Category: Investment Outlook
Peaking, plateauing or dimming – and how about that war?
13 April 2018Considering the sheer volume of geopolitical war talk, it might seem surprising that stock markets ended the week up, not down. The reason for this is most likely that the probabilities for an actual trade war between the US and...
Could do better?
6 April 2018April and the second quarter of 2018 carried on exactly where March and Q1 had finished – volatile. The financial media made a big story out of the fact that markets had not opened the second quarter as poorly since 1929 - mostly...
End of a stormy quarter
29 March 2018Investors might think it appropriate that the first quarter of the year should end with a damp Easter bank holiday weekend (at least in the UK). After a pleasing last quarter of 2017, investors enjoyed what we refer to as a ‘melt-up’...
Now we know it’s risky!
23 March 2018Equity markets have taken a turn for the worse following the US’ probable imposition of “section 301” tariffs on China. Undoubtedly, events that increase uncertainty about the likely path of profits are bad news for any...
Back to Normal?
16 March 2018Over the course of last week it felt very much as though things were returning to normal after the short sharp shock in equity markets in early February. Stock markets in the US have returned to their previous long term trading...
Tariffs to growth
9 March 2018It has been one of those weeks where it is hard to decide where to start, where to end and what to leave out. Most welcome for investors were the ECB’s monthly announcement and the thawing of the relations between North Korea...
Time to take some profits
2 March 2018February brought a sudden, even if long expected end to the calm and steady rising equity market conditions. We wrote at length during the month what triggered the correction and what it is likely to mean going forward. In a nutshell,...
Change of direction or gradual normalisation?
23 February 2018The end of the low volatility goldilocks stock market environment has been unnerving for investors, but it has also triggered a fascinating debate amongst economists and market strategist about where we may be heading from here....
Breathing easier for the moment
16 February 2018This week has been quite quiet in the UK. Of note, wages look set to rise more than 3% this year, stronger than 2.6% rise for last year. Subsequently, the Bank of England will probably deliver a rate rise at their March meeting....
Meteoric stock markets crash back
9 February 2018After the prolonged period of calmly up-trending stock markets, the market correction that occurred over the last 10 days was perhaps overdue and did not come entirely unexpected as regular readers will know. As I wrote in my...