INSIGHT

Beware the IPOs of spring

2014 will see a resurgence in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) – where the public are sold shares in companies floating on the stock exchange. The principal cause for this is that stock markets are relatively high and there is subdued volatility.

read more

Shale gas economics

“Shale is important for our country. It could bring 74,00 jobs, over £3bn of investment, give us cheaper energy for the future and increase our energy security.

read more

Submerging markets

The US seeking a higher return. While capital flowing into economies is usually considered a good thing it is in many way damaging for emerging economies.

read more

Updating European austerity

In his book “Boomerang” Michael Lewis posed this question:

“The question everyone wants an answer to is: Will Greece default?

read more

Creative destruction

Subsistence farming has transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of Chinese people. This process is getting stale in China but will be replicated in other populous nations.

read more

Bitcoins

There has been continuing press coverage and heightened interest in the currency alternative known as “Bitcoins”. A Bitcoin is a virtual currency – there are no actual notes or coins.

read more

Mean reversion

“Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledee, “if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.”

Lewis Carroll

read more

Recent trading

We entered 2013 with an investment strategy that preferred developed equity markets (particularly UK and US and smaller companies) and an aversion to all sovereign debt and emerging market equity.

read more

The makings of a modern banker

It is with head-shaking astonishment that we read of the growing scandal surrounding the Co-operative Group, its management and its disastrous acquisition of the Britannia Building Society.

read more