Author: Jordan

Pictet’s Doc Horn outlines how disciplined portfolio positioning, selective alpha opportunities and diversified hedge fund allocations can help investors navigate an increasingly uncertain market environment. Over the next 12 months, Doc Horn, Head of the Total Return Equities Fund at Pictet Asset Management, believes the fund’s success will largely depend on how effectively it allocates capital between offensive and defensive opportunities across its 15–20 internal teams. “The macro shocks that we have been experiencing have increased the opportunity set for our active managers to exploit inefficiencies as they emerge. However, avoiding large drawdowns is critical in uncertain times.” As head of…

Group earmarks W5tr for debt relief, financing support for vulnerable borrowers, small businesses Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Jin Ok-dong (Shinhan Financial Group) Shinhan Financial Group said Wednesday it will write off 500 billion won ($328 million) in delinquent debt this year and provide 4.5 trillion won in financing for vulnerable borrowers and small businesses as part of a 5 trillion won social finance initiative.The group unveiled its “Inclusive Finance 2.0 ON” program at a meeting of its Productive Finance Task Force in Seoul, positioning the plan as a broader effort to reduce financial blind spots and strengthen support for economically…

The new rates apply to both residential and buy-to-let (BTL) products, with the current residential SVR at 6.24% and the Bank of England base rate at 3.75%.  HSBC UK has reduced mortgage rates across its residential and buy-to-let product ranges by up to 0.11%, with the new pricing available from today. The lender’s latest changes cover fixed-rate and tracker products, with residential borrowers able to access 2-year fixed rates ending in July 2028 and 5-year fixed rates ending in July 2031. The bank’s standard variable rate currently stands at 6.24%, while the Bank of England base rate is 3.75%. Within…

Santander has become the first major high street lender to offer mortgages beyond 95% LTV, launching a 98% product aimed at deposit-stretched first-time buyers. The bank’s ‘My First Mortgage’ is a five-year fix at 5.19% with no product fee and £250 cashback, requiring just a 2% deposit from buyers. The move puts Santander ahead of rivals like Nationwide and Halifax in the ultra-high LTV space, a market previously dominated by building societies such as Skipton and Leeds. Until now, mainstream high street banks had capped lending at 95%. Available exclusively to first-time buyers through Santander advisers or brokers, the product…

Potential signalPlatinum looks horrible on Tuesday as we are now getting ready to break down below a swing low that opens up the possibility of testing the early part of December lows last year.Ultimately, we are seeing interest rates drop and metals drop. That is a very interesting turn of events because we at one point in time had a negative correlation; if rates dropped, metals would rally, but this looks horrible.Shattering Correlations and Macro RisksWe are now possibly looking at the $1,500 region as a target. Now, I do think that there’s a lot of noise between here and…

The Whitefish City Council voted 4-1 to approve the annexation of about 18 acres at the southwest corner of U.S. 93 and Montana 40 last week, and to rezone the property to WB-T, or business transitional.  Whitefish Marine, a boat dealership, is currently located on the parcel.  The applicant submitted a development agreement, which was not required, to give the Council an idea of the planned development. The proposed plan is a use by right in that zone, 256 housing units in 24 buildings and a clubhouse.   Twelve-plexes will be built to the west on two tiers, as the…

The stocks featured in this article are seeing some big returns. Over the past month, they’ve outpaced the market due to some combination of positive news, upbeat results, or supportive macro developments. As such, investors are taking notice and bidding up shares. However, not all companies with momentum are long-term winners, and many investors have lost money by following short-term trends. On that note, here are three overhyped stocks that may correct and some you should consider instead. Qualys (QLYS) One-Month Return: +20.6% Originally developed to address the growing complexity of IT security in the cloud era, Qualys (NASDAQ:QLYS) provides…

If you’ve written off Wells Fargo as a place to get a credit card, it might be time to take another look.The bank has built up a pretty solid card lineup over the past few years, and there are a few in particular that stand out: A simple flat-rate cash back card, a travel rewards card with a long list of bonus categories, and a balance transfer card with one of the longest 0% intro periods around.Here are the three best Wells Fargo cards available now — and what they’re best for. 1. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for…

Paragon Bank has introduced a formal pathway for non-standard buy-to-let mortgages, giving brokers a structured submission route and direct access to specialist underwriters for cases that fall outside its standard lending criteria. The new service, branded Tailored, addresses the growing complexity of landlord portfolios and business structures in the professional buy-to-let sector. Eligible cases include those involving higher loan amounts, larger or more intricate portfolios, and non-standard ownership arrangements such as trusts or trading companies. The service also accommodates landlords with varied tenant types, applicants outside standard age parameters, and those with limited sector track records. Rather than…

A sliver of cool surface water less than 2mm deep helps oceans absorb carbon dioxide, a British-led team of scientists has established after months of voyages across the Atlantic painstakingly measuring gas and temperature levels.The subtle difference in temperature between the “ocean skin” and the layer of water beneath it creates an interface that leads to more CO2 being taken in, the scientists observed.They used highly sensitive equipment to measure the water temperature and to spot and record tiny differences in the amount of CO2 in the air swirling towards the ocean surface and away again.The work is seen as…