Investment trust winners of 2016 December 29, 2016 Investment trusts focused on Asia are on course to deliver some of the best returns in 2016, according to data for trust sectors. Investment trusts are an alternative to more commonly held open-ended funds or unit trusts, offering some advantages. This is explained here: investment trust v open-ended funds Here, we look at the performance [...]
Sinkhole at Forest Hill disrupting rush hour commute with trains delayed going in and out of London Bridge July 19, 2016 A large sinkhole below a rail track near Forest Hill in south London has led to a number of train delays and cancellations between East Croydon and London Bridge. Southern Rail warned that lines will remain closed until the end of the day, with a reduced service running out of London Bridge, following travel chaos on [...]
Global oil nudges “magic number” $50 per barrel August 17, 2016 Oil headed toward the "magic" $50 mark this afternoon, after a larger-than-expected drop in US oil stocks buoyed investor confidence. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped 0.91 per cent to $49.68 per barrel on London's ICE Futures Exchange this afternoon. Its US counterpart, West Texas Intermediate crude, rose 0.26 per cent to $46.70 on the New York [...]
The alchemists of time: How watch companies combine age-old techniques with cutting edge materials December 8, 2016 Let’s face it: a finely made timepiece is, in a rather nice twist of irony, a flashy anachronism. For starters, no one really needs a watch these days, finely made or not. Secondly, the delicate concoction of wheels, springs and levers driving a mechanical watch is based on an ancient principle – 200-year-old technology that [...]
Named: The “elite” state schools which have become Oxbridge “feeder schools” August 17, 2016 The good news is that if you don't have the cash to fork out for an expensive private school, your children can still get into Oxbridge, after a number of state schools have become "feeder schools" for the UK's top universities. The bad news is that it really is only a few, very select schools [...]
Gusbourne puts the sparkle back into the English wine industry as it angles a move in tourism sector October 23, 2016 Demand for sparkling wine has bubbled up in the past few years, cementing its place as one of the UK’s favourite drinks. Although prosecco has benefitted the most from this trend, outselling champagne for the first time in 2014, there’s a challenger on the sparkling wine scene that’s being made a lot closer to home. That new [...]
Bookies are betting on 2016 being the hottest summer on record June 6, 2016 Sunglasses at the ready: the UK could be about to experience its hottest summer ever, bookies reckon. Ladbrokes oddsmakers put the chances of the UK setting a new temperature high before the end of this month at 1/4, The Sun reported. Meanwhile, it's 6/4 that this summer will be the hottest on record. The news [...]
Move over Joe Root: What England’s greatest ever batsman tells us about how to use statistics August 9, 2016 Cricket fans will be delighted that Joe Root is establishing himself this summer as a truly great batsman. His Test match batting average of 55.49 is bettered by only 16 players from across the world since Test cricket began in 1877. Root currently sits seventh in the England career batting averages, and he clearly has [...]
West End retailers poised for £2.3bn Christmas and Black Friday 2015 shopping bonanza October 27, 2015 West End retailers are bracing themselves for a £2.3bn shopping bonanza this Christmas, with spending set to reach its highest level since 2007, as higher disposable incomes and lower prices help boost consumer confidence. London’s main shopping streets – Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street – are expecting a 1.2 per cent uplift in sales [...]
The ‘75%’ chance that the Santa Rally exists December 2, 2016 Stock markets are more likely to rise in December than any other month, according to analysis of nearly three decades of data. The analysis conducted by Schroders, which covers the world’s largest markets, adds to the debate over the existence of the “Santa Rally”, an alleged effect often dismissed by seasoned investors. Our analysis [...]