(IL)Liquidity of Property

by Jackson Franks — Analyst

— Open-ended property funds are not the only way to gain direct exposure to the property market

As mentioned in my previous blogs I am an avid Watford football club supporter. Although there are some ups and (a lot more) downs, being a Watford supporter has had one positive outcome. It’s enabled me to cope with the ever-changing UK political situation. Since David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister in 2016, following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, there have been three UK Prime Ministers over the preceding six years, with the fourth set to be announced.

Market Snapshot

• Global equities rose by 3.6% last week
• Xi Jinping was declared as the Chinese Communist Party Chief for a third time as he further consolidated his grip on power. His third term as General Secretary will make him the longest ruling Chinese leader since Chairman Mao
• Brent crude rose by 2.0% over the week to $93.5 a barrel
• Gold rose by 0.8% to $1657.7 per ounce

Gilty Pleasures

by Alex Harvey, CFA — Senior Portfolio Manager & Investment Strategist

— A modicum of value has come back into the UK bond market

Three weeks ago, I had just landed in Morocco and with impeccable timing, as I worked out how to use Agadir airport’s ATM, Sterling tanked on the back of the UK government’s now well pored over ‘mini-budget’. I found it mildly amusing that the ticker for the Sterling-Dirham currency pairing is GBPMAD. It certainly felt like it! Of course, this wasn’t a bout of Dirham strength but a Sterling maelstrom resulting from the aforementioned budget, and the Pound was in freefall against every major currency.

Market Snapshot

• Global equities fell by 1.7% last week
• The International Monetary Fund released their latest round of economic projections leaving their 2022 global growth forecast at +3.2%, but downgrading 2023 to +2.7%
• Brent crude fell by 6.4% over the week to $91.6 a barrel
• Gold fell by 3.0% to $1644.47 per ounce

Welcome to the New Age

by Matt Connor — Investment Analyst

— The recent explosion of TikTok has made brands rethink their advertising strategies

Like it or not, there is no doubt that social media is now an integral part of our lives, with our online presence an extension of who we are, and for many, who they aspire to be.

There were almost three billion monthly active users on Facebook in the second quarter of this year, some 37% of the global population. For a business, social media offers a treasure trove of potential customers, but still so many seem to get it wrong when advertising through these channels.

Market Snapshot

• Global equities returned 1.7% last week
• World indices and commodities saw positive returns
• Brent crude rose 11% last week to $97.9 a barrel after The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus announced a two million-barrel per day cut in target production
• Gold rose 2.1% to 1694.8 per ounce

Data, data everywhere and not a number to guide

by Richard Parfect

— Humans like to have a number to hold onto as it feels tangible and brings confidence

All through life our brains like to use “general rules of thumb” when dealing with problems. These rules may come through personal experience or maybe they are more prescriptive and laid down by doctrine.

When dealing with problems I have sometimes found it useful to use a “factor of three”. For example, if I plan to do a DIY job in the house, bitter experience tells me it will take three times as long as I might expect. Such a guide can help avoid the shock of under-estimation of an outcome.

Market Snapshot

• Global equities fell 2.6% last week
• The UK’s ‘mini’ budget continued to cause carnage across financial markets. The International Monetary Fund urged the government to change the course of action
• Brent crude rose 2.1% over the week to $87.96 a barrel
• Gold rose 1.0% to $1660.61 per ounce