Investment Strategies

Why ESG-Focused Funds might be a Strong Investment Choice

  Despite a history of greenwashing and historically dubious definitions of what defined an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) qualifying investment, sustainable investing has now shifted from an ethical to a practical financial strategy. Investors, emboldened by new, robust governance of what constitutes an ESG investment (from the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) and the International Regulatory Strategy Group (IRSG)), are increasingly focussed on firms which integrate ESG sustainable business practices that lead to long-term financial resilience. Beyond ethical considerations, ESG-focused funds offer ...

Portfolio Review 2024 – Cliff Weight

  Key points  Portfolio up 11.5%.   Benchmark performance: UK (FTSE100) +9.7%, but risk adjusted global benchmark (based on my 88%/12% equity/cash allocation) +18.6%.   Relative performance reflects conservative strategy of preservation of wealth, home country bias and AIM bias.  Portfolio allocation  30% index trackers, 33% direct shares, 19% funds and Investment Trusts, 12% cash/bonds, 2% VCTs.    50% UK, 33% US, 13% other geographies. Red flag re home country bias.  Decided to allocate 20-30% of portfolio to bonds/cash accounts. Started to implement plan.   Exposed ...

Business Relief? Perhaps, but at what cost?

ShareSoc member Mark Lauber dissects the inheritance tax service from Rockpool Investments Hardman has issued a research piece on the Rockpool Inheritance Tax Service. Fair play to them for outlining the various fees, charges and costs, but the more I read the more I scratched my head as to whether this is really worthwhile for investors.   The underlying strategy is to obtain Inheritance Tax relief on lending to SMEs, with loans on a senior secured basis via Novus Lending Limited. The portfolio has ...

Learn from the Experts about Investing Strategies

Money Maze Podcast - Kintbury Capital's Long-Short European Equity Strategy with Chris Dale, Founder & CIO I was lucky enough to be playing golf with Chris Dale early in January and shared a beer afterwards. We talked a little bit about investing and Chris suggested I might like to listen to his podcast. When I got home, I did and found it fascinating. So many insights. I hope others will find it both enjoyable and educational. People like Chris make rare appearances in ...

Portfolio Review 2024 – Mark Bentley

Introduction This is now my fifth annual comprehensive portfolio review. See my 2020 review for an explanation of my investment objectives, strategy, "asset types" and investment accounts. My 2023 review can be found here. In 2024 my portfolio's underperformance of my FTSE All-Share total return benchmark continued, albeit more modestly. My total return was 7.7% vs 9.8% for the benchmark. I may have to review my strategy if this underperformance continues in 2025 - but it may simply be a consequence of the ...

Will Passive ETFs be the Death of Capitalism?

A growing trend of flows away from active investors to passive index trackers may damage the price discovery process and efficient capital allocation. My attention was recently drawn to this article in the Financial Times. It reports that $450bn was withdrawn from actively managed stock funds in 2024, with $1.7tn flowing into ETFs (though it is not clear what proportion of that ETF money has been allocated to passive, index tracking ETFs). It strikes me that this poses a real problem to the ...

Nvidia might be the biggest name in AI right now, but here’s why you should know about ASML

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. If you are a technology investor or simply tech-curious, you have likely heard of Nvidia. The US giant has become synonymous with Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation, but there is another key player worth knowing: ASML, the Dutch company quietly revolutionising the technology landscape. Who is ASML? ASML Holding N.V. is a Dutch company founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands, and is publicly traded on the Euronext Amsterdam ...

Funds should not be judge and jury of their benchmarks

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Royal London marketing email re profit sharing prompts Cliff Weight to investigate the real investor costs and compare/contrast them to actual performance Vs. standard benchmarks (always key). As Royal London is a mutual, without the need to make large profits and pay dividends to shareholders, one might be tempted to think they might have lower fees and, net of fees, might outperform other fund managers. When I received ...

The Future of Smaller Company Capital Markets in the UK

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. New Financial Report Launched On 17th October, I attended the launch of New Financial’s excellent report, which was held at the London Stock Exchange. I recommend reading the detailed version (c 35 pages), which I regard as required reading for all serious investors. Full report Summary of the report My key takeaways: Swedes are 5 times as likely to invest in shares than Brits. (Around 40% of Swedish adults have a simple and ...

Risk, Returns and Optimising Performance

There are various straightforward steps that self-directed investors can take to evaluate their portfolio and ensure it is balanced, appropriate to their needs and producing optimal returns. This is my personal checklist.  First, understand your own attitude to investment risk. When you measure risks and returns, please remember they are affected by a number of factors, including equity and bond returns, currency movements, interest rates, inflation and taxes. Consider your risk profile in the range of 0 to 100, where 100 = all ...

What really drove August’s market sell-off?

In the first week of August, global stock markets sold off sharply - but what was driving that correction? Ram Sachdev highlights the pivotal role played by the ‘yen carry trade’ The recent market correction (defined as a decline of more than 10%) has raised questions among investors as to what underpinned the sell-off. One key factor was the role played by the yen carry trade at that time.  What is a carry trade?   A carry trade is a financial strategy in which an ...

Wealth Management Advice versus DIY investing

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. £300 or £3,400 of fees (i.e. costs) you pay each year? £300 or £3,400 of costs/advice fees is the choice that an investor with a £170,000 portfolio would face if he/she invested in a Vanguard passive fund with interactive investor or sought individual financial advice from one of the UK’s leading firms of advisers. £170,000 is the average portfolio of a St James’s Place client so is a useful ...