Market chaos silver lining
Good afternoon. Early days but the agreement to a ceasefire was much welcomed by the markets. It is an odd world when sometimes you are grateful that some of your assets fall in price, because they were the hedges against other things you have been holding.
So, when oil and energy stocks slumped last Wednesday...
Global uncertainty but spring is here
Welcome to spring and longer days (with all the clocks springing forward too). It’s always lovely to see new life bursting forth, oblivious to everything else happening in the world and ever was it thus. In this we have something to appreciate, regardless of all the geopolitical traumas or indeed personal afflictions which may...
Hunting for safe havens
Uncertainty as US attacks Iran
So, early Saturday we awoke to news that bombings had taken place in Iran and the inevitable retaliation as a consequence. The weekend oil price jumped significantly and the world waits to digest the consequences.
It is too early to predict outcomes but the hope will be for a short, sharp shock and a return...
Dollar doldrums and silver surfing
Quietly and gently and perhaps almost unnoticed, the US Dollar had been seeing a drift downhill before strengthening again over last week. Against Sterling it has now been the lowest since September 2021, having fallen by over 26% since the Pound’s trough in July 2022.
We are not so unhappy as we have currency in...
Silver prices surge
Happy New Year for farmers
A Happy New Year. I hope that your celebrations of all Christmas really means was good and joyful and that you have seen-in the New Year with relish! Already the days are opening-out and spring, albeit very cold, is daring to peek through the wintry gloom.
What a nice Christmas present for ‘farmers’ with the...
Happy Christmas one and all
A very Happy Christmas to one and all! Hopefully you and your families had a lovely day yesterday? Let’s also trust for a settled, positive 2026 with resolution to long-outstanding issues like the Russian aggression against Ukraine and some dynamic and long-term solutions for Israel and the Palestinians.
We have had some good economic news...
Toothless Budget lacked real drive
For readers here, the biggest pieces of good news were what she didn’t do, such as attacking pension tax-free lump sums or tax relief on contributions, no lifetime Inheritance Tax on gifts or changes to present allowances and no changes to CGT. We did our best to discourage people from taking their cash from...