A Different Perspective
Asking the Right Questions
Reflecting on Life Lessons from Chris Hadfield
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth – Life Lessons from Space, by Chris Hadfield
Chris Hadfield is a retired astronaut, the first Canadian to walk in space. If you have never heard of Chris, check out his version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” recorded on the International Space Station. Classic! Without doubt, one of his greatest achievements has been to make space and its many wonders more accessible to us all. Read More
Everlasting Monetary Policy and Rising Equity Markets
The major US equity indices closed at new record highs on Friday, with the S&P 500 rising 1.75% over the week. The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite breached the dotcom bubble peak reached in 2000. Read More
Retirement Planning: Looking to the Future
In the film “Back to the Future”, Marty McFly transported from 1985 to the year 2015 in the Doc’s DeLorean time machine. The fact that they had flying cars in the future shows how far away 2015 seemed to those in 1985. Now while it is a disappointment that we don’t have flying cars in 2015, it does get me thinking about retirement planning and how people, including myself, tend to underappreciate how close the future actually is. Read More
Weekly Market Recap: April 20th 2015
Market Recap
After stellar performance the previous week, most of the major global equity indices closed in the red last week. European equities were hardest hit with the German DAX index falling 5.54%. There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy to explain the decline, other than financial market participants waking up to the Greek crisis. Read More
The Failure of Committees
The deflationary spiral in Europe has been eclipsed by that on Merseyside, as hopes of Champions league football and an FA Cup final have ended with a whimper. There are few positives to take in terms of assessing the outlook for a squad that looks bereft of what Alex Ferguson might call “top top” talent. Read More
Weekly Market Recap: April 13th 2015
Market Recap
Global equity markets surged higher last week, as we were reminded once again that nothing really matters other than the actions of those benevolent central banks. The weaker than expected US jobs report the previous Friday provided the initial springboard for equities, pushing out expectations on the timing of rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve. Further support for this view was provided on Wednesday when the release of the minutes from the Fed’s most recent monetary meeting showed that committee members are still torn on when rates should rise. Read More
Has the world gone mad, or is it me?
These words from Ben Howard, the immensely talented singer-songwriter, ring in my head when I think about how much financial markets have been conditioned to respond to monetary stimulus. While central banks have engineered risk free rates on cash to zero (or negative in some cases), driving investors into risk assets, most spectacular of all has been their pervasive influence in the global bond markets. Read More
Paying for Negative Externalities
It is not every day you come across an article entitled “Warren Buffett is Everything That’s Wrong With America”. It is a thought provoking piece that I would highly recommend you read, forcing you to think more philosophically about the mass produced, advertising driven consumer society we live in. Read More
Loyalty is subjective, but definitely in short supply in football
Like valuation in financial markets, loyalty is also subjective. There are those who believe they prescribe to the ideal of loyalty, only to be found wanting when their character is tested. It is something that is at the heart of all relationships, but of course each party may have a different view on how far it stretches. Read More
Weekly Market Recap: April 6th 2015
Market Recap
Global equity markets edged slightly higher despite mixed economic data, in what was a shortened trading week as US and European equity markets were closed for Good Friday. In Europe, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 closed up 0.6% while in the US, the S&P 500 finished 0.35% higher. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index finished up 0.63% despite weak PMI data. The week may have turned negative if the markets had been open Friday, with US futures dropping sharply following the weak US jobs report. Read More
