Inflation is spiking in Zimbabwe (again). Why high interest rates aren’t the answer

By adminsam | July 29, 2022
The central bank of Zimbabwe has raised its benchmark rate from 80% to a fresh record of 200%. This increase comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving global commodity prices higher, exacerbating inflation in many countries around the world, including Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s thinking is that aggressive tightening of monetary policy…Read More

YOUR INVESTMENTS AND THE CHANGING PRICE OF MONEY

By adminsam | July 28, 2022
With inflation at multi-decade highs in most developed countries, central banks have now entered a rate hiking cycle. This has lifted the price of money, as well as the hurdle for the prospective returns of other asset classes. While we believe these changes have been priced in reasonably effectively by financial markets, there are risks…Read More

GLOBAL MARKETS: HOW NERVOUS SHOULD INVESTORS BE?

By adminsam | June 30, 2022
In the current murky investment environment, it is an understatement of note to suggest that financial markets are jittery and have in many sectors been pushed into bear territory. Given the material sell-off in both equities and bonds, just how nervous should investors be? And how should one approach portfolio construction in these circumstances? Since…Read More

Rishi Sunak announces windfall tax

By adminsam | May 30, 2022
The noise The Federal Reserve has upwardly revised the forecast for its preferred inflation gauge, the PCI to 4.3% this year with predictions that it will decelerate to 2.5% next year. Members of the policy committee aren’t unduly worried about economic growth and expect it to “advance at a solid pace over the remainder of…Read More

Real Assets – A refuge in an uncertain world

By adminsam | May 11, 2022
We’re only just over halfway through H1 2022 but already investors have had to face a plethora of challenges – problems in global supply chains that just won’t go away even though the pandemic is now more than two years old, uncertainty about the timing and magnitude of interest rate rises, the return of an…Read More

US TECH STOCKS: IS IT TIME TO BUY?

By adminsam | March 14, 2022
Since peaking in November last year, the Nasdaq Composite Index – a proxy for the US technology sector – has declined by 17%. While valuations at the high point of the index were stretched and posed a clear risk to investors, they are now heading towards more palatable levels. Although we don’t yet see the…Read More

Shoppers set to spend £9.2 billion in 4 days

By adminsam | January 31, 2022

This was a quiet week with US markets closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving. However, news broke overnight about a new Covid-19 variant. This led to a sell-off in markets as investors consider the potential new travel restrictions and lockdowns. This is a reminder that life will take time to get back to normal and indeed that normal may have evolved.

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The great crypto debate

By adminsam | January 31, 2022

This weeks US inflation report once more beat expectations as reported inflation in the US continued to rise, now sitting at 5.4% year over year. Recent weeks have seen the debate over transitory vs persistent inflation being resolved, with major company’s such as Bank of America’s CEO stating “Inflation is clearly not temporary”.

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