7 May 2020
anemptytextlline
Folded paper is weirdly like the coronavirus. Once you understand that, then you understand the mathematics behind the coronavirus.
Sort By Date
-
-
20 April 2020anemptytextllineTesla is an amazing company. Far from letting the coronavirus slow it down, it plans to accelerate using new battery technology. The coronavirus has given us a vision or what polution free cities might look like. So let's hope Elon Musk suceeds. -
7 April 2020anemptytextllineThe previously unthinkable has become the norm with the Coronavirus. Crime, guns, pollution and social habits have all been affected. -
9 March 2020anemptytextllineFear of the Coronavirus has gone pandemic. Soup, disinfectant and video games are being bought in vast quantities as people prepare to self-quarantine themselves from the Coronavirus. Yet, where there’s fear, there’s money to be made and some companies are expected to benefit. -
21 February 2020anemptytextllineTesla’s battery technology is light years ahead of the competition, which is why it has such a strong command of the global electric-vehicle market. So, you can imagine my surprise when I read this morning that Tesla plans to manufacture shorter range versions of its Model 3 in China. -
20 February 2020anemptytextllineThe deadly coronavirus has lit up the internet. Twitter, Facebook and even LinkedIn are overflowing with stories, news and statistics. But like a game of Chinese whispers, myths, rumours and misinformation are spreading. Here are five coronavirus rumours that need to be challenged -
13 February 2020anemptytextllineWe are starting the decade with high stock market valuations, record levels of debt and growing geopolitical instability. For investors, this is not the time to be complacent. They need to be more active. -
6 February 2020anemptytextllineHe smokes weed during public appearances. He has argued that humans most likely exist in a video game. He even blasted a Tesla Roadster into space on a massive rocket because… well... we don't really know why. Forget Elonmusk. Is Tesla overvalued? -
23 January 2020anemptytextllineStories of courage and bravery are sometimes overshadowed by rising anger, hate and finger pointing. This is not productive. It won't stop climate change. We’ve seen far too much of this at Davos this week. -
27 November 2019anemptytextllineA lack of likes, comments, or even negative comments are actually really useful. They give you a benchmark to beat. So, you need to suck in your pride and take the punishment. Here are 5 tips I can offer on making content for LinkedIn. -
20 November 2019anemptytextllineThere has been tongue-twisted confusion on what sustainable investing means ever since the emergence of ESG. Does it really need to be demystified or is there a better way of explaining it that even a twelve year old can understand? -
30 October 2019anemptytextllineThe problem asset managers face is seeing new threats emerge. This is especially true if these threats come from outside their traditional set of competitors. We are however, on the verge of an asset management revolution as we enter the digital age. These outside competitors are now threatening to disrupt the market. -
2 September 2019anemptytextllineThe smartphone is going to disrupt the asset management industry in a big way. The #fintechs and mega-tech companies like Google and Amazon see this coming. If the traditional asset management industry doesn’t adapt, these potential new entrant to the market will. -
10 June 2019anemptytextllineThe asset management industry will change profoundly in the decades to follow. There’s going to be huge disruption with new entrants coming into the market. This is why I joined the asset management industry. -
29 May 2019anemptytextllineFamily offices don't need to get wealthier. Yet though many are conservative, they can also be quite unconventional. Not all are necessary closed to the idea of non-traditional investments. Often this is because of their own personal experience and their entrepreneurial spirit that has allowed them to develop their wealth in the first place. -
13 May 2019anemptytextllineOn the package is says no soy, no gluten and 20 grams of protein per patty. But beef burgers are also soy-free, gluten-free and have lots of protein. So should I eat it? -
6 May 2019anemptytextllineLook, it's not about me! It not about my smartphone. 5G is a game-changing #technology that will benefit the whole of mankind. It will make industrial #automation and self-driving electric vehicles a reality. Let me explain... -
1 May 2019anemptytextllineNow the truth is that people like cute kitties more than me. But hey, let’s work with this. How’s this for a LinkedIn post? -
3 April 2019anemptytextllineThere's been more focus on generating renewable energy than storing it. If we can't store it, however, renewable energy will never be a sustainable or reliable source of energy and we will keep using fossil fuels. In this article I explore why better battery technology is needed. -
12 March 2019anemptytextllineCome on we're all guilty. Even me. Everything here has been ripped out of a stack of PowerPoint decks on my desk. -
19 February 2019anemptytextllineThere has been an unofficial and stealthy arms race between the US and Russia, which hasn’t really been covered by the media. There’s also been a huge degree of double standards by both countries. Should investors worry about nuclear war? Or climate change? Or any other apocalyptic event? -
5 December 2018anemptytextllineI’m not a climate change rejector. It’s happening and we only have ourselves to blame. However, the assumptions we make on how quickly the global economy can ween itself off oil are unrealistic. Our whole economic infrastructure is reliant on oil. Here is why the recent fall in oil prices doesn't matter. -
22 November 2018anemptytextllineWords are powerful. It’s the reason why yogurt is 95% fat free and not 5% fat. That’s why you should think twice before you act! -
18 September 2018anemptytextllineTesla has shown the market that to make it work, it’s more than just going all-electric. It’s about looking cool as you do it as you do 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. It’s also about being inspiring and throwing the rule book out the window, even if it’s your own, like smoking a joint on live radio (against Tesla's corporate policy).
-
20 August 2018anemptytextllineThere is a common view that these well-established large tech firms will prove enduring for years to come. That may well be true as the internet evolves from a high-growth sector into a utility-like service. But the information age has this annoying habit of disrupting the norm. -
18 June 2018anemptytextllineThe book market can be brutal, crushing the dreams of aspiring authors. But what lessons can it offer investors? I’m going to have a brief look. -
18 May 2018anemptytextllineI don’t doubt for a moment that a CEO’s job is tough. It takes a very special individual with a specific skillset to do the job well. They must take risks and every transaction they make is scrutinised. But does their pay package reflect their leadership ability? -
2 May 2018anemptytextllineTwo unassuming young Dutchmen managed to fool some of the biggest food experts in the Benelux region. They turned some burgers from McDonald's into a range of healthy organic foods. Should we accept ethical investing at face value or should we challenge it? -
11 April 2018anemptytextllineHistorically, the younger generation has always been more optimistic than the older proportion of the population. But for the first time ever, consumer sentiment is now much stronger among those over 55 than those under 35. Why are are millennial so depressed? -
21 March 2018anemptytextllineAt his height in early 2012, he was worth US$32 billion and ranked as the seventh richest man in the world. But by July 2013 his wealth had plummeted to US$200 million. And by 2014, Bloomberg reported that he had a negative net worth. -
6 March 2018anemptytextllinePerhaps the rise of robo-advisors might put some elements of the investment management industry out of business. However, it could also create new areas and provide a better and more reliable service for investors. -
19 February 2018anemptytextllineInflation is now becoming a hot topic once more. But few people, apart from our older generation, have ever experienced high inflation. In an era of digitalisation and cryptocurrencies, is inflation still relevant? -
6 February 2018anemptytextllineMy job is to help companies in this industry communicate better. I am an investment writer. However, at times this task can be excruciatingly painful because we can be so out of touch with our investors. We make what we do sound so complicated and boring. But I have hope that we can make things better.
-
23 January 2018anemptytextllineThere are bloggers, journalists and professional investors writing about markets everyday. The problem is that not all of what is written is market friendly. -
15 January 2018anemptytextllineI'm also tired of vilifying central bankers for every fear I have about capital markets. There is more to it than QE-policy distortion. So I'm going to look at what else might be at work and I will avoid trying to call the popping of a bubble this year. That's my new year resolution.
-
20 December 2017anemptytextllineThe truth is that the old boys are just not good for business. Their set-up delivers them comfortable salaries for sub-optimal result. Let's shake things up and add a bit more diversity to corporate management – more women perhaps.
-
11 December 2017anemptytextllineDemonetisation was a bold move, but it failed in its objectives. It's also questionable whether it helps speed up India's journey towards a cashless society. What's more interesting is if widespread usage of a crypto-currency emerges. But it could mean that black money and terror funding will still continue in India.
-
4 December 2017anemptytextllineThe application of blockchain technology feels almost limitless, yet it's so misunderstood by many. This is a vast and complex subject, but one that could be very important in the way we live our lives in the future. -
21 November 2017anemptytextllineThis is an issue that could prove extremely divisive in the coming decades. While a lot of focus has been placed on the benefit of a fourth industrial revolution – where automation takes part in – the social costs have not really been thought through or planned for. -
17 November 2017anemptytextllineIn this new information age there is a new battlefront, and it's not the South China Sea. Who controls the flow and creation of data is arguably more of a geopolitical game-changer than China's assertion over the mineral rights in these troubled waters.
-
17 November 2017anemptytextllineTechnological advances in a competitive environment have the effect of lowering marginal costs. Music has for instance become almost free with streamable services. Data storage has also become cheaper in the new information age. So will the current crop of tech companies evolve into low margin utilities, just like the high-growth electricity industry before it?
-
14 November 2017anemptytextllineThe whole thing is made of glass. I will probably smash that lovely screen that costs $279 to fix. I also don't want to pay a thousand bucks to look like an animated animal. Nor do I want the phone fire a billion lasers at my face just so I can open it. Find out why I didn't buy the iPhone X. -
25 October 2017anemptytextllineWe are told that the value of these tech stocks has risen because they are far more important to us now than they were before. The truth is that they've altered the shape of the S&P 500 in an almost unrecognisable way.
-
13 September 2017anemptytextllineGDP alone is a crude measure of economic prowess. It needs to be combined with other measures. I think the US will continue to enjoy it's position as a global superpower for quite some time into the future. -
2 September 2017anemptytextllineSo what is the best forward-looking way to protect yourself against the next correction? I strongly believe you need try to understand the company’s fundamentals. This is tricky if you're invested in an index. But if you don't, you're not really taking market risk seriously. -
24 August 2017anemptytextllineEverybody appreciates that good leadership is important. When it exists, it can be felt throughout an organisation and corporate culture is developed rather than forced. Companies with good leadership are ultimately good for investment returns.
-
31 July 2017anemptytextllineI don't think capitalism will end any time soon. And there have been many alternative models that have fail, like communism. But following the the Financial Crisis, surely we should think more carefully about the system we follow, where there are still banks "to big to fail".
-
11 July 2017anemptytextllineMost governments dislike cash because it's difficult to tax. It also removes the degree of control they have on their citizen because they can't easily trace where money is deposited or spent. It can help sustain unregulated black market economies and aid criminal activities. However, eliminating cash could also be a challenge to your own civil liberties. -
28 June 2017anemptytextllineFurthermore, it remains a powerful and extremely dynamic G7 economy, whose path matters hugely to investors, trading partners and allies. Its capital city, London, remains a global financial centre and provides vital financial infrastructure and services for the whole of Europe. So do we really need to worry about Britain's future? -
6 June 2017anemptytextllineBrazil's market is at least now pricing in the cost of corruption more fully with these recent scandals. The political status quo has also been challenged, which means there is a risk-premium to be earned if you're patient. In other words, the country still offer fantastic investment opportunities, perhaps even more so than before.
-
16 May 2017anemptytextllineFive minutes later, a gust of wind blew my new hat off my head as I cycled home. It flew into a river and I watched it float away in despair. There are no black swans in India, but it look like there was on that river that day. -
3 May 2017anemptytextllineThere are many way to look at risk and you can construct an index in a very active way. Ultimately, investors need to pick the best route that gets them where they want to go, and that depends on how long the journey is, and how much they want to see along the way.
-
19 April 2017anemptytextllineI'm not very good at mentally calculating risk. No one is. It's human nature. In this consumption-led information age, evolution hasn't been quick enough to allow humans to think like this. -
2 April 2017anemptytextllineMany of us are not saving enough for retirement. More worryingly, the poorer you are the less likely you are to even save at all. Most governments in the developed world offer extremely attractive incentives to save for retirement. But these don't go far enough. -
23 March 2017anemptytextllineFor those who fell yesterday, let perpetual light shine upon you and may you rest in peace. We will stand right back up for you. Not with a sense of grief or hate, but the collective calm defiance that has always made our nation great. -
13 March 2017anemptytextllineI don't know whether my daughter will have a better work life balance or live in a fairer and cleaner society, or even be made redundant thanks to a robot. However, anything is possible because the future is unpredictable.
-
27 February 2017anemptytextllineI don't tend to write about India because it's quite emotional for me and I have a deep love for the country. It's been through an awful lot since its independence, but I'm hopeful one day it will emerge as a great world superpower. -
20 February 2017anemptytextllineIt’s fair to say that chilling beer is a very important part of Brazilian culture. And, they find anyone who doesn't do it, bizarre. I myself have been asked on numerous occasions, "why people in England drink their beer warm?"
-
14 February 2017anemptytextllineEach mouthful was an explosion of flavours. It was overwhelmingly tender and succulent and married amazingly well with the wine. I savoured every second, hoping the moment would never end. -
2 February 2017anemptytextllineI discovered that if you were to buy the same phone in cash from the Apple Store in Brazil (a matt-black iPhone 7 with 32GB of storage), it would cost you R$ 3,499 (US$ 1,120). That same handset, assembled in China, costs US$ 649 in the US. -
23 January 2017anemptytextllineMy journey through university was completely unpredictable and so was the start of my career. I'm putting a little aside every month now for both my kids. I hope one day they will have the same rich experiences I had at start of my working life.
-
11 January 2017anemptytextllineA cool summer breeze left a refreshing chill in the air that evening in Bath. The bars had emptied and stacks of cardboard boxes lay neatly piled up outside the shop-fronts along the high street.
-
19 December 2016anemptytextllineThe Great War had raged for almost five months, savagely consuming the lives of nearly one million young men. But on Christmas Eve 1914, the guns fell silent. Then across the stillness of no man’s land, the soft soothing melody of Stille Nacht drifted across from the German trenches. -
6 December 2016anemptytextllineIt was June 2010 when the fire occurred. Despite what happened, I recovered very quickly. It's strange, but losing everything felt weirdly liberating.
-
22 November 2016anemptytextllineDuring my student days I worked for an optician selling frames. I learnt early on to never ask, "Can I help you?" These words were poisonous. They looked at you with this incredulous twinge of dread in their eyes that said, "Please leave me alone".
-
9 November 2016anemptytextllineI'm pretty interested in social media and found this election campaign very different from past ones. You can love him or hate, but you have to admit the way he won is fascinating, if not a little frightening. -
25 October 2016anemptytextllineOn the last day on my father-in-law's farm, my wife and I gazed across the valley below and the lush forest in the surrounding hills. I asked her what she thought about investing in Brazil. She said, "You don't just invest in Brazil. You invest with its people, in its heritage and its possible future". -
12 October 2016anemptytextllineWe are big fans of bio-food in our household. My wife swears by it and I have to admit there are certain products I like, such as eggs, milk and yogurt. However, you need to read the label. It might be organic, but it might also be bad for you.
-
29 September 2016anemptytextllineI had lost my wallet. I lose it on a regular basis at home, usually just before I’m about to leave the house, but this time was different – I lost it while I was out. I searched all my pockets, went back to my brand-new car and scanned the pavement outside to see if I had dropped it.
-
31 August 2016anemptytextlline“Rule Britannia, Britannia waives the rules, Britons will never, never, never be taken for fools”. Or...
-
7 July 2016anemptytextllineIt’s based on greed, selfishness and the exploitation of workers in the pursuit of maximising profit. It promotes short-term wealth creation and extraordinary levels of compensation for some bankers and CEOs. It capitalises on what are not the essential needs of human beings, turning us into wasteful mass consumers. Capitalism has become despised! -
26 June 2016anemptytextllineWe have fought many battles together in our nation's history. We have suffered, but always prevailed stronger. It's important that we show the world how united we are. This is the true British spirit.
-
13 June 2016anemptytextllineYou’re walking in the street with a suitcase filled with $100,000. And, before you ask, you're not a member of the Italian mafia, a drug baron or a corrupt foreign government official from a collapsed state. You're just you.
-
1 June 2016anemptytextllineI am well aware of some of the industry's weaknesses. However, what I wanted to share with you is what inspired me to act. This is what has motivated me on my journey, five asset management firms later.
-
22 May 2016anemptytextllineI agree that your gut is not always very trustworthy. However, this is not a story about trusting your gut. It's about learning to listen to it from time-to-time when it is right.
-
5 February 2016anemptytextllineI couldn’t help but notice that everything felt just a little bit worn. The latch for the tray table for some reason was really loose. The cover for the inflight magazine was torn and someone had evidently taken the trouble to make a few artistic doodles inside.
-
16 September 2015anemptytextllineI actually shook the tour guide's hand and thanked him when I left the boat. I had some good reasons to. Firstly, it inspired me to write this article. And secondly, apart from this annoying bus issue, he was a good host.