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 […]
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Tag Archives: investment
3 key psychological challenges for investors
November 13, 2015 
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What are the main challenges to achieving good long term returns? Investors focus mainly on what the stockmarket might do; less so on their own behaviour. Some of the human behaviour that confers advantage in everyday life can drive poor investment decisions. The big challenges include; how we search for patterns and trends, the desire […]
Continue reading Why are commodities over-represented in indices?
October 19, 2015 0 Comments
Do investors have an outdate view of commodities? Far from helping to diversify portfolios, or representing a tangible way to benefit from economic growth, commodities have become volatile financial plays. A misguided view of the nature of these assets has resulted in them being over-represented in indices. Indeed, many passive investors may be surprised to […]
Continue reading Why was Volkswagen in ESG and Sustainable Investing Funds?
October 6, 2015 2 Comments
Responsible investing must come clean about Volkswagen. Too many funds rated it highly on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). Collateral damage will run well beyond the car sector. Already, the scandal has tarnished the brands of Volkswagen and Germany, with their reputations for trust and engineering excellence. But it is not just about mis-selling cars. […]
Continue reading Investors love stories, but no happy ending for Emerging Markets
September 29, 2015 0 Comments
Investors love a good story, but the latest chapter of the emerging markets growth story has come as a nasty surprise to many. There may be much worse to come. Narratives can help to make sense of facts and figures. Stories can convey meaning, by joining up often unrelated information, and they offer hope. But […]
Continue reading Tougher regulation needed for UK listed company directors
September 7, 2015 0 Comments
A gap has opened up in UK regulation, leaving investors exposed to Companies Act and accounting issues without a clear remedy. Despite all the focus on governance and stewardship, investors are still getting nasty surprises. Tesco and Quindell are perhaps just the highest profile of those involved in further investigations. Making the stockmarket safer should […]
Continue reading Not what was forecast: UK index funds lagging active managers
July 31, 2015 0 Comments
Many UK active funds are now outperforming passive funds. But prejudices rarely disappear when hit with the facts. It is human nature to disregard data that contradicts our misplaced beliefs. This may be why little attention has been paid to the remarkable results of many active UK fund managers – in the face of much […]
Continue reading Illusory liquidity and other risks from misguided central bank policy
July 7, 2015 0 Comments
Does liquidity matter? Not, it seems, to regulators and central banks. Little thought is being given to the global systemic risk created by today’s liquidity illusion. In a world awash with money, trading is actually drying up, with little depth in many markets. Entering positions is easy, but the exit doors could prove surprisingly narrow. […]
Continue reading Should we worry about China?
May 29, 2015 0 Comments
Investors struggle with bubbles. Sure, we know they eventually burst, but lessons are quickly forgotten. Now China is a puzzle: it might look like a bubble, but what to do? Uncontrolled Yen devaluation could break China’s Renminbi peg and trigger more global deflation. But, timing and is hard to assess. Analysts and the press pay […]
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Behavioural Edge 
PwC Survey shows slow progress on UK executive pay and bonuses.
The latest PwC survey on executive pay and rewards in the FTSE 100 is presented as an improving trend. Yet it is remarkable that just 36% make full disclosure of bonus benchmarks. There is little sign of realism in incentives; many rewards remain detached from sustainable value creation. Too many do not disclose numbers to […]
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