2020Asset diversification should have been one of the few saving graces for investors in recent weeks, potentially reducing the losses. Having a mixture of stocks, bonds and property means you spread your risks across different assets – each of which behave somewhat differently in terms of market...
From optimism to fear: how investors’ mindset has changed
Thursday 05 Mar 2020An 11% decline in the FTSE 100 over a single week, and similar losses in many other markets around the world, has led to a change in investor mindset. There are now widespread concerns about where markets go next and large numbers of investors want to now what everyone else is thinking to help...