Australian politics has much in common with the country’s most famous TV soap. But the real issue right now is whether Australia can sustain its remarkable prosperity in a more uncertain world. Everybody needs good neighbours: Mr Turnbull under pressure On 09 April The Australianproclaimed that Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Prime Minister, had “lost” the…
The performance of global stock markets thus far in 2018 can best be described as ‘volatile’. The S&P 500, FTSE 100 and various other major indices have seen their price levels experience a rollercoaster ride in recent months. There are a number of reasons for this. Tensions in Syria have increased in recent days, while…
One year ago I reported for this magazine that the global oil and gas industry was experiencing one of the severest downturns in 30 years. A perfect storm of overproduction, geopolitical tensions and the long-term move towards alternative energy sources (renewables) had caused oil prices to fall to levels that were often below the long-term…
Investors who want to generate a rising level of income will normally allocate a significant part of their portfolio to funds operating in the UK Equity Income sector. These have delivered strong historic returns, but in many cases the underlying dividends are looking increasingly stretched. Recent research by Kepler Trust Intelligence found that just under…
I had always thought that Sarah Montague was a sensible good-humoured woman. But yesterday’s Sunday Times included a 2,000-word rant on behalf of first herself and then the sisterhood for being paid less than her contemporaries at the Today programme. A line or two later, however, it transpires that she operates as her front a…
Australia’s bankers are mired in scandals that make the country’s cricket team look virtuous by comparison. Bloated bank bonuses down-under On Wednesday (05 April), the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the country’s bank regulator, resumed a theme that has driven news headlines of late down-under. Wayne Byres, the APRA Chairman, told the Australian Banking and…
Electric vehicles are all the rage right now, but those with a longer-term horizon in mind are looking to hydrogen as the truly green energy source of the future. Master Investor caught up with the CEO of one very exciting company, Powerhouse Energy, to get a glimpse of the shape of things to come… James…
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…
