HM Treasury has just announced that they wish to know what is going on in the world of bitcoin. This means that bitcoin is a serious form of currency and can be expected to retain its value against other currencies. Perhaps three months ago I thought that bitcoin was a serious investment since the Chinese…
Which would you rather own – $42,000 in a bank account, four bitcoins on your hard drive or a kilo of gold bullion under your bed? Cash versus gold Cash is useful stuff but you wouldn’t want to carry too much of it: it is bulky and can be easily lost or stolen. Money in…
Reports of a possible agreement on the size of the Brexit divorce bill that could pave the way for a trade agreement once the UK leaves the EU have prompted a surge in the value of Sterling, but the longer term picture is a lot more disturbing. The Labour party has recently admitted that it…
Two trips to Australia in two weeks is not a recipe for a Juvenescent life. Bottom line, if you have to do it, go Emirates. It’s way better than BA, sadly, which has dropped all pretence of service in favour of short term profits. I went the second time to speak at a conference known…
Don’t stand on your dignity, just die: Dignity (LON:DTY) needs your death since others are not obliging sufficiently quickly. Or if they are those who arrange these funerals are choosing other funeral directors. At 1,800p, DTY is capitalised at £900 million and has tnav of minus £350 million or thereabouts. There is of course a…
It is hard to imagine a less likely President than Donald J. Trump, yet there is no doubt that his election success has been well received by the markets. When Hillary Clinton accepted defeat last November the most widely reported US stock market index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, was trading below 19,000 points, but…
Part 1 of an exclusive “how to” blog series – written for exhibitors of Master Investor Show. You’ve set up your stall and you’ve perfected your pitch, but when it comes to exhibiting are you really ready for your audience? You are looking for someone to invest in you and there is no truer saying than…
While the FTSE 100 has gained 4% since the start of the year, a number of stocks typically viewed as ‘defensive’ have slumped. For example, utility companies SSE (LON:SSE) and National Grid (LON:NG.) have both fallen around 15% this year. Both companies could offer turnaround opportunities – particularly for those investors who believe some valuations…
Arrow (LON:ARW) is, at 400p per share, capitalised at £700 million. However, tnav is minus £100 million. This would not matter if earnings were spectacular. But they are not. They are of the order of 12p – which puts ARW on a fairly fruity rating. The business comprises purchasing blocks of debt from, typically, banks…
UK government finances are under extreme pressure. But there is no need to panic – yet. Chronicle of a death foretold Mr Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, rose to the despatch box on Wednesday like a condemned man given one last chance beneath the gallows to plead for his life. It would have to be…
