Investment Commentary

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Invesco: Staying focused after a tough 2018
February 15 2019
Product Director, Clive Emery and Portfolio Manager, Danielle Singer look at performance in 2018 and explain why they’re looking ahead with optimism. more...

Investment News for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - M&G: US Fed climbs down from rate hikes
February 13 2019
This month’s video looks at the Fed’s dramatic shift to a more dovish stance, with an emphasis on patience. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Legg Mason: Tilting toward accommodation
February 13 2019
Subdued global inflation should provide monetary policymakers with a ramp to be more accommodative and perhaps pull back from their normalization efforts. We’re encouraged by the Fed's latest commitment to be more data-dependent. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Legg Mason: Is semiconductor growth over? Think again
February 13 2019
Makers of semiconductors are seeing valuations hit amid a cyclical downturn, but the future long-term growth picture remains intact. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Are you investing for impact?
February 12 2019
Investing to help improve society and the environment does not mean giving up economic returns. The M&G Positive Impact Fund, launched in November 2018, aims to invest in companies that address the world’s major social and environmental challenges, while generating long-term wealth for its customers. more...

Investment News for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: The big interview with David Miliband: The West in retreat
February 12 2019
In our Big Interview, David Miliband talks to AIQ about the growing humanitarian emergency in war-torn countries, the retreat from global engagement by the West and the future of centre-left politics. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Invesco: Reshuffling the deck
February 12 2019
After a challenging 2018, Fund Manager’s Stephen and Andrew outline the factors which impacted them the most along with their plans for 2019 and new additions to the portfolio. more...

Investment News for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: Finding flow: four rules for successful collaboration
February 7 2019
Good collaboration is key to success in almost every field, from business to finance to sport. We explore how organisations can encourage staff to work together to share ideas, avoid mistakes and improve performance. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Rathbones: Great timing
February 5 2019
US nonfarm payrolls smashed expectations once again, posting 304,000 new jobs in January instead of the 165,000 forecast. December's number was revised down from exceptionally high to very high. The ISM manufacturing survey rose to 56.6, higher than expected, showing that US producers are busy and confident. Consumer sentiment was soggier, however, dropping to the weakest level of Donald Trump’s presidency. It was likely dragged down by the record 35-day government shutdown, yet it held up significantly better than economists had expected. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Schroders: Infographic: A view of the world economy in January 2019
February 4 2019
This month's infographic looks at three economic themes for 2019 as well as some black swan risks. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Schroders: Eurozone growth fails to recover as Italy slips into recession
February 4 2019
The eurozone economy grew by just 0.2% in the final quarter of 2018 according to the flash GDP estimate released this morning. Fourth quarter growth was unchanged compared to the third quarter and matched consensus expectations. more...

Investment News for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - M&G: 4 recommendations to up your ESG game
February 4 2019
Sustainability is increasingly becoming more of a need than a choice – for society and investors alike. Although a handful of ESG data providers have already emerged to meet this demand, Mario Eisenegger, Investment Specialist, outlines four recommendations to help asset managers up their ESG game. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Busting the millennial myth
February 4 2019
New research challenges the widely held view that millennials are genuinely different from previous generations more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Plastic (not so) fantastic
January 31 2019
The ultra-long lifespan of plastics is proving an ecological challenge. As consumers become alarmed at the environmental contamination caused by synthetic organic polymers, we look at the alternatives and the role of investors in pushing for change. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - M&G: Outlook 2019: Emerging Market Debt
January 31 2019
In this short video, fund manager Claudia Calich looks back at key drivers for emerging market debt in 2018 and examines what did and did not work for the Fund, before moving on to discuss key themes on the horizon for 2019. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - BlackRock’s Larry Fink’s 2019 Letter to CEOs
January 29 2019
In his annual letter on corporate governance, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink explores how companies can achieve long-term financial returns. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Seneca: Peter Elston: Investment Letter
January 29 2019
As it’s the beginning of the year, this month’s letter will focus on the investment performance over the last year of our three public funds, as well as performance over longer periods. Below are tables summarising both fund and sector performance. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Rathbones Review of the Week
January 29 2019
Every time Theresa May gets trounced in Parliament, delays a vote or a member of her Cabinet lets slip that she won’t really force a no-deal exit from the EU, sterling shoots upward. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: Why a US recession in 2019 is unlikely
January 28 2019
Given the apparently close historical relationship between various financial indicators and the economy, some commentators have been quick to talk up the danger of a US recession in view of recent market developments. Such fears appear unfounded, even if growth is likely to slow, argues Michael Grady. more...

Investment webcast for Financial Advisers and Paraplanners - M&G Webcast: Introducing the M&G Positive Impact Fund
January 28 2019
Join us on Thursday 21 February at 10am, where we will discuss the recently launched M&G Positive Impact Fund with John William Olsen, fund manager, and Ben Constable Maxwell, Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - M&G Investment: Downside protection while capturing the upside
January 28 2019
In a year characterised by increased volatility and changes in market leadership, financial markets struggled to generate positive returns. However listed infrastructure’s defensive characteristics offers more the low volatility; offering a range of growth opportunities to drive long term performance. more...

Investment webcast for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Invesco Global Targeted Returns Fund (UK) – Q4 2018 review
January 27 2019
Listen to Clive Emery Multi Asset Product Director discuss the Invesco Global Targeted Returns Fund (UK)’s* performance in Q4 2018, new ideas in the fund, changes to the strategy and the Henley-based Multi Asset team's macroeconomic outlook for 2019. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - M&G: Bond Vigilantes Weekly: Globalisation-mecca Davos loses shine as trade wanes
January 24 2019
When the presidents of the US, France and Britain cancel their trip to the World Economic Forum at Davos – the mecca of globalisation over the past two decades – to face domestic challenges, no wonder investors are worried about falling global trade, inward-looking policies and hence, lower global growth. more...

Investment update for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - M&G Fund Update
January 23 2019
Watch fund manager Jim Leaviss give his views on key drivers for global markets in the previous year, commenting on what worked well and what didn't for the Fund, moving on to his approach to 2019. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: The UK grocery market: ripe for disruption
January 21 2019
With the grocery market undergoing significant changes, the successful supermarkets of the future are likely to be smaller and focussed on providing a rich shopping experience, writes Jonathan Bayfield. more...

Investment & Brexit news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Invesco: What’s next for Brexit?
January 21 2019
After the dramatic defeat of the UK Prime Minister’s EU withdrawal plan, we believe the chances have risen for a softer version of Brexit or perhaps even no Brexit at all. Read more to find out the five scenarios for the future EU-UK relationship. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Baillie Gifford: Beyond the Headlines - Stock Stories in Asia
January 21 2019
How do you find the most exciting growth companies in the Asia Pacific region? In this film Ewan Markson-Brown and Roderick Snell, managers of the Baillie Gifford Pacific Fund, discuss the key components that an exceptional growth company must exhibit and how they are upbeat for the prospects of the companies that display them. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Dinosaur or canary? Rathbones
January 21 2019
Global stock markets have been unsettled by political and economic uncertainty recently, and swung significantly between gains and losses in the final weeks of 2018. President Trump’s criticism of the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate rise added to concerns that US consumer demand may be cooling. Meanwhile, trade tensions between America and China continue despite a temporary truce. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: Can the ‘Tropical Trump’ rescue Brazil?
January 17 2019
Markets may have reacted positively to the election of Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil, but investors would be advised to temper their optimism given the political challenges he will face when he takes office in the New Year. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Baillie Gifford Bond Beats: # 3 Pinewood Studios
January 17 2019
In the Bond Beats short film series, Baillie Gifford’s High Yield Bond team explains the thinking behind some of their investment decisions. Hollywood might be the first location you think of when it comes to blockbuster films, but there’s another important ‘wood’. Investment manager Alexander Nicolier takes a look at England’s iconic Pinewood Studios and why they might be centre stage in the film industry for many years to come. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: Equities outlook: four predictions for 2019
January 16 2019
How will equities perform in a challenging environment marked by political tensions and rising interest rates? Here are our forecasts for the next 12 months. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Baillie Gifford: Asia - Beyond the Headlines
January 16 2019
Recent headlines relating to geopolitical and market unrest in Asia do not deter Tim Erskine-Murray from an upbeat analysis of Asia’s outlook. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - M&G Investments: FTSE 100 celebrates 35 years – a bargain opportunity?
January 16 2019
Watch this month’s video where, Investment Director, Ritu Vohora looks at the evolution of the FTSE 100 over the past 35 years and whether UK equities are a buying opportunity. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: What will Europe look like if and when we leave the EU?
January 16 2019
Much has been made of what Britain may look like after Brexit in the UK press. In this piece, Cambridge University professor Helen Thompson tells us what the picture could look like for Europe in a post-Brexit world. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Invesco: 2019 investment outlook – European equities
January 16 2019
European equities have been heavily sold, are things that bad? Jeffrey Taylor head of European Equities focuses his outlook on the importance of taking a fundamental long-term approach to European equities, how domestic demand drives the European economy, and attractive valuations across many sectors. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Why Prudential for Risk Managed Funds?
January 16 2019
This video explains how Prudential have positioned their funds so that they are able to perform as expected despite the heightened volatility in the markets due to Brexit and trade friction between USA & China. The key benefit of this video is that is shows how following components of the process come together to help develop funds to support advisers and their clients in achieving their financial goals. It also has good examples of how funds performed in times of extreme uncertainty in 2016. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - M&G Investments: Emerging Markets: 5 key issues to watch in 2019
January 16 2019
Emerging Markets (EM) debt had a torrid 2018 as global macro risks, softer EM growth and idiosyncratic stories, all repriced relatively expensive valuations at the beginning of the year. Are the new prices a better reflection of fundamentals? This will largely depend on the evolution of 5 key topics. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Baillie Gifford Bond Beats: # 2 WorldPay
January 16 2019
In the Bond Beats short film series, Baillie Gifford’s High Yield Bond team explains the thinking behind some of their investment decisions. Baillie Gifford investment manager Robert Baltzer take a look at how, in a world where cash purchases are on the decline and e-commerce is on the rise, Worldpay is part of the technological backbone supporting digital transactions. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Rathbones: What did I miss?
January 9 2019
Concerns about a worldwide slowdown in growth have made for a rotten time in markets over the past six weeks or so. more...

Investment news for Financial Advisers & Paraplanners - Aviva Investors: UK real estate outlook: three opportunities for investors in 2019
January 9 2019
Aviva Investors’ Jonathan Bayfield discusses the outlook for real estate. UK real estate markets face potential headwinds in 2019 as Brexit, trade talks and rising interest rates threaten to weigh on demand. But there are grounds for optimism. There may yet be favourable resolutions to both the Brexit talks and the US-China trade dispute. Furthermore, rate hikes are likely to be gradual, supporting continued appetite for real estate among institutional investors. And while appropriate strategies will be needed to mitigate late-cycle risks, there remain pockets of value in certain sectors: more...