From an economic perspective, it’s difficult to argue there has been any improvement over recent weeks. On the contrary, global inflation continues to rise, as do interest rates while in the UK, waves of industrial action now appear a formality. Meanwhile, Putin’s forces continue their assault on Eastern Ukraine, meaning little respite for the prices…
In homage to the Halifax’s new policy on name badges carrying personal pronouns, Williams Investment Management decided to implement a similar strategy. I self identify as ‘John’, ‘Yorkshireman’ and ‘Bloke’ (or ‘Geezer’, for any readers in the London area). I’d wanted to add ‘George Clooney lookalike’ and ‘F16 Fighter Pilot’ but unfortunately there wasn’t enough room. I’m joking,…
There’s a wonderful Warren Buffett quote that never loses its resonance. “You should invest in a business that even a fool can run because someday a fool will”. Buffett means that he wants the business to be the ‘star’, not the management. A combination of a brilliant business with competent management is likely going to…
Markets have generally weakened as investors continue to absorb a plethora of bad news. Despite expecting inflation to be ‘transitory’, all major central banks are now not only tightening monetary policy but signalling that further rate rises are embedded in their thinking. It’s a pity their hopeless misreading of inflation has resulted in such a…
While the war (sorry, Special Operation) in Ukraine continues to take centre stage, there are signs that markets are starting to look beyond it, refocusing on economic matters. In the US, 10 year Treasury bonds currently yield 2.4% which offers precious little recompense when inflation stands at 8.5%. In the UK, 10 year Government bonds…
Ukraine continues to dominate headlines. As we write, it appears Russia’s initial tactics have failed and a combination of its frustration, incompetence and brutality hallmarks the next stage of this conflict. In 2000, the Chechen capital, Grozny, had suffered a greater degree of destruction than befell Dresden at the end of WWII, so Putin’s current…
Those of a certain age will remember the BBC sitcom, ‘The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin’, written by David Nobbs and starring Leonard Rossiter. It told the story of a middle aged executive rebelling against the tedium of his job. Reggie had reached a point where he could see through the office politics and constant failings…
I don’t think Stealers Wheel were referring to central bankers in their 1973 hit ‘Stuck in the middle with you’ although I could well be mistaken. However, everywhere one cares to look at present, the law of unintended consequences appears eager for a fight. Or, to put it another way, Murphy’s Law is alive and…
Mrs Newsome enjoys watching ‘Grand Designs’, fronted by Kevin McCloud. I occasionally watch it and sometimes it’s interesting to see how a family of six now live in an old ship’s funnel, up a tree in the Cotswolds. However, there’s something about him I just don’t like. Pretentious? Airy fairy? Head in the (Mc) clouds?…
Markets remain range bound. Central banks continue to emphasise support (or is it endless subsidy?) despite economies reopening. On the other hand, Covid flareups are still happening and while the Biden administration’s chief medical officer, Dr Anthony Fauci, made it clear he didn’t expect a return to lockdowns, he commented that “things are going to…