Softbank invested in Credit Suisse funds financing its Vision Fund bets June 15, 2020 Softbank has reportedly invested over $500m (£399m) into Credit Suisse investment funds that made large bets on startups backed by the Japanese tech investment giant’s Vision Fund. Softbank invested in the Swiss lender’s $7.5bn range of supply-chain finance funds, the Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. The funds are marketed by [...]
A green light for sustainable investments June 15, 2020 The aftershock of the Covid-19 pandemic will be felt by the economy and our financial markets for years to come, despite the encouraging signs of businesses beginning to open up. Friday’s figures revealed that the economy contracted by 20.4 per cent in April, while the Office for Budget Responsibility recently warned that the crisis could [...]
In volatile markets, big ideas are great; practical data is better June 15, 2020 | Sponsored As a trader starting out, at times the advice one reads can feel long on pithy maxims and short on useful advice. The coronavirus has spawned no dearth of “buy low, sell high” blog pieces offering well-intended tips that are ultimately too broad to be of much use. A quick Google search can tell you [...]
Eurozone investor morale improves as bloc ‘wakes from deep sleep’ June 8, 2020 Investor sentiment in the eurozone has risen this month and an assessment of investor expectations hit its highest level since November 2017, according to a new survey. Sentix’s index for the euro zone rose to -24.8 from -41.8 in May, compared with the Reuters consensus forecast for a reading of -22.5. The research firm’s current [...]
FTSE 100 quarterly review highlights the economy’s winners and losers June 4, 2020 | City Talk Home-repairs company Homeserve, cybersecurity firm Avast, DIY group Kingfisher and gambling giant GVC were the four companies announced yesterday as being promoted to the FTSE 100 – the index of the 100 biggest UK companies.Cruise giant Carnival, airline easyJet, aerospace components firm Meggitt and British Gas-owner Centrica are all making way. The FTSE reshuffles its [...]
Covid-19: The golden age of investing comes with a silver lining June 3, 2020 | Sponsored In financial markets, there are no crystal balls, only things we know and things we do not – known knowns, and known unknowns. Both can help us to guide our decisions as investors. When faced with uncertainties or black swan events, investors have typically responded with a rush to precious metals. Gold has historically maintained [...]
Invest in knowledge to make your trades go further June 3, 2020 | Sponsored “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” once quipped US founding father, Benjamin Franklin. While the advice of long-dead polymaths can usually be disregarded in the context of modern investment, this maxim has stood the test of time. The primary reason an investment might fail is a lack of understanding. The democratisation of financial [...]
Dividend bear markets: the grizzly facts May 29, 2020 | City Talk With companies around the world drastically cutting dividends, we’ve looked at 149 years of data to see what’s happened previously at such times and what investors might expect next. Dividends are expected to be slashed by 25% to 50% across the globe this year compared with 2019. This will be an unwelcome (if not entirely [...]
Neil Woodford one year on: How the star stock picker fell from grace May 28, 2020 Former star stock picker Woodford suffered a very public fall from grace last year after his flagship Equity Income fund was suspended following a spike in investor redemptions. One year on, we look at what caused Woodford’s demise, where he is now and what it means for the investment industry going forward. Who is Neil [...]
Draper Esprit ‘well positioned’ to benefit from Covid-19 May 28, 2020 Venture capital firm Draper Esprit has said a substantial majority of its portfolio is “well positioned” to benefit from coronavirus, as the adoption of cloud and automation tech is accelerated. Companies in the secure cloud, automation and online financial services are trading well, said Draper Esprit, and evidence from public markets and funding rounds suggests [...]