Prices and Markets

Aberdeen Emerging Markets – The stars may be aligning Year to date, Aberdeen Emerging Markets (AEMC) has been performing well, outstripping both its benchmark and the average of competing funds by some margin (see page 9). The members of the investment management team, who predicted a resurgence in AEMC’s performance in 2019, believe there is more to come over the remainder of the year. They highlight that, globally, investors still have an underweight exposure to emerging markets. In addition, the recent interest rate cut in the...

Over July, we published notes on CQS New City High Yield, BlackRock Throgmorton, Strategic Equity Capital, Seneca Global Income & Growth, CG Asset Management, Standard Life Investments Property Incomeand Aberdeen New Dawn. You can read all these notes by clicking on the links above or by visiting www.quoteddata.com. In this issue Performance data – appetite for risk was generally present through July, with US stocks and the dollar performing well; Tech companies largely had good months. The downward move in sterling to near post-referendum lows and a decline...

A collation of recent insights on markets and economies taken from the comments made by chairmen and investment managers of investment companies – have a read and make your own minds up. Please remember that nothing in this note is designed to encourage you to buy or sell any of the companies mentioned.... Read more Roundup It was another good month for US assets, led by the dollar and equities. Sterling ended the month near post-referendum lows as the prospect...

Menu Group has noticed high potential in the Ukrainian market due to its growth rate of 20-25% a year.

Ian “Franco” Francis, the manager of CQS New City High Yield (NCYF), says that, since QuotedData last published nothing much has changed, which is what we think investors should expect from this “conservative and boring” fund (see QuotedData’s March 2018 initiation note for explanation)... Read more However, we note that NCYF offers a compelling yield (7.3%) and has beaten inflation as measured by the consumer price index, Libor and the MSCI UK Index by significant margins over the last 10...

Since QuotedData last published on BlackRock Throgmorton Trust (THRG), it has continued to beat both its benchmark and the average of its peer group by some margin. In a period where the market has been rising, the short book managed to break even, whilst the long book outperformed (see pages 6 and 7 for explanation of Dan’s shorting strategy).... Read more Many investors are wary of the UK, looking nervously at Brexit and the possible impact of a wider global...

Jeff Harris and Adam Khanbhai have been managing Strategic Equity Capital’s (SEC’s) portfolio jointly since February 2017. Since this time, NAV growth has been solid (a total return of 14.3%, which is broadly in line with the MSCI UK Small Cap Index’s return of 14.1%) but SEC has strongly outperformed during the last year, returning 2.3%, while the index fell 5.8%. Despite this, SEC’s discount to NAV has remained stubbornly wide.... read more The managers continue to follow their all-weather investment process, maintaining a concentrated portfolio of companies that...

Seneca Global Income & Growth Trust’s (SIGT’s) manager, Seneca Investment Managers (Seneca IM), has continued to reduce SIGT’s equity weighting, in advance of a global recession it now expects in late 2020/ early 2021. Consistent with its view, SIGT has made its first allocation into gold (through a gold exchange traded fund (ETF) and a fund of gold mining companies)... Read more SIGT’s managers expect the new gold allocation to provide a hedge against the inflationary monetary stimulus that central...

Global equities re-found momentum in June after a cautious April and May. How much longer this ten-year bull market can sustain itself continues to be the subject of much debate. The prospect of interest rate cuts in the US has re-invigorated sentiment for the time being, though several headwinds, including the US/China trade war and worsening relations between the US and Iran, lurk in the background.... Read more Over the quarter, we published notes on Henderson Diversified Income, Ecofin Global...