A Different Perspective
Asking the Right Questions
Weekly Market Update: January 18th 2016
Market Recap
Sentiment in global equity markets last week resembled the atmosphere in Anfield yesterday after the final whistle. Like most equity investors, transfixed by the continuous stream of red as market participants rushed for the exits, Liverpool fans were left with the same feeling of ‘where do we go from here’ after defeat to bitter rivals Manchester United. They say there is always someone in the market making money, and the small group of United fans celebrating in the Anfield Road stand, are more representative of the minority of short sellers who are revelling in the latest market declines. While the major central bankers of the world will no doubt come to rescue for global equity investors, Liverpool FC will need more than a printing press to regain their former glory. Read More
Weekly Market Update: January 11th 2016
Market Recap
Global equity markets sold off sharply last week, a repeat of what we saw in August of last year, with many of the major equity indices experiencing the worst weekly declines since 2011. Plunging oil prices and the decline in many other commodities is not helping sentiment in markets, but most of the fear is emanating from China, the disorderly devaluation of the Yuan and the turmoil in mainland shares. Read More
Empowerment: walking out on Tony Robbins’ Masterclass
On Friday I attended the Pendulum Summit, the “world’s leading business and self-empowerment summit”, according to www.pendulumsummit.com. There were a couple of interesting speakers in the first part of the day, the standout for me being Rasmus Ankersen, a performance and development coach who shared some interesting insights on finding talent and performance analytics.
In truth, the event was sold as the Tony Robbins show, with the promise of his “5-hour masterclass to transform your life”. If you haven’t heard of Tony Robbins, in his humble biography on his website, among other things he describes himself as a “world authority on leadership psychology”, the ‘father of the life coaching industry’, a “peace negotiator and humanitarian”, and a “strategic advisor to world leaders”.
I am choosing to share my experience of the headline act, Tony Robbins, because if this is what is needed to inspire transformational change in Ireland, the country is in big trouble. I am aware that not everyone will agree with me, and it would have been easier not to write this blog, but it needed to be said. Read More
Interview Series: with Blackrock’s Adam Ryan
My latest endeavour to make the subject of financial markets and the economy more accessible to everyone is an interview series where I am intend to interview a range of fund managers, investment strategists and government officials, and to share these insights with you. The first of this series is with Adam Ryan, Managing Director at Blackrock and the lead portfolio manager of the Euro Dynamic Diversified Growth Fund. These are the 11 questions I put to Adam: Read More
2016, we go again!
Well, we go again. Another year, new resolutions, new goals or perhaps for some a preference to just drift and lament what ‘they would do different, if they only had the time, or the money’. Whatever your current situation or perception of the world, only you can change it for the better.
As for the global economy and financial markets, the outlook is as it always is. Uncertain, highly uncertain. Of course, the challenges and the opportunity set might be slightly different from last year, but ultimately with human decision making at the heart of the economy and markets, we can expect a range of possible outcomes at a macro and micro level.
The annual ritual across the big Wall Street investment firms is to release their predictions for the year ahead, for example what the closing value of the S&P 500 Index will be at the end of 2016. The results from last year show that almost all firms were overly bullish with their predictions, as were their revised predictions as the year progressed. This is not to denigrate the research they provide, I am just not convinced by the value of such predictions. Read More
Reflecting on another year gone by
With another year drawing to a close, I found myself reading some quotes on reflection over the weekend, as I thought about how quickly the years seem to be passing. Turning 34 in a few weeks, on January 3rd for anyone who wants to buy me a present, might have something to do with it, but I think the end of the year is a great time to reflect on your life, to return to those standout memories and to challenge yourself to rise above the status quo and seek new challenges beyond the mundane of everyday life that consumes most people. Read More
Pensions: An Interview with The Examiner
Article appeared in The Examiner December 18th 2015
Rate hike this week from the US Federal Reserve
To raise or not to raise? That has been the question for a long time now for the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee. Year after year, meeting after meeting, the Fed have pushed out the timing for US rate hikes. Well, it appears that the wait may finally be over this week as it looks likely they will raise interest rates for the first time in nine years. Read More
Weekly Market Recap: W/E December 11th 2015
Market Recap
Global equity markets sold off sharply last week as investors were spooked by plunging commodity prices and events in the high yield bond market, made worse by the impending rate hike from the US Federal Reserve. Read More
Thoughts on Investment Manager Selection
Article appeared in the Sunday Business Post December 13th 2015
