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…
As we say goodbye to 2016 it’s time for my annual review of how the UK small cap markets have performed, and for a few investment ideas for 2017. In general, small caps had a good year in 2016, with the FTSE AIM All Share gaining an impressive 14.2%. The FTSE Small Cap Index was…
My initial recommendation for Solomon Gold (LON:SOLG) last March was based on a value of gold and copper ‘in the ground’ that its drilling was then targeting on just one part of its Ecuadorian Cascabel project, which looked – even at a conservative 1% – to be at least six times Solomon’s then market cap.…
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…
Cloud computing and AI are becoming staples of everyday life – even if you don’t know it. The cloud is ubiquitous (by design and by adoption), and artificial intelligence – a completely different area in tech – is reaching into our lives in ways previously unimaginable. Even at our FinTech start-up CityFALCON, we are looking…
National Grid PLC (LON:NG.) has been in the news recently after announcing an agreement to sell most of its UK gas distribution business. For some inexplicable reason I was watching CNBC that morning and the presenter said something along the lines of “surely income investors can’t go far wrong with National Grid’s 4.7% dividend yield”.…
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,…
As discussed in my article for January’s edition of Master Investor Magazine, 2016 was a great year for small cap shares. The AIM All-Share rose by an impressive 14.3%, the FTSE Small Cap Index surged by 11% and dozens of individual stocks grew in value by more than 100%. Three stocks even finished the year…
Try this thought experiment: Your small children are strapped into the child seats in the back of the car and you are driving down a country lane. Now you are approaching a bend in the lane, and a cat darts out into the road. If you swerve to avoid the cat you know that you…
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…
