In the fast-paced world of investment management, success is often measured by hard numbers — returns, mandates won, assets under management. But an obsessive focus on hitting targets can lead to goal-induced blindness, where professionals overlook the long-term consequences of their actions. An example of goal-induced blindness that is often cited in psychology literature is the deaths of climbers on Mt. Everest. From burnout to ethical missteps, the pursuit of short-term wins can come at a steep cost. Just as companies like Wells Fargo and Volkswagen suffered from prioritizing performance metrics over integrity, investment professionals risk making decisions that boost…
Author: user
The outlook of interest rates high for longer because of a lousy inflation report is vying with peace talks in two places, Ukraine and Gaza, for the top factor. We saw the euro and other currencies do a quick about-face yesterday when the peace talks grabbed headlines, reversing the dollar gains from the inflation report and corresponding yield rise. It’s rare for something geopolitical to trump serious economic and institutional inferences. The secret lies in the very concept of war. War changes everything. We saw it even before Bush II invaded Kuwait and before the US invasion of Iraq. It…
Members of the emergency services work at the scene where a car drove into a crowd in the southern German city of Munich on February 13, 2025 leaving several people injured, police said.Michaela Stache | Afp | Getty ImagesMUNICH — At least 28 people were injured Thursday when a car plowed into a crowd in what German authorities called a “suspected attack.”The incident came the day before a major security conference attended by world leaders was set to begin. Vice President JD Vance is among those due to address the conference.The U.S. Secret Service told NBC News: “There was no protective impact to…
Image source: Getty Images UK shares can be an excellent hunting ground for regular passive income. Many FTSE shares offer dividend yields over 4%. In fact, almost a third of FTSE 100 shares do. But dividends are only part of the equation. In addition, the underlying companies tend to grow over time. As an investor, building my pot is just as important as withdrawing regular income. But just how big pot am I talking about? Let’s break it down. Crunching the numbers The rule of thumb for withdrawing money suggests that investors can take out 4% of their portfolio balance…
Image source: Getty Images The UK stock market shows no signs of weakening as the FTSE 100 continues to climb higher, coming within a few percentage points of 9,000. Meanwhile, the pound has grown stronger against the dollar, rising 2% in the past month. Typically, a rallying stock market leads to falling yields as the two factors move inversely. However, many top-performing FTSE dividend stocks have maintained their high yields by increasing dividends. The insurance and property sectors are still two of the best places to look for high-yield UK shares. Stocks like Phoenix Group, M&G, and Taylor Wimpey all…
Image source: Getty Images Farewell Cash ISAs? Maybe not, but the idea of shelving these savings accounts is being talked about in the press. One reason is that thanks to the recent dismal UK growth projections, the government might need to drum up a bit of tax revenue and the sister of the Stocks and Shares ISA seems to have fallen squarely in the crosshairs. Personally, I’m not worried. That’s not because I don’t use a Cash ISA and not because I don’t think it’ll happen, but because I think there are much better places to grow a bit of…
The Coca-Cola HBC (LSE: CCH) share price was on the move today (13 February), surging 9.3% to an all-time high of 3,246p. This made it the top riser in the FTSE 100 by some distance. I’m relieved that I finally added this stock to my portfolio late last year. For months beforehand, I intended to invest but never got round to it. Why is the stock up today? For those unfamiliar, the company is one of the major bottlers for The Coca-Cola Company. Based in Switzerland, it produces, sells and distributes beverages like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Schweppes, Sprite, and Monster across 28…
Image source: Getty Images Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) has been increasing the dividend per share payment for the past few years, after cutting it completely during the pandemic. With the dividend yield currently at 4.54%, it’s already higher than the FTSE 100 average of 3.44%. Yet based on the dividend forecasts, there could be more income on the way. Details of the payments Typically, Lloyds pays two dividends a year. The first is declared as part of the annual results in February. The second is announced in July with the half-year earnings. Last year, the two payments amounted to 2.9p…
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk delivers remarks as he joins U.S. President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty ImagesDUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. government needs to “delete entire agencies” in a cost and efficiency drive, tech billionaire and Tesla co-founder Elon Musk said Thursday when asked about whether the changes he is implementing as part of the Donald Trump administration will last beyond the current president’s term.”I think we do need to delete entire agencies, as opposed to…
Image source: Getty Images The average Stocks and Shares ISA has delivered an excellent return over the last decade. According to Moneyfacts, it’s grown by 9.64% a year, on average. By contrast, the average Cash ISA returned just 1.21% a year. I was converted to the glories of equity investing yonks back. But it’s nice to be reminded from time to time. Let’s see what this means in practice. Say an investor had tucked £10,000 into the average Stocks and Shares ISA some 10 years ago. Today, they’d have £25,101, assuming all dividends were reinvested. By contrast, a Cash ISA would…