magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
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...
Should you buy safe haven assets as markets wobble?
Thursday 27 Feb 2020The large sell-off in stock markets around the world on Monday 24 February has pushed investors towards safe haven assets as they try to avoid losing money. Natural homes for money in times of strife include US government bonds, defensive sectors like beverages, pharmaceuticals and utilities, gold...
Why a change of name is often a cheap trick
Thursday 20 Feb 2020You can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig. This colourful analogy came to mind after the news that Royal Bank of Scotland ( RBS ) plans to seek shareholder approval to change its corporate name to NatWest. This would represent the third high profile name change of a UK-listed firm in the...
What your weekly shop can tell you about Unilever and Reckitt
Thursday 13 Feb 2020When you go to the supermarket or go online to shop for household essentials, just how much do brands matter to you? Will you pay more for a brand you know and have an attachment to, or are you prepared to pay less for a cheaper non-branded alternative? And if you’re happy to pay up, perhaps you’ll...
Plenty of shares are still rising despite coronavirus fears
Thursday 06 Feb 2020Readers often ask if they should sell their investments in times of market turmoil, such as the current environment fuelled by coronavirus fears. The best answer is to weigh up the evidence and grasp what the market is thinking rather than going straight to panic selling. The market has currently...
Why Tesla, Blue Prism and Beyond Meat shares are soaring
Thursday 30 Jan 2020It’s quite common to see share prices follow a certain pattern, particularly if they are prime ways to play hot themes. Their shares can soar on the hype and subsequently fall back as investors take profit and pay more attention to valuation. Occasionally you then see the shares start to move up...
Fundsmith’s annual letter is essential reading
Thursday 23 Jan 2020In much the same way Warren Buffett’s annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway investors is eagerly awaited every year for its pearls of investing wisdom, Terry Smith’s letter to Fundsmith Equity (B41YBW7) investors has also become an annual publication worth savouring. His tenth letter has just been...
Good news on the horizon for your cash savings
Thursday 16 Jan 2020Proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a regulator, to simplify the easy access cash savings market are important on many levels. The need to find the best deal on cash is often forgotten by investors, despite many people putting so much work into researching the best stock, fund or...
Plenty of opportunities despite new year wobble
Thursday 09 Jan 2020The New Year has been fairly testing for investors after an initial bout of joy. The first few days were rewarding on the markets until everyone’s attention turned to tensions between the US and the Iran, putting stocks into reverse. Investors were braced for more pulling and shoving between the US...
A year of celebration as equity markets soar
Thursday 19 Dec 2019A year ago this column offered some reassurance to readers that it is normal for markets to both rise and fall and not to give up when markets are going through a difficult patch. At the time the FTSE 100 was nursing a 12% loss for the year. Twelve months later the mood has switched from...