MoneyWeek

I have always believed that around 80% of statistics are nonsense. This has been quite a week for them. One that has spread through the financial media like a rash, despite sounding wildly unrealistic, is former Bank of England governor Mark Carney’s

The market’s search for a monetary “pivot” is proving as fruitful as “the hunt for Big Foot”, says Katie Martin in the Financial Times. Several times this year investors have seized on hints that an end to interest-rate hikes is at hand, only to be d

“October marked the first time gold has been down for seven months in a row since 1869,” says Jim Reid of Deutsche Bank. “That’s the joint longest losing streak in the 300 years we have data.” At $1,672 an ounce, gold has lost 7% in dollar terms this

“Emerging markets have become masters of their own destiny,” says Monish Tahilramani on Nikkei Asia. Global inflation and a strong dollar had been expected to tip these countries into crisis this year, but so far most have held up better than predict

The goal of the Paris Agreement was to limit global warming to around 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels. “Given the lasting impact of greenhouse gases already emitted, and the impossibility of stopping emissions overnight,” even as they continue to g

Walgreens swallows health firm: Village Practice Management, a unit of US drugstore giant Walgreens Boots Alliance that trades as VillageMD, has agreed to combine with Summit Health in a deal worth $8.9bn including debt, says Laura Cooper in The Wall

The question of irregular immigration has moved firmly to the centre of the UK’s political agenda due to a dramatic surge in the number of asylum-seekers and other migrants arriving in small boats from France. There were 1,843 such arrivals in 2019 –

quillette.com In 2021, concerns about climate change prompted the Biden administration to call for a carbon-emission-free power sector by 2035. Yet achieving that objective by transitioning from fossil fuels to “green energy” is not only “technical

Equities have had a torrid time over the last 12 months, with America’s S&P 500 index slumping by nearly a fifth and the FTSE All-Share falling by 7%. However, while all investors have suffered, those holding smaller companies have done particularly

In late 1974, long-term gilt yields peaked at 17%. In 2020, following a multi-decade bull market, they bottomed just below 1.4% (yields fall as prices rise). This wasn’t just a UK phenomenon: around the world, $18trn (that’s 12 noughts) of bonds, inc

Early 2021 saw the flotation of two trusts specialising in digital infrastructure, Digital 9 (LSE: DGI9) and Cordiant Digital Infrastructure (LSE: CORD). Both flotations were well received, raising £300m and £370m respectively, Since then D9 has issu

Some companies sell things you cannot do without – healthcare and cleaning items never seem to go out of fashion, for instance. With consumers dependent on these crucial products, the manufacturers should be practically recession-proof. However, the

Fraudsters are targeting pension savers with a massive barrage of scam attempts. A survey conducted by pension provider Scottish Widows found that 18% of men had been targeted at least once by scammers, though the figure was lower among women, at 7%.

Shares in the Thai group JKN – which was hitherto little known outside media circles – rocketed 25% in a day in October on news of a grand acquisition, says Reuters. Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip (also known as Anne JKN), the firm’s CEO and biggest shareho

Tahiti is a stunningly beautiful island in the middle of the South Seas. Its interior is dominated by verdant volcanoes rising up through the cloud, while humpback whales swim off its palm-fringed coastline. The food is unmistakably Polynesian and th

Millfields Cottage, Rowhook, West Sussex. A house with the top ranking in the government’s energy-efficiency ratings. It has air-source heat pumps, solar panels and a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system. The garage has a charging point f

The Inside Story of the Race to Vaccinate Britain Kate Bingham and Tim Hames Oneworld Publications, £18.99 B ritain’s rapid vaccination programme is generally acknowledged to have been the one bright spot in its otherwise dismal response to the Covi

Bridge by Andrew Robson I must say, I would have been tempted to lead the singleton Diamond on today’s deal from a European tournament. He has the Ace of Spades to win the first Trump, try to find an entry to his partner’s hand, then score a Diamond

We spent last week on the road, down US 95 to Florida, and back. We had business to attend to and the thought of getting on another aeroplane was just too depressing to face. Instead, the wheels under our Ford F-150 pickup rolled along nicely. The ca