AstraZeneca: Per Ardua ad Astra?

Hello there,

Today's idea is a single stock idea in the Healthcare space, the UK-based pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. 

Recent years have seen Astra experience more than its fair share of problems (loss of patents for key drugs, difficulty in developing new drugs), but now there are several signs that finally matters may be improving for the company.,

Please click on the web link below to read the full story...

Astrazeneca-why-it-should-defy-the-bears-and-perform-in-the-long-term/

As always, I am interested in any comments you may have, so please don't hesitate!

Happy reading and bon weekend,

Edmund

Investment Theme: Can Retail Investors Fuel A Further Stock Market Rise?

US retail investors have been favouring stocks over bonds for the last few months, with UK investors similarly bullish on stocks. Continental Europe is a different story, however, with investors there much more cautious and only switching out of cash into bonds. 

But given the trends of the last few years, this rotation out of bonds into stocks could go a lot further yet...

Please click on the link below to read the full article:

Investment Theme: Can Retail Investors Fuel A Further Stock Market Rise?

Key conclusions: Favour the European and Japanese stock markets!

Edmund

BCS Asset Management Global Strategy Weekly 12 Dec 2013: Fund Flows

Investing for the Santa Claus Rally

In the article below, I considers ways to benefit from the festive statistical effect known as the Santa Claus rally. 

Some of you may well have already heard of seasonal effects in the stock markets such as the Halloween effect – that the strongest performance of stocks tends to occur between the beginning of November and the end of April each year. This also gives rise to the well-worn stock market adage: “Sell in May and go away.”

Well, we can be even more specific than that! The best stock market performance of the year, as judged by discrete four-week periods, tends to occur statistically over the last two weeks of December and the first two weeks of the New Year – the so-called “Santa Claus rally”.

Please click on the link below to see the full article with charts on the Mindful Money website:

Investing for the Santa Claus rally

Best wishes for the festive season,

Edmund

Riding the UK Property Rollercoaster

At the risk of seeming a little hyperactive (for an "Idle Investor"), please find below a web link to my latest "Expert Opinion" article on the Mindful Money finance website, on the subject of potential ways to invest in the rising UK property market, without going as far as buying physical bricks and mortar!

Riding the Property Rollercoaster

Please click through to the article, as then I start to build up traffic to my column (hopefully, points win prizes in the end!). As always, your patronage of my column on this website would be much appreciated, as it is a new, exciting venture for me and allows me hopefully a broader platform for disseminating my investment ideas.

PS you can also sign up for a free daily email from the website with their latest feature articles on investing and personal finance:


Mindful Money free newsletter


Thanks a lot for your help,Edmund

Weekly Global Strategy Screencast: Where are the Financial Markets Headed?

Where are the Financial Markets Headed?December 2013 

This week, I have recorded a screencast of my monthly presentation looking at where my essential financial market indicators are pointed (stock markets, credit markets, financial risk, fund flows etc.). 

Please click on the Youtube link below to watch my 4:30 minute slide presentation with audio commentary (best viewed in fullscreen mode):

Where are the Financial Markets Headed? Dec 2013

Alternatively, you can click on the video below if you don't mind watching the video in a smaller window:

Punchline: Most of my indicators remain positive for risk markets including stock markets for this month.

Happy watching!

Edmund

Buying into the UK's Industrial Renaissance

New "Expert View" Column on Mindfulmoney.co.uk

I wanted to introduce my new column on the finance website mindfulmoney.co.uk, with whom I have started to work.

Buying into the UK's Industrial Renaissance

My first article on the site focuses on why you should look at investing in stocks that are exposed to the UK's industrial renaissance, part of the UK's surprisingly strong economic growth pattern (beating all other major European countries in the process). 


I would ask you to support me in my humble endeavours by clicking on the link below in order to read the article:

Buying into the UK's Industrial Renaissance

Many thanks for your support, all (constructive) comments welcome as always, happy reading!

Edmund