Which stock markets sold off the most over Q1 and how do valuations look? April 15, 2020 | City Talk It’s been an incredibly tough start to the year for investors, with some market veterans describing it as one of the most challenging situations they’ve ever experienced. While markets have staged a recovery since late March, it was a crushing quarter as coronavirus (Covid-19) effectively shuttered the global economy, not to forget the immeasurable human [...]
Six tips for better behavioural investing April 8, 2020 | City Talk At a turbulent time for global markets, Nick Kirrage, Co-Head of the Value Team, recently sat down with the Investor Download podcast. We discussed the current state of financial markets, reflected on the behaviour of investors and how they might best navigate the current turmoil. Below are six key points. Listen to the Investor Download. [...]
Private Equity: The Weight of the COVID-19 Crown April 7, 2020 | City Talk Private equity (PE) often claims the financial crown of outperformance. But I am referring to that other, now infamous, Latin word for crown — corona — the shape of which lends its name to the current coronavirus pandemic. So how will it affect PE? Introduction PE investing is about absolute return, not outperformance, in my [...]
Coronavirus and the economy: your questions answered April 6, 2020 | City Talk Chief Economist & Strategist Keith Wade chatted to us about coronavirus and its economic impact. Here are your nine questions answered. Q1: How do you think that the virus will affect the global economy? It is going to have a very significant impact. The virus could create a fall in GDP unlike anything that we [...]
Coronavirus squeezes mutual funds causing record fund outflows April 6, 2020 The coronavirus-induced market slump caused record fund outflows last month, with fixed income funds particularly badly hit. Investors redeemed a record £3.1bn of their fund holdings in March, according to global funds network Calastone. It represents almost three times the outflows recorded in the previous worst month in June 2016 when the UK voted to [...]
Invesco and Woodford protege Mark Barnett sacked by Perpetual Income and Growth April 6, 2020 Perpetual Income and Growth Investment Trust has sacked Invesco fund manager Mark Barnett for underperformance, ending months of uncertainty. Barnett, one of Neil Woodford’s former proteges, had run the trust for more than two decades. It is a further blow to the manager who was also sacked by Edinburgh Investment Trust at the end of [...]
Gresham House Strategic retains commitment to raising dividend April 6, 2020 Gresham House Strategic will raise its dividend as its board and manager insist the firm is “well-positioned” during the coronavirus crisis. In a statement, Gresham House Strategic’s board and manager say they “retain confidence” in the strategy and will retain their commitment to raising the dividend 15 per cent. The investment company said it had [...]
Investors seek greater clarity from boards amid coronavirus outbreak April 3, 2020 Investors are calling for greater clarity from boards as the coronavirus crisis wreaks havoc on the markets and upends financial guidance and AGMs. Investors are expecting more communication, whether through public disclosures or direct contact with management, to weather the storm over the next few months. Some investors have highlighted the lack of communication coming [...]
The impact of coronavirus on dividends April 2, 2020 | City Talk As UK banks temporarily suspend all dividend payments, we discuss the effect coronavirus could have on a vital source of income for investors. What’s happening to dividends? The coronavirus crisis and oil price war are having a profound impact on economic growth and the cash position of companies. Many businesses in the most affected sectors [...]
Ethical investment funds — not making the grade? April 1, 2020 Survey after survey has shown that people want their money invested ethically. But what does that mean? And, crucially, do so-called “ethical” funds provide what savers are looking for, or is there a mismatch here? Ethically-labelled investment funds have a list of exclusions — various types of company that they will not invest in because [...]