I have a Cunning Plan!
…..which was often a phrase emanating from the hapless crew of Blackadder! It may sound bizarre, but could Donald Trump and the Republican Administration actually have a ‘cunning tariff plan’?
Taking Stock
The Importance of Maintaining Balance: Part 2!
In April 2024, I wrote a Taking Stock called ‘Mind your Balance’ – a reference to the ‘skew’ towards the US in global equity portfolios.
Taking Stock
Raymond James, Richmond visits The Stoop: Harlequins 33 London Scottish 14
Following on from last September, London Scottish returned to The Stoop to face Harlequins in the 4th round of the Prem Cup.
Taking Stock
Raymond James, Richmond – Winter Wellness Fair
Last weekend, over 20 local small businesses around Sheen & Richmond attended the Winter Wellness Fair at the Hare & Hounds, East Sheen.Continue reading
Taking Stock
Raymond James, Richmond wishes all our clients a Merry Christmas!
Taking Stock
Did I hear that correctly?
With all the doom and gloom in the papers about the inheritance the Conservatives have left Labour, the Autumn Budget uncertainty, alarming national debt levels and a recent sharp drop in consumer confidence, you’d be forgiven for missing the fact that the British Pound, versus the US Dollar, is trading at its highest in two and a half years!
Taking Stock
Raymond James, Richmond cycles from London to Amsterdam!
Last weekend, I took part in a charity cycle ride from London to Amsterdam, to raise money for Thomson House School, based in South-West London.
Taking Stock
Raymond James, Richmond visits The Stoop: Harlequins 35 London Scottish 0
Last weekend, the London Scottish Championship team visited The Stoop, home of the great Harlequins Premiership Rugby team, in a pre-season friendly that was sure to provide a fantastic spectacle! Raymond James, Richmond was very fortunate, courtesy of Charles Stanley, to have secured a box for the match – and Raymond James, Richmond clients were treated to an afternoon of French rosé, pizza and snacks. We were visited in our box by Josh Bellamy and Ben Waghorn, both Senior Academy players at Harlequins, and who helped England to victory over France in the U20 World cup this summer – an amazing achievement and two very fine, articulate young gentlemen sure to go far in the game!Continue reading
Taking stock
Raymond James, Richmond visits the US!
For those who don’t know, my wife is American and each summer we and the kids spend time in North Carolina in the US, visiting family. Also, for those who don’t know, Raymond James is predominantly a US company, founded in 1962 and a public company listed in the US since 1983. UK operations only commenced in 2001.
Raymond James, Richmond comes to Thomson House School in East Sheen!
Part of our mission at Raymond James, Richmond is to make investing and finance accessible to all. We make sure we communicate with you in ways that go beyond general statements and bland marketing emails. That’s why we’re out in the local community, telling people how we can add value and assist clients with their finances and investments. On June 15th, we were at Thomson House School Summer Fair, in East Sheen, meeting parents and teachers alike, discussing the value of investing in clear, simple language.
Taking Stock
It’s all about Artificial Intelligence!!
Further evidence of the snowballing investor interest in Artificial Intelligence came from our recent Raymond James Forum, held on 17th & 18th June, where a series of investor seminars were held. The most popular one appeared to be put on by T. Rowe Price: Generative Artificial Intelligence: The most important innovation since electricity?
Taking Stock
The leading UK share index has just done something it has only done once before since 1984 – that is, 12 closing all-time highs in any rolling one-month period. The last time this happened was in January 2017.
‘Exuberance’ and ‘UK shares’ have rarely been mentioned in the same sentence for many years now. As the chart below shows, even with dividends reinvested, the MSCI United Kingdom index (black line) has significantly underperformed the US S&P 500 (red line) over the past ten years even with dividends reinvested!
Taking Stock
The Importance of Maintaining Balance!
Shares that make up a market index, such as the leading 100 share index in the UK, don’t all move together in unison on any given day. The headline index simply tells you at the end of the day what the average move of all the stocks were. But look under the hood, there are generally always stocks moving up or down in price.
Companies in an index are also different sizes – some are very large companies and others are small in comparison. However, very large stocks will have a big influence on the direction of an index. For example, according to MSCI, the top ten companies of the leading UK 100 share index account for just over 48%. This is a very high concentration – as the other 90 shares make up the rest. What happens to these ten companies is therefore vital to investors in this market.
Taking Stock
Are the Chinese and Hong Kong stock markets ‘investable’?
Recently, there have been a number of articles from various sources, all with the same message – avoid Chinese and Hong Kong equities. These articles have cited that valuations of equities in these regions are ‘very low’ but there is no investor appetite to invest in these and therefore there is no certainty of stock market recoveries.
Continue reading
Taking Stock
Welcome to Raymond James Richmond!
Raymond James Richmond opened its doors for business on 1st October 2023, offering bespoke portfolio investment management services and a very personal relationship to local residents and beyond. Our clients are placed at the heart of everything Raymond James, Richmond does.Continue reading