Insights

Market Update
Weekly Market Update

Notable events over the last week In another week categorised by considerable market volatility, the European Central Bank chief, Mario Draghi provided some reassurance to financial markets by hinting at the possibility of further monetary stimulus at its March meeting. Draghi suggested that the downside risks have increased amid emerging market uncertainty while euro-area inflation…

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Market Update
Treasury reveals how new stamp duty rules will work

  Property people have a short and sharp four week window to make their views known to the government about a new stamp duty surcharge on homes for investment. Chancellor George Osborne announced the 3% stamp duty charge in his Autumn Statement 2015. The consultation fleshes out the sparse detail of his proposal to raise…

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Financial PlanningFund Management
Plan Your Retirement: 10% Expect To Fund Retirement With An Inheritance

  Spend now and hope someone will leave you an inheritance to fund retirement seems to be the pension plan for one in 10 people. Rather than make an effort to put money aside in a pension, they are spending their savings and hoping to rely on someone else to make up the shortfall in…

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Market Update
Lower oil prices

  Oil prices remained under pressure during the quarter, hitting lows not seen since the Global Financial Crisis. At the end of 2015, prices had fallen by around 70% since mid 2014 (Figure 1).   Figure 1: Oil prices have declined significantly over the past couple of years. (Source: Thomson Reuters Datastream)   Both technological…

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Market Update
Weekly Market Update

Notable events over the last week China dominated headlines again as its main stock market benchmark, the Shanghai Composite, entered a bear market on Friday. The index has fallen more than 20% from its December 2015 high, and therefore by definition moves into bear market territory. From its June peak, the index has fallen nearly…

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Market Update
Europe Q4 2015 Overview

  In Europe it was also an eventful quarter. The region’s equity and short-dated government bond markets generally made early gains amid speculation that the ECB would implement further stimulus measures. However, these were momentarily tempered in November following the tragic events in Paris, the longer-term effects of which are likely to include increased government…

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