While Donald Trump’s victory in the US election was unpopular, there will inevitably be some winners from his Presidency. One sector which could record higher profitability as a result of his win is the defence sector. His promise of greater military spending and the possibility of rising defence spending among NATO members means the sector…
Since the inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday, market conditions have become increasingly volatile. The FTSE 100 has fallen by as much as 70 points since then, bringing its total decline for the last six trading sessions to 170 points (2.3%). This decline may or may not continue, but in any case it seems likely…
This week’s speech by Theresa May indicated a ‘hard’ Brexit is becoming increasingly likely. This may be a cleaner result than the potential for years of negotiation to keep bits and pieces of EU membership. However, it could also lead to greater uncertainty in the short run as the UK goes it alone. The end…
2017 looks set to be a challenging year for investors due to the risks posed by a Trump Presidency and higher inflation. New policies pursued by Trump could lead to greater uncertainty. Higher than expected US interest rates may be a consequence of rising inflation resulting from the US running a larger budget deficit. Similarly,…
Morrisons (LON: MRW) has enjoyed a superb Christmas trading period. The food retailer posted its best performance for seven years as it recorded LFL sales growth of 2.9% for the nine weeks to 1 January. A key reason for this is the company’s strategy, with its focus on improving the customer experience, becoming more efficient…
Between now and 2020, the Chinese economy is forecast to grow at 2.5x the rate of the UK economy. This means that while China’s economy is 3.85 times bigger than the UK’s economy today, in three years’ time it is expected to be 4.55 times larger. Beyond that, it seems highly likely that China’s economy…
This week has been a cruel one for Next plc (LON:NXT). It has seen its share price fall by around 17% following the release of a profit warning. In my view, the downgrade in profit expectations for the 2017 financial year was hardly surprising. After all, the company had warned that 2016 ‘may be the…
BP is entering a new phase in its history, with it having drawn a line under the costly oil spill of 2010. Its valuation and yield have appeal in my view within a sector that remains generally undervalued. Therefore, I feel that now is the right time to buy BP and that 2017 could be…
Perhaps the main effect of Brexit thus far has been a weakening of sterling. This is set to cause a rise in inflation as imports become increasingly expensive. Although the Bank of England remains dovish, a tighter monetary policy stance may become necessary as the price level rises at a faster pace and weaker sterling…
2017 could be the year that dividend growth becomes the most important aspect of income investing. In 2016 and recent years, low levels of inflation have meant that investors focused on higher yielding stocks. While this was enough when inflation has been at or near zero, a faster rising price level could mean that the…
