magazine archive
magazine archive
Editor's View
Is this the last hurrah for private equity?
Thursday 22 Jun 2017The private equity sector is awash with cash as funds offload holdings in investee companies and investors enthusiastically put up new money in the hope of getting exposure to the next big thing. That suggests to me that we are in the final bull phase for private equity. You can’t move for...
Hung parliament terrible news for support services
Thursday 15 Jun 2017One of the most common reasons behind profit warnings over the past few years has been delays to contracts being awarded. This is either a client pushing back the start date or just sitting on their hands and not making a decision. The outcome of the UK general election inevitably means this...
Are you ready for a market correction?
Thursday 08 Jun 2017Leading stock indices in many parts of the world have hit record highs this year. Investors should be pleased, but how long can the party keep going? Coming back from a week’s holiday, my email inbox is stuffed full of comment from institutional investors discussing global equity markets. They...
Why corporate governance matters
Thursday 01 Jun 2017Companies often pay lip service to good corporate governance but it is not necessarily top of the list for investors when deciding which stocks to buy or sell. Oil services firm Petrofac ( PFC ) is just the latest example of why you ignore the way a company is run at your peril. Shares in the...
A lesson on opportunistic takeover bids
Thursday 25 May 2017A successful business which encounters a bump in the road can quickly become a takeover target if its share price drops far enough. We saw it last year with industrial suppliers Premier Farnell and Brammer; and now we’ve got textiles specialist Berendsen ( BRSN ) . Many investors will be kicking...
Is this loss making firm really worth £140m?
Thursday 18 May 2017Investors looking for the ‘next big thing’ may want to take a closer look at Eve Sleep ( EVE:AIM ) , which joins the stock market today (18 May). You may think its £140m market valuation is completely unjustified for a loss making business. However, many investors were also quick to dismiss...
The mining sector revival didn’t last long
Thursday 11 May 2017Last year’s 100%+ hike in the value of the FTSE 350 mining index seems a long distant memory. A recent pullback in commodity prices has resulted in a sea of red for anyone watching the share prices of miners on their screen. Is this cause for panic or just a natural pullback? ‘Based on our meetings...
Investing requires a little more patience
Thursday 04 May 2017What’s the longest you’ve ever held a stock? The world has become impatient, people demand information in an instant or shop online and expect same-day delivery. This desire for instant gratification is also spreading to the investment world. Increasingly I see people on social media like Twitter...
Why can’t firms see basic flaws in their business?
Thursday 27 Apr 2017It amazes me how some companies get into a mess over the most basic flaws in their business model. Common sense should have prevailed in the board room and ensured that problems are fixed straight away. Too many companies limp along until they reach crisis point and a ‘turnaround’ expert is...
A dose of realism no bad thing for stocks
Thursday 20 Apr 2017The markets kicked off the week with a bang following the long Easter weekend. News of a surprise UK general election in June and heightened geopolitical tensions in Syria and North Korea all served to push and pull at equity valuations. What’s interesting is that stock markets didn’t go into full-...