Not all recent UK company results have made pleasant reading for shareholders. Some highly regarded retailers – such as Next and Kingfisher – have disappointed, and not just because of the recognised headwinds of Brexit and currency. Something bigger seems to be happening. Across the whole of Europe, the retail sector has lagged the main […]
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Value investing should be about business resilience
June 6, 2016 
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Investing style is how investors typically make sense of their portfolios. Emphasis can be on big or small companies, and labelled as “growth” or “value”. Each person’s style preference will fit their longer term goals, or even just match their own personality or attitude to risk. Investors can gain from clear thinking about style. Unfortunately, […]
Continue readingMixed signals for 2016; deflation still the global risk
January 4, 2016 0 Comments
Investors enter 2016 divided on outlook: economic signals are mixed. The global economy is out of sync; with growth in the UK and US, but a slowdown in the developing world. How should investors position for the year ahead? Investors who were under-weight in oil, mining and industrials in 2015 might be forgiven for feeling […]
Continue reading Does London’s Alternative Investment Market deserve its tax breaks?
January 21, 2015 0 Comments
London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) enjoys tax breaks that can suck in unwary investors. Created as a lightly regulated junior Exchange, it is failing to live up to its promise of fostering enterprise. Scandals in the market have seen some AIM shares fall over 90% in the past year. Yet, the market enjoys tax privileges […]
Continue reading Risks for blue chips: Disruption for supermarkets, banks, autos & big oil
November 17, 2014 0 Comments
Results of most for the third quarter are coming in ahead of City forecasts. But it is the exceptions, such as Tesco and Morrisons, that have grabbed more attention. Headlines have focused on accusations of poor management and governance failure, and the deeper long-term problem has been largely overlooked. It is clear that some industries […]
Continue reading Financial services facing more social media regulation
October 20, 2014 0 Comments
To many in the financial sector, social media looks like the wild west; too new and fast moving to be touched by real world regulations. But, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new advice on social media and financial promotionsis a sharp reminder of the long reach of regulators. The FCA’s last advice on the topic […]
Continue reading How to cut investment costs – and what bits to keep
June 2, 2014 0 Comments
Investors might be surprised at how big an impact expenses can have in the long term, and how much is still hidden. Yet there are ways to cut costs, as well as some apparent savings that are likely to be a false economy. “Do costs matter?” might look a simple question, but is often confused […]
Continue reading Investors should prepare themselves and their assets; not predict
January 6, 2014 0 Comments
Making an annual review of portfolios is good practice for investors. Unfortunately, January may not be the best time for this. The rosy glow of last year’s performance has too much emotional appeal, and the background noise of pundits is distracting. It is tempting to project market gains for the year, or to pencil-in likely […]
Continue reading Emerging Economies problems reflect scarcity of US$
September 28, 2013 0 Comments
The crisis in emerging economies has moved off the front pages but not gone. The Summer rout was largely shrugged off by investors in the West; institutional investors rebalanced out of emerging markets, but currency markets took most of the pressure. A rebound in China and Brazil has convinced many the growth fears were misplaced. […]
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Behavioural Edge 