Sterling takes fright from Conservatives’ shrinking election lead
Sterling has suffered its biggest fall since April after a poll suggested the Conservative party’s lead in the UK general election had diminished.
Sterling has suffered its biggest fall since April after a poll suggested the Conservative party’s lead in the UK general election had diminished.
The re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey partially resolves the country’s precarious political situation, said Jan Dehn, Head of Research at Ashmore.
Despite relatively subdued markets over the course of the year, Edinburgh Trust’s decision to retain Mark Barnett as portfolio manager has been vindicated by the strong performance produced during the year, trust chair Jim Pettigrew said.
Election uncertainty and pension reforms contributed to fund platforms enduring a lethargic first quarter, according to data released by Fundscape.
With the election done and dusted, predictably it is the banks that are the first under the spotlight. But should investors follow the Treasury’s example and use recent strength as an opportunity to sell down holdings.
The initial market reactions to the surprisingly strong victory for the Tories in what was touted as the closest election in a generation were positive, Sterling strengthened, markets rose and inboxes flooded with commentary.
Holders of short-duration gilts should be hoping a Conservative-led government emerges from the General Election, says Newton Investment Management’s Howard Cunningham.
However you vote today, it is the direction of sterling – more so than markets – that could cause investors most concern over the coming weeks.
UK company earnings continue to lag share price valuations, but investors in consumer discretionary can bridge the discrepancy, says JP Morgan Asset Management’s Guy Anderson.
Recent pre-election uncertainty is all about protection, says Smith & Williamson’s Mark Boucher, but consumer discretionary spending will carry on regardless.
We are now just three weeks from the general election in the United Kingdom so a significant window of opportunity could be closing, depending on your assessment of the situation.
The market may be incorrectly pricing the uncertainty resulting from the upcoming United Kingdom election, according to Nick French, head of UK Wealth Management at Russell Investments.