Bottoms up! March 20, 2019 If an investor is specifically looking for reasons not to invest, he or she will always find them. Indeed, for one reason or another, it has been said that “now is the most difficult time to invest”, in perpetuity! At present, such reasons are in ample supply – geopolitical concerns, populism, punchy valuations, a lack [...]
Over 4,000 North Sea oil rig jobs cut to halt spread of Covid-19 March 27, 2020 The North Sea’s workforce has plummeted 40 per cent over the last fortnight as oil companies seek to limit the spread of Covid-19. Over 4,000 jobs have been cut according to Oil and Gas UK, among growing concerns that oil rigs could become hotbeds of coronavirus infection. The number of North Sea workers usually stands [...]
Coast Capital renews attempt to force break-up of bus operator First Group March 9, 2020 Coast Capital has renewed its attempts to engineer a break-up of transport operator First Group, saying it will try to force an emergency general meeting of shareholders unless the group announces a separation. First Group has long been under pressure from several of its investors to separate the company’s North American operations into independent businesses, [...]
Coronavirus: How one FTSE 250 firm is keeping staff on board April 7, 2020 The destruction caused by the Covid-19 outbreak is difficult to comprehend, robbing people of their lives and livelihoods without mercy. Our NHS, charities, large businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs have all been hit hard, with the elderly and vulnerable hit the hardest. I’ve been in business for 40 years now. Together we’ve survived the tornado of [...]
Global markets fall ahead of US Federal Reserve interest rates decision December 18, 2018 Global stock markets have fallen in anticipation of today’s US Federal Reserve meeting which could lead to an interest rate hike. US markets fell sharply last night and European markets initially followed suit this morning before rebounding. The Dow Jones, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite all fell more than two per cent last [...]
ii Winter Portfolio doubles after fifth market-beating year May 22, 2019 After an amazing fifth winter, our portfolio almost doubles in value and beats all the global indices, proving that international investors are wrong to ignore UK stocks. It also proves it is possible to time the market. Five years ago, our interest was piqued by a stock market phenomenon that promised consistent market-beating returns year [...]
Activist investor launches searing attack on Just Eat over poor returns December 17, 2018 One of Just Eat's shareholders has slammed the company’s management, saying the firm has become the “worst-performing public equity in online food delivery”. Cat Rock Capital, which holds a two per cent stake in Just Eat, urged the board to offload non-core assets, provide a three-year financial plan and change pay incentives for executives in a [...]
Top UK tech firms fall behind on racial and gender board diversity November 14, 2018 The UK’s top 500 technology firms are failing to represent women and ethnic minorities at senior levels, with women making up just 12.6 per cent of board director positions at tech companies. This is in comparison to performance in other industries, where 30 per cent of board members in the FTSE 100 are women. New figures released today [...]
Brexit deal ‘within our grasp’, says Prime Minister Theresa May November 22, 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May said today that a Brexit deal “is within our grasp” as she addressed the nation from Downing Street. “The British people want a good deal. That deal is in our grasp and I am determined to deliver it,” she said outside Number 10. “The text of the declaration has been agreed [...]
Gender diversity is starting to drive asset managers’ voting decisions November 22, 2018 More than half of asset managers actively engage with UK companies over gender diversity as boardroom equality begins to drive voting decisions Four in 10 asset managers said they had made a voting decision based on the gender diversity of the company, the Investment Association said, as it revealed that 80 per cent of survey [...]