Markets continue to wobble
Oh dear, more uncertainties afflicting global markets as a consequence of the attacks on Iran and then the ramifications. They are dreadful and for the innocent people involved but as for the financial implications, on capital markets, maybe retrenchment reflects the ‘need’ for profit-taking it seems. This is even discounting unintended consequences, such as...
Some sad news
Good morning. Just a brief update for you but thought I should share some sad news as a special edition.
I should add too that there will also be a special pre tax-yearend newsletter in the post in a few weeks as well, reminding investors to use their various allowances.
Sad death
Mrs Jean Reed passed...
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...
Some growth but inflation bites
It’s been good to see some economic growth with an unexpected 0.3% figure in November. Services and production rose and construction fell. The results at least counter some of the previous slippage but won’t be giving a great annualised figure regardless – but all helping.
Likewise, whilst we read a colossal 700,000 graduates are unemployed,...
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...
Is the economy in good hands?
So we enter a new era with Labour ‘less trusted on the economy than Liz Truss’ Conservatives according to the last YouGov Poll. Indeed, the descent of the Labour dream seems to have been as sharp as the fall in YouGov’s share price now somewhat sorry for itself too and like Labour’s fortunes.
I predict...
What the Chancellor should be saying in a pre-Budget speech…
We try not to do politics in these columns but following headlines suggesting Chancellor Rachel Reeves may well become the first to increase Income Tax in 50 years in fact (breaking manifesto pledges in the process), we had a little go at envisaging her speech before the November 26 Budget.
(The following is tongue in...
Crisis, what crisis? All good here!
Before anything else, have a really lovely Bank Holiday weekend. I shall be helping at Braunton Fair on Monday and catching-up tomorrow…
Crisis? What crisis? Could be the question our investors pose about the recent Trumpian-created volatility as we seemed to sail-through unscathed and emerging from the other side seemingly in better shape than when...