Blogs

Latest Blogs

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 ...

UK National Wealth Fund: A politically created player in Achieving Net-Zero Targets

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Investors are expected to supercharge the UK NWF, but will we? The UK’s National Wealth Fund (NWF) is a Labour government initiative aimed at strategically managing public assets to accelerate green investment and facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy. With a government commitment of £7.31 billion, the NWF seeks to catalyse private investment in critical green sectors, fostering job creation and sustainable economic growth across the nation. The ...

Net Asset Value (NAV) Write-down at DGI9

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Was fund manager Triple Point overpaid? As Sachin Saggar comments in this piece, it is inconceivable that the manager of Digital 9 Infrastructure (DGI9), a Jersey regulated closed-ended fund, did not know the NAV, on which basis they received fees, was materially overstated. It is time for the company to put the insurers of everyone involved on notice and for the Jersey regulator to step in and investigate Triple ...

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 ...