IC Insights

Investment Review Quarter 1 2018

Market Review The first two weeks of 2018 saw a continuation of steady growth within investment markets. Although many of these markets were trading near to or at all-time highs, economic data still appeared relatively supportive of further growth. However, history has taught us to be…

The Investment Committee

6th April, 2018

IC Insights

10 Years On…

When we launched our range of five model portfolios on 1st March 2008, we didn’t quite know it yet, but one of the deepest financial crises in modern history was ensuing. At the market open, the FTSE 100 index priced at 5,884 but markets were firmly in panic…

Ashley Brooks

9th March, 2018

IC Insights

Investment Review Quarter 4 2017

Market Review of Quarter Four A strong start, a flat middle and a buoyant finish – the three distinct phases that characterised investment markets in 2017. The main stock markets started the year on the front foot, led by Europe and Emerging Markets. The…

Ashley Brooks

12th January, 2018

IC Insights

Investment Review Quarter 3 2017

Market Review of Quarter Three The summer of 2017 may be remembered as a turning point in this economic cycle. After a decade of pumping money into developed economies, Central Banks look to have put that policy in their rear-view mirror, signalling that interest rate hikes…

Ashley Brooks

13th October, 2017

IC Insights

Investment Review Quarter 2 2017

Market Review of Quarter Two After a strong start to the year, global stock market momentum faltered through Q2. Without substance, initially the rally continued, however, economically things weren’t looking that good.  We’d had a series of poor data releases both in the UK…

Ashley Brooks

14th July, 2017

IC Insights

Dumbing down investments

The investment industry is terrible at making things simple. It likes to hide behind jargon and phraseology, aiming to confuse and amaze. It makes the people sound clever and what they do extremely difficult. However, it’s no coincidence that often the fund managers with the best performance records are…

Alex Chappell

16th June, 2017

DB News, IC Insights

Inside an IC meeting: A fly on the wall

Beginning my internship with DB Wood at the start of July was an exciting time to start my journey into the world of the financial services; Britain had just voted to leave the EU, a result very few had expected, America was running through their quadrennial…

Declan Gamble

5th August, 2016

IC Insights

Investment Review Quarter Two 2016

Market Review of Quarter 2: Our expectations for 2016 of low growth, low interest rates, lots of headwinds and regular bouts of volatility continued into quarter two. Speculation surrounding “Brexit” was the key theme in global markets and with equities rallying in the…

Ashley Brooks

14th July, 2016

IC Insights

Meeting Neil Woodford

Jeans and a smart shirt… that surprised me. I mostly expected a Georgio Armani suit and slick back hair, similar to Gordon Ghekko from the film “Wall Steet”. Of course, things have moved on and don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere wasn’t so relaxed that everyone…

Alex Chappell

12th May, 2016

Hot Topics

NS&I Index-linked Savings Certificate – Renew or Cash in?

Does anyone have a NS&I Index-linked Savings Certificate that is due to mature soon? It’s been a topic of conversation in a number of our client meetings recently, so we thought that it would be pertinent to help…

Technical Solutions

5th May, 2016