Macro observations So close, and yet so far in Brussels. UK Prime Minister May arrived on Monday hoping to strike a deal with the EU in order to receive approval to advance to the next stage of Brexit negotiations. Instead, an 11th hour interruption from May’s supply-and-confidence partner Arlene Foster of Northern Ireland’s hard-Brexit backing…
This week’s UK 100 movers aren’t as spicy as last week, up or down just 7%, but still very respectable for UK blue-chips. Until you compare them to the where one member rallied 50%, three put on 10-15% and six fell by 10-15%. Equities doing nothing you say? Hardly! Mediclinic rebounded after being one of…
Another week, another record for Wall Street. The world’s most followed stock market indices once again notched record closing highs this week, with the Dow Jones Industrials Index cruising past 24,000 for the very first time. But why has the 30-stock index waited until this week to move sharply higher, and could this latest leg…
Shares in Marstons are 10% to the good this morning, extending their rebound from 100p. This is thanks to statutory pre-tax profits growing three times as fast as revenues (revs +8% profits +24%) on strength from its brewing segment and higher average profits per pub. Even if underlying growth suggested the reverse (revs +10%, profits…
Macro observations As if 2017 hadn’t already faced enough election battles, Ireland is shaping up to be the next European country to face a run-off between party leaders. An ongoing scandal engulfing the Deputy Prime Minister, or Tánaiste, threatens the prospect of the opposition calling for fresh elections. As the Northern Irish border becomes the focal…
Stocks with supposed ‘defensive’ qualities (e.g. Utilities, Telecoms, Health, Tobacco, Consumer staples) should be less sensitive – if at all – to the economic cycle, acting as portfolio buoyancy aids to limit damage when risk appetite sours and your more sensitive, higher beta stocks (e.g. Miners, Financials, Property, Oil) turn south. But that doesn’t mean…