magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
There could be more pain to endure from rising oil prices
Thursday 28 Apr 2022A higher oil price can be viewed as a tax on economic growth. For all the talk of a transition away from fossil fuels, oil is still key to powering the global economy and prices above $100 per barrel push up the costs for everyone, from the humble motorist at the pump to the largest global business...
It’s been a bad year for small caps but this dip is perfectly normal
Thursday 21 Apr 2022Having exposure to smaller companies is meant to bring some excitement to a diversified portfolio. Unfortunately, some investors’ hearts might be racing due to pain rather than pleasure this year. Historically this part of the market has outperformed larger companies. For example, between 1955 and...
All the bad news priced into housebuilders and retailers? Think again
Thursday 14 Apr 2022Stock markets are forward looking which means investors think mainly about a company’s prospects when they decide how much they are prepared to pay for its shares, or at what price they want to sell. Potential bad news tends to be priced into a company’s valuation before the event happens...
No short-term fix to the UK’s painful energy crisis
Thursday 07 Apr 2022Amid soaring energy prices and talk of fuel rationing, there is real pressure for the UK to come up with a sustainable plan for secure and affordable energy. While a published document from the Government may still be some weeks away, comments from ministers suggest there are likely to be three key...
Listen to Terry Smith: don’t sell your best shares as stock markets recover
Thursday 31 Mar 2022In reviewing the performance of the Fundsmith Equity Fund (B41YBW7) for 2021, fund manager Terry Smith said the fund ‘makes money with old friends’, referring to a group of stocks in his portfolio that regularly appear in the annual list of top contributors to performance. ‘This tells you to run...
Retail takeovers: when is a brand worth salvaging?
Thursday 24 Mar 2022For all the troubles it has endured in recent years Ted Baker ( TED ) is still seen as a brand with some value based on the news US private equity firm Sycamore is weighting up a potential takeover of the clothing retailer. Ted Baker, once something of a stock market darling, has struggled in...
Amazon’s share price is about to become a lot cheaper
Thursday 17 Mar 2022A high price can stop investors from buying a particular stock, simply because they cannot afford it. Not everyone has the $1,000+ which it costs to buy a single share in many US-listed companies. It’s a long-standing frustration but slowly we are seeing solutions to the problem. Amazon has joined...
Reasons not to panic as stock markets capitulate
Thursday 10 Mar 2022Investors’ initial, measured response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has gone out of the window. As commodity prices surge higher the sell-off in global stock markets has intensified. But the last thing you should do is react rashly to this situation. Essentially people are waking up to the idea...
Don’t panic sell. Markets have a habit of bouncing back quickly
Thursday 03 Mar 2022Are you tinkering with your portfolio every time there’s bad news, even war? You could be doing more harm than good. Ukraine’s troubles are being felt emotionally around the world and the battle has also put a dent into people’s hard-earned savings. With stock markets already on edge, thanks to...
Airbnb’s next growth leg might not be so smooth
Thursday 24 Feb 2022Inflation isn’t necessarily bad news for all companies. When hosting platform Airbnb published its latest results on 15 February, chief executive Brian Chesky said rising prices and the pressure on household finances might drive more individuals to list their homes on the site. This begs the...