The most effective weapon in the war on terror – identity papers!

Yes folks, we live in the most heavily surveillanced times ever. Not only are our communications increasingly monitored, but almost every aspect of our lives from our movements, our associations and now with ‘smart phones’ and internet TV, the ability to snoop even on our private conversations.  So when you unwrap that new gizmo, such […]

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Bollore parks tanks on Berlusconi’s lawn

Embroiled in litigation and a war of words over Mediaset Premium, Bollore’s has parked his proverbial tank on Berlusconi’s lawn by announcing a 2o% stake in Mediaset on the 14th December (http://www.vivendi.com/en/press/press-releases/vivendi-reached-the-20-threshold-of-mediaset/) and if he didn’t get the message, a further announcement yesterday (19th December) of his intention to take Vivendi’s stake up to 30% […]

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Gold & Gold miners – when to buy and how to value

The gold price might be troublesome to predict, but at least the relationship between this and the share price of gold miners such as Barrick are proving to be more reliable.  Back in July when I initiated coverage, I suggested markets were applying what seemed to be a ridiculously simple valuation methodology.  Forget IRR with […]

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Fed rate rise – Cui Bono?

After raising its Federal funds target range to 0.25-0.5% in December 2015, Yellen has waited exactly a year and now edged up rates a further +25bps as the target range is raised to 0.5-0.75%, while also signalling that these could rise to around 1.4% by the end of 2017, thereby suggesting three further +25bps increases […]

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Sky bid – keeping the narrative bogged down with the media plurality red herring

Reading this morning’s press reports on Murdoch’s £10.75 per share agreed offer to buy  out the outstanding 61% of Sky he doesn’t already own, one thing becomes clear. With the bid coming from 21st Century Fox this time rather than News Corp, the consensus narrative is that this is expected to reduce the regulatory risks […]

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Apple CEO pumps up Q4 sales expectations for the Watch after Q3 collapse

No sooner than IDC release estimated data for the top 5 global ‘wearable’ devices for the Q3 showing a -71% collapse in Apple Watch shipments for the period (see table below), than Apple’s CEO Tim Cook jumps straight back in with one of his now infamous selective disclosures to the press to talk the product […]

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What equity valuations might be trying to tell you!

Hang on, according to the ‘experts’, this wasn’t supposed to happen! Having been fed a diet of gloom by everyone from Hedgies (Bridgewater), Academics/Economists (Dartmouth/MITI/Krugman), Banks (Citi) and wealthy investors (Mark Cuban – see end for links) should Trump get elected, markets have done what they do best and confound the experts, with US equity […]

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