PinnedCould China use Cryptocurrency as a Financial Weapon?Investment management consultant MATTHEW FEARGRIEVE considers the potential for the Chinese Communist Party to deploy Bitcoin and digital currency as a destabilizing force against the US - and the rest of the world. Just as Bitcoin was hovering around US$56,000 over 6–8 April, before climbing back to over US$64,000 a…Bitcoin12 min readBitcoin12 min read
Apr 23, 2021Coinbase and the Betrayal of CryptocurrencyInvestment management consultant MATTHEW FEARGRIEVE discovers how the world’s biggest Bitcoin exchange courted Wall Street money and betrayed the principles of cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been offered to the public through a direct listing on the US tech index Nasdaq with a valuation of US$76bn (US$99bn including options and…Coinbase7 min readCoinbase7 min read
Apr 5, 2021Can UK House Prices Defy Pandemic Economic Reality?Investment management consultant MATTHEW FEARGRIEVE considers whether the miracle rise in UK house prices during the COVID-19 pandemic is truly sustainable following the withdrawal of the furlough schemes and the stamp duty relief. The estate agent hype is as shameless as the price rises are astounding. Property prices are up…Property Market7 min readProperty Market7 min read
Mar 19, 2021Why Bond Yields will Climb FurtherInvestment management consultant MATTHEW FEARGRIEVE explains why yields on government bonds are set to rise further, despite the Fed’s renewed commitment this week to buying US Treasury bonds. No surprises at this week’s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). The Fed is committed to doing — or, at…Bonds5 min readBonds5 min read
Mar 18, 2021Rising Bond Yields versus Your Investments: a Survival GuideInvestment management consultant MATTHEW FEARGRIEVE explains the market dynamics pushing bond yields higher, and suggests some protective measures for your investment portfolio. At its meeting on 17 March, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) confirmed that interest rates in the US would remain at zero. There was no surprise here…Inflation9 min readInflation9 min read
Mar 15, 2021Member-onlyBlockchain Technology in the Meat IndustryMATTHEW FEARGRIEVE examines how the meat industry is applying blockchain technology to the processing of livestock in a way that is being welcomed by animal welfare groups, consumers and investors alike. We have been eating animals for thousands of years. Throughout the post-war era, industrialisation and higher disposable incomes in…Blockchain6 min readBlockchain6 min read
Jul 3, 2020CoronaMarkets: Is it time to buy European Equities and Corporate Bonds?MATTHEW FEARGRIEVE explains why the S&P 500 and the STOXX 600 right now make this a good time to invest in European equities and corporate bonds. July 2020 European stock markets are seeing inflows as the coronavirus tightens its grip on the US and the country’s economic woes continue to…Stock Markets News6 min readStock Markets News6 min read
Apr 30, 2020CORONAVIRUS: WHY AFRICA MUST PREPARE FOR THE WORSTMATTHEW FEARGRIEVE explains why the World Health Organization says Africa must prepare for the worst of COVID19. And why the continent is not prepared for what is coming. AS AT 12 MAY 2020 there are around 68,000 known cases of COVID19 in Africa, and 2,340 reported deaths (source: African Arguments)…Africa8 min readAfrica8 min read
Apr 16, 2020UCITS and Hedge Funds: Not a Match Made in HeavenAs a new report by Eurekahedge reveals further contraction in the European hedge fund industry, MATTHEW FEARGRIEVE explains the failure of Alternative UCITS as a vehicle for truly “alternative” strategies, and why managers in Europe are increasingly looking to the Cayman Islands as a hedge fund domicile. The financial crisis…Hedge Funds8 min readHedge Funds8 min read
Apr 11, 2020Member-onlyCoronavirus Crisis: How your Pension Provider should be communicating with youMATTHEW FEARGRIEVE explains five ways in which your pension provider- and your financial adviser- should be communicating with you during the coronavirus lockdown. In these days of lockdown and self-isolation, pension providers and financial advisers, like all businesses, have to work harder at reaching out to their clients. Especially when…Pensions4 min readPensions4 min read
