Polman bows out of Unilever with a rich legacy, but a tarnished reputation November 29, 2018 When Paul Polman announced his plan to quit as boss of Unilever last autumn, he had plenty of reasons to think he would be leaving the consumer goods giant on a high: he had fought off a £115bn takeover attempt from Kraft Heinz earlier in the year and forged a reputation as a champion of [...]
Inescapable investment truths for the decade ahead November 27, 2018 | City Talk It seems clear to us that the world investors have got used to over the last few years is very different to the one we need to get accustomed to in the years to come. We have identified a number of economic forces and disruptive forces we think will shape the investment landscape ahead of [...]
How emerging markets have changed over the past 20 years November 8, 2018 | City Talk The transformation of emerging markets has been remarkable. The countries and companies that dominated 20 years ago have changed dramatically, influenced by the major geopolitical, economic and demographic changes that have taken place over this time. Navigating these changes can be complex, but these developments underline the importance of taking a flexible, active approach and [...]
Trade war fears take the shine off Standard Chartered’s rising profits October 31, 2018 Standard Chartered’s better-than-expected results were dampened by bleak warnings of trade war risks this morning, as fears mount that the firm’s emerging markets could be hit by escalating tensions between China and the US. The bank reported profits of $1.06bn (£830m) in the three months to the end of September, trumping forecasts of $978m and [...]
Unilever hikes dividend by eight per cent with €6bn share buyback programme kicking off in May October 22, 2018 Unilever said this morning it will be hiking its dividend by eight per cent with a share buyback of up to €6bn starting next month, as it looks to keep investors on side. The consumer goods giant, which owns brands from Dove to Marmite, reported underlying sales growth – excluding its spreads business – of [...]
Going Pacific: The CP-TPP is the perfect trade partnership for post-Brexit Britain October 12, 2018 This week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan added his voice to those calling for the UK to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership (CP-TPP). This trade agreement between a group of 11 countries that border the Pacific has been identified by the UK’s Department for International Trade as a priority for [...]
Former top strategic adviser joins firm aiming to ‘open up’ emerging markets to British businesses October 8, 2018 Two former top strategic advisers have joined a newly-launched business intelligence firm, which will help British groups in “opening up” emerging markets to business. CTD Advisors, which launched in London last Monday, will offer advice to firms targeting countries such as India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria, using experts from a variety of fields. Read more: [...]
Five charts that explain the case for emerging markets October 8, 2018 | City Talk Investors generally understand the importance of emerging markets in terms of their economic impact but, perhaps due to lack of knowledge, often struggle to know how best to reflect this in their portfolios. Those investors have ignored what are some of the world's best-performing financial markets since the turn of the millennium. What is more, [...]
Mark Mobius investment trust IPO falls £100m short of target September 27, 2018 Emerging markets veteran Mark Mobius' investment trust has raised £100M through an Initial Public Offering (IPO), which is half of the target amount. Mobius Capital Partners announced it would target £200m for the trust, which will invest in small to mid cap emerging and frontier markets, earlier this month. Read more: Mobius to raise £200m for emerging markets [...]
Debt burden means more turbulence ahead for global markets, BIS warns September 23, 2018 Overstretched asset valuations and high debt loads across the world are likely to trigger further dramatic turbulence on markets, the head of an influential group of central bankers warned today. A quarterly review by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), known as the central bankers’ central bank, warned that markets in advanced economies were strained, [...]