Brexit

Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing from something.
 
Wilson Mizner; American playwright, raconteur, and entrepreneur 
 

Calm seas ahead?

Having weathered the storms of the past two years can we look forward to the calm waters ahead.

Message from the Chairman

'I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.' - Jimmy Dean, 1928 - 2010
 

Trick Question: Yes or No?

It’s the start of a new month so it must be time for one of the world’s top G7 countries to throw the public yet another destabilising and uncertain vote threatening to undermine capitalism, end western civilisation and unleash a plague of locusts.

The markets aren’t having it

Capital is a coward. At the first sign of trouble (everyone calls it “uncertainty” these days) it bolts for the door. It’s what the majority of the media and politicians warned us would happen if Trump won

Trumped!! By the state of Florida!!

The US electorate have spoken and the world is a more volatile place this morning.  Is it the dawn of Mad Max.....or simply the dawn of a new era in politics?  For the second time in 2016, and after the shock of the Brexit vote, an electorate has overturned the establishment and made it clear (well by a simple majority) that ...

So far, so bad

It’s a good week for top drawer statistics and there are so many, it’s hard to know where to start.

Sterling has hit a 5 ½ year low against the US Dollar. The Eurostoxx 600 Index has had its worst week in four years.

TAM's Outlook for 2016

It would be easy to convince anyone that 2016 is going to be more difficult than last year. 

The list of dreads threatening to derail stock and bond markets is pretty much the same as before but we are at least closer to understanding the end game of the post 2008 “Great Financial Crisis” as the US Feder...

Universally Challenged - who is smarter?

"[Central Banks] think they are smarter than the market" – Jim Rogers, February 2016.

From ZIRP to NIRP – (From zero to negative interest rate policy).

Break from the herd

“When all think alike, no one thinks very much” - Albert Einstein

With 2015 and 2016 leaving nowhere to hide for fund managers accused of being index trackers, and following on from my recent missive on the failures of index trackers in today’s market environment, one hopes that clients are quickly...

Review of the First Quarter 2016

The year started with a number of new statistical records, not least of which was the US stock market suffering its worst start to the year since 2001

Mixed emotions

In short, there’s a lot going on. From an international perspective, a lot of what’s happened is down to the reversal in the strength of the US dollar resulting from a U-turn in Federal Reserve interest rate policy.

Bremain

The last day of May has usually been a time to sharpen one’s pencil to write a review of whatever what was to blame for the often recurring stock market phenomenon of sell-in-May-and-go-away. Not this year.

Playing it safe

It’s often the case that some of the most thought provoking comments come from unexpected sources.

OUT!

Look, I think it’s entirely sensible for David Cameron to stay on. But as long as he’s gone by 10am, I’m happy.”
Nigel Farage 7am, 24th June 2016

Osborne sets the record straight…

“I should think it hardly possible to state the opposite of the truth with more precision” – Winston Churchill.

Property funds - The gate escape

We received news yesterday of the suspension of trading in the M&G Property and the Standard Life Ignis UK Property funds.

Expecting the unexpected

“The one thing we can all be sure about in politics is you are as well to expect the unexpected.”  - Charles Kennedy

Riding high under a clear blue sky

This time last year, the UK’s stock market was at a similar level to today and pretty much where it had been sitting calmly for over a year.

Playing the endgame

"The problem with political suicide is that you live to regret it"  - Winston Churchill