Which way next for markets? March 29, 2021 After global markets stumbled to their worst quarter since 1987 in Q1, we have now seen a meaningful bounce in many equity markets from March lows and there are now good arguments for both sides which way they will turn next. Continue Reading
Ethical Investing – Bespoke portfolios tailored around you March 29, 2021 At Raymond James, Ribble Valley we have a highly bespoke investment proposition and state of the art tools. This allows us to cater for clients’ ethical preferences, however specific they are. Many people only want to profit from companies with certain characteristics and they want to make sure that their views are reflected. We start with a specifically tailored questionnaire that really helps us to explore what is important to clients. The first element of this is 'negative' screening where we look at what people don't want to invest in. This might be armaments, tobacco, alcohol, animal testing, gambling etc...we can also drill down to the next level to allow a percentage of revenues. So, for example, someone might not want to invest in an alcohol company per see but wouldn't mind investing in a hotel chain that makes a small percentage of its revenues from alcohol sales. We then look at positive screening. What do people want to make a profit from? This can be broad-based suchas wanting to invest in innovative companies that are solving the World's problems. We incorporate ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) in all of our research as there is good reason to believe that the most sustainable and well-governed companies will offer shareholders the best long-term results. We can also offer positive screening very specifically. Do people only want to invest in companies with excellent human rights track records for example? Or in renewable energy? Or those that contribute positively to their community? The level of how bespoke we can make it is endless. There are over forty thousand listed companies and we have an enormous amount of research available to us. This allows us to build diversified portfolios for people with even the most specific views and preferences without necessarily sacrificing performance. Most… Continue Reading
Making wise investment decisions in perilous times March 29, 2021 As the virus spreads through the World, fear has reigned, global stock markets have plummeted and the UK’s leading market stumbled its worst quarter since 1987. We pride ourselves that in times of volatility and crashes, when many advisers head for the hills, we are there to support and reassure our clients every step of the way until markets recover and beyond. Our key message to clients, and anyone invested in the markets is, don’t solve a short-term problem by creating a long-term disaster. Instead, stay the course and capitalise on the opportunities. Continue Reading
The Power of Dividends March 29, 2021 Where can I double my money this week?’ and ‘Are there any ten baggers around?’ are common questions aimed at anyone working in investment. I hate to be a bore, but I explain such returns mean taking levels of risk similar to those in bookies. So, if not trying to shoot the lights out in a week, how can an investor expect to increase their wealth? Continue Reading
A tale of two decades March 29, 2021 It is fair to say that at the end of the decade the World is a very different place than it started. In terms of assets a dollar worth of bitcoin at the turn of the last decade is now worth over $90,000, whereas a dollar of the Myanmar Kyat is worth just $0.004 today. The Greek stock market is down 93% over the decade whereas the US market is up 246%. There were no negatively yielding global bonds in 2010 and at the peak in 2019 there were $17tn worth. Continue Reading
Megatrend Investing March 29, 2021 A megatrend is a driving force of the transformation and development of the human race. Looking at past megatrends helps us understand our present, the identification of ongoing trends gives us the means to anticipate what our future might look like. From an investment perspective, this is extremely powerful. We ask ourselves- in this future that we anticipate, which assets could perform well and which ones could perform poorly? We then use this to help shape our investment decisions. There is a lot of money to be made by investing today in tomorrow’s World. Continue Reading
The demise of Neil Woodford March 29, 2021 Neil Woodford CBE was lauded by the BBC in 2015 as “The man who cannot stop making money”. Once Known as “Britain’s Warren Buffet”, his career now lies in tatters with his face strewn over the tabloids almost daily, accompanied by disparaging headlines. Continue Reading
The Tax Man cometh… and he’s quite interested in your pension! March 29, 2021 When it was introduced in 2006, the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) limit was only supposed to affect a very small number of pension investors. That it now raises £110m a year for HMRC, affects over 2,400 people and is rising at an eyewatering rate may encourage you to check your own pension provision. Continue Reading
Financial advice for savvy women March 29, 2021 When I took my son along to his football practice last week, my daughter asked if she could join the team, this was the same when we went to Jujitsu the week after. Thankfully, there are lots of young girls keen to start playing football, which bodes well for the future of the sport. However, there is a shortage of female coaches for both sports. It got me thinking about the lack of female financial advisers within my own profession. Continue Reading
Raymond James Investment Services, proud to be in the heart of your community March 29, 2021 At Raymond James Ribble Valley, we provide bespoke financial planning and investment management for our clients, who are largely based throughout Lancashire. We have a team of 17 people working in specialist roles, based in Longridge, to help our clients meet their financial objectives and life goals. Continue Reading
