CGT Review – Stealth Wealth Tax?
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak has asked the independent Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) to review Capital Gains Tax (CGT) legislation. This is partly in response to the £300bn borrowing requirement and the need to raise tax revenue to help reduce the huge level of UK government debt. The consultation is in two stages, reporting in […]
What Lies Ahead for Markets – Europe and Asia in focus
The much heralded ‘V’ shaped recovery looks to have happened in markets after the shock of the covid-19 pandemic in March. There is great anticipation in markets of the global economy rebounding over the next year or so. Investors have returned to equities after the steep coronavirus induced falls in March despite still-rising global infection […]
UK Summer Statement
Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a £30 billion plan to save the UK from mass unemployment by encouraging consumption. The measures announced aim to mitigate rising unemployment paying employers to bring back furloughed workers and reducing taxes for homebuyers and the hospitality sector. The latest proposed measures top the £150 billion already committed […]
Time in the Market not Market Timing for Investments
With any investment, the aim is to buy low and sell high. As such, it makes sense to try and identify when markets are cheap to determine the best time to buy and expensive for when to sell. Unfortunately, human psychology and the powerful emotions of fear and greed can often undermine attempts to time […]
UK House Prices Fall For First Time Since 2012
Nationwide Building Society has announced today that UK house prices fell for the first time since 2012 in June. This is a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the UK economy. House prices fell by 0.1% compared with June 2019. In June 2020, house prices fell by 1.4%, a slight improvement on […]
Market Overview & Outlook – Quarter 2 2020 (1 April – 30 June 2020)
Markets Surge in Q2 2020 The second quarter of 2020 has been incredible for investment markets, with impressive gains for both equities and bonds on the back of unprecedented levels of government and central bank support and investors’ conclusion that the worst of the covid-19 pandemic is over. The Financial Times has dubbed the rally […]
Investment markets on a rollercoaster
As I look back at the first four months of 2020, this year has certainly been a rollercoaster for investments. After a promising start to the year, equities around the world plunged in March with the UK market ranking among the worst, losing around 33% of its value in a single month. The global coronavirus […]
Market Overview & Outlook – Quarter 1 2020 (1 January – 31 March 2020)
The first three months of 2020 were the worst for global markets since the 2008 financial crisis as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, the 11-year old bull market ended abruptly as the US market suffered its quickest descent into a bear market in just 16 trading sessions.
UK Budget Summary 11 March 2020
Rishi Sunak’s first Budget today was focused on how to address the potential economic fallout from the global Coronavirus outbreak with £30bn spending package, complementing the UK Bank of England’s 0.5% Base rate cut earlier in the day to just 0.25%.
2019 Markets Get Off to a Positive Start
After a dismal 2018 when global financial markets posted their worst performance since the dark days of the banking crisis in 2008, 2019 has got off to an excellent start with the US S&P500 index posting its best monthly performance since October 2015. Let’s hope it is a good omen that the Chinese year of […]