Swen Lorenz

By Robert Sutherland Smith Markets are too intertwiningly complex for simple rationalisation; so one does not rush get involved with the intellectual challenge of trying to understand and explain them every day. No man is an island unto himself and nor is any market. In the age of globalization and digital technology, economic, financial, political…

As the FTSE 100 continues to play games with the bulls, having crossed 7,000 briefly this month, we are left wondering whether leading UK stocks are really going to be able to sustain record levels this side of the General Election. If you add in the uncertainties associated with the effects of 0% inflation, it…

The Markets The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee has said that UK markets could be destabilised by a slowdown in China or the ongoing Greek crisis crisis in its latest quarterly report. The body also said that its annual stress tests for the banking sector would focus on such international factors. The board wrote…

By Robert Sutherland Smith Surveying the market shore line for value, my searching eye was caught by International Consolidated Airlines (IAG), the rather long, plain faced name for a business which the advertising industry often portrays as incredibly glamorous. I speak of passenger airlines. As we all know, the glamour soon wears off once you have…

If I had gone to Eton and Oxford, I would certainly have gone into politics, armed with a PPE and feigning a suitably scatty/batty toff type persona of the Boris Johnson variety. That said, I am not sure if I would have gone for the Shredded Wheat/two terms or three terms Cameron comment we heard…

The Markets US food titans Heinz and Kraft will merge after 3G and Warren Buffett acquired the latter firm in a $40 billion (£26.8 billion) deal. Heinz was previously bought by the pair and taken private in 2013. Some analysts have questioned the estimated $1.5 billion in annual cost savings that have been promised, but…

By Robert Sutherland Smith   Standard Chartered Bank (STAN) is a South-East Asian and African bank that had it origins in the old British Empire. For years it had a tremendous earnings growth track record, linked to the growth and emergence of China and the other South-Asian economies. Last year  – the year to 31st December…