Capita (LON:CPI) keeps dying. The rights issue terms have yet to be announced. This does not feel right. ***** Where I have clearly blundered is, some years ago, slagging off Victoria (LON:VCP), the carpets/flooring manufacturer. I was originally informed that this balance sheet was a con. Well, if it is a con (I doubt it),…
There are many different factors to take into account when deciding which funds to invest in, but the main determinant of your overall return will almost certainly be your asset allocation. The proportion of your portfolio that you have in each of the different markets will often dictate your performance and this was certainly the…
While the rate of inflation has fallen to 2.7%, it has the potential to remain a threat to investors. Brexit talks may be progressing at a faster pace than had been expected, but there is still only a relatively short period of time ahead in which to deliver solutions to complex challenges. Therefore, a weakening…
I had never been to one of The Spectator’s public debate/discussion events until yesterday evening when I was a guest of Andrews Gwynne, a firm of wealth managers based in Leeds. Here Andrew Neil put points to David Davis concerning Brexit. David Davis must have the patience of Job cubed since he was constantly asked…
What will be the long-term consequences of the incident in Salisbury on 04 March? It seems a new arms race, already underway, has intensified. Chess-players In Russia, chess is a spectator sport. I have seen, in Gorky Park in winter, a small crowd form around two players locked in intellectual combat over an oversize chess…
Given what we have seen in stock markets in recent weeks, it was easy to pick the topic for this month’s charting article. Volatility has jumped, world markets fell heavily – is it the beginning of the end of the long trend upwards for shares? A recent history lesson Let’s go back to where this…
Last week was another volatile one for investors with the main equity indices experiencing further sharp falls. Those who are uncomfortable with this may want to move part of their portfolio into low volatility funds that invest in different asset classes in an effort to produce steady returns in all market conditions. One such is…
When investing for your future, ignoring the tax advantages of an ISA is like releasing banknotes into a storm – but you can improve on their potential to provide shelter. For those who have taken advantage of the considerable benefits of ISAs over time, and accumulated a meaningful pot, it makes sense to ensure that…
Master Investor’s annual exhibition at Islington was a huge success. I was billed under the title Panama Papers since – natch – I was wearing what purported to be a panama. I got lucky in that I opined a sharp fall in the market and, lo and behold, the following (i.e. last) Monday just that…
Globally, the corporate default rate is about to spike. That will have serious consequences for the international financial system – though not all bad. Rates are on the way up Interest rates in the USA and the UK are going to rise – and more quickly than we thought. We know this because the central…
