Steady as she goes: Top tips for cautious investors in 2018 January 9, 2018 In the first few days of 2018, markets have surged to all-time highs. Some gutsy investors are throwing caution to the wind by muscling in on these gains, despite warnings that we could see the end of the bull run in the not-so-distant future. You’ve also got investment veterans, such as Brewin Dolphin’s Guy Foster, [...]
Should you hold Bitcoin as part of a diversified portfolio? December 13, 2017 Amid the hoopla over the recent meteoric Bitcoin price rise – from $968 at the end of 2016 to over $16,500 on 11 December 2017 – some are now questioning whether the cryptocurrency should be taken more seriously. While we don’t agree that you should hold Bitcoin as part of a diversified portfolio, we believe [...]
Editor’s Notes: Bitcoin is starting to resemble tulip bulbs in a 17th century Dutch market, entrepreneurs are getting on with Brexit and the LSEG’s breakdown of trust December 1, 2017 Gordon Gekko, the legendary character played by Michael Douglas in Wall Street, delivers a lesson on speculation in the film’s sequel with the help of some framed tulip bulbs. “Tulip mania,” he declared, “is the greatest bubble story of all time.” Gekko references the 17th century trend for tulips – a trend that soon generated [...]
Shadow MPC: Majority backs the first Bank of England interest rate hike in a decade November 1, 2017 The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates tomorrow, bringing an end to an extraordinary decade without a single hike. City A.M.’s shadow monetary policy committee (MPC), including some of the most prominent economists in the Square Mile, narrowly backed the move, but remained split by five votes to four in favour of [...]
Bloomberg Square Mile Relay returns to London for its 10th edition — can Barclays beat the likes of JP Morgan and Macquarie once again? September 22, 2016 Over 1,000 runners will swarm the streets surrounding Guildhall this evening as the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay celebrates its 10th anniversary in the City. Bloomberg's 10-legged relay race has been exported to financial hubs in Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Sydney and New York but returns to the site of its inception in 2007 on Thursday evening when [...]
Ashish Thakkar to leave the board of Atlas Mara, the African banking group he co-founded with Bob Diamond October 3, 2017 Former Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond is to be left as the sole founder on the board of African financial services group Atlas Mara, as it was announced today that co-founder Ashish Thakkar would be leaving. His departure from the board comes as a result of new shareholder Fairfax Africa, a Canada-based investment fund, wanting [...]
JP Morgan: Yep, Scotland will vote for independence – probably before 2019 June 29, 2016 Everyone was thinking it, but now investment banking goliath JP Morgan has actually come out and said it: Scotland is going to vote for independence from the UK – probably before 2019. In a note in which he set out how he sees Brexit working, analyst Malcolm Barr said JP Morgan's base case was that Scotland will vote for [...]
Coca-Cola HBC shares soar as growth accelerates August 10, 2017 Shares in FTSE 100 firm Coca-Cola HBC (CCH) were up nearly eight per cent today after the company revealed an acceleration in revenue growth during the second quarter. CCH is a leading bottler of drinks giant Coca-Cola, having first been awarded the contract nearly 50 years ago. Read more: Eight Davids, seven Steves, six women: [...]
Banking Brexodus? One year on, this is what banks have said about Brexit and job moves June 23, 2017 In the year since the UK voted for Brexit, one of the hot topics for discussion in the City has been job moves. In February, Brussels think tank Bruegel estimated that 10,000 UK banking positions could be shifted to the EU because of Brexit. One year on from the EU referendum, it is difficult to [...]
Dress-down Friday? Dress-down every day. The City of London is becoming more casual, with bowler hats out and designer stubble in September 8, 2017 Goodbye bowler hats, brollies and polished black shoes – hello dress-down Fridays, jazzy colours and designer stubble. Dress codes appear to be falling out of fashion in the City of London. Around two-thirds of financial services employees will be allowed to travel into work in casualwear for dress-down Friday today, the results of a new [...]