Asking the Right Questions
“Herbalife will go to Zero” – Bill Ackman
In July of last year I wrote a piece on Herbalife – “Is Herbalife (NYSE:HLF) a Pyramid Scheme?” – following the presentation by Bill Ackman, the legendary hedge fund manager and founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, where he exposed Herbalife to be a…
Where I am allocating my football capital
The legendary Bill Shankly once said that “If Everton were playing at the bottom of the garden, I’d pull the curtains.” Well if he was looking down on the weekend’s Merseyside derby he’d have surely pulled the curtains, for what was a disappointing encounter….
The consumption economy: take on more debt!
The Greek vote does raise a wider issue at the heart of the weak global economy, too much debt! Central banks have merely provided a stay of execution
Mario Draghi: confidence or arrogance with ECB efforts?
While Mario Draghi had equity markets salivating last week, the Germans will be wincing in the knowledge that their monetary policy is now firmly in the hands of the money printing Italian,
Two important lessons from the SNB decision
“Words fail me” Nick Hayek, CEO of Swatch The real story from last week was the surprise announcement from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to abandon their currency peg with the Euro,
Adding a dynamic allocation that can adapt to the changing environment
As I think about the outlook for the global economy and financial markets in the year ahead I can’t help but bring it back to a sporting context, in my case football. In preparation for every football match a manager sets out his team…
Thoughts on Decision Making
“Life is a sum of all your choices” Albert Camus (French Philosopher) Decision making permeates our lives. At a personal level we make decisions on a daily basis in our social interactions. As well, the decisions of others, translated into their actions, can have…
Thoughts from Cambodia
On my recent trip to Cambodia I found myself thinking a lot about this notion of “capitalism” and “communism”, on many levels. After all it is a divide that has been behind much of the bloodshed of the 20th century. Viewed as alternative economic…
Xi – Abe Handshake: Awkward!
There is much written on the importance of a good handshake, a ritual that for some can speak volumes of a person. In a world where first impressions are imperative, a handshake can leave a lasting impression. The worst has to be the “dead…
Adjusting to QE, is like life after Suarez!
Just as markets are struggling to adjust to life after QE, Liverpool have yet to come to terms with life after Luis Suarez. If “QE puts beer goggles on investors by creating a line of sight where everything looks good”, it seems Suarez made…
