All posts by Andrew Flowers

Andrew is the managing partner of Vizion Wealth and has been involved in the offshore and onshore financial services industry for over 18 years. Andrew was the driving force behind Vizion Wealth after years of experience in a number of advisory roles within high profile wealth management, private banking and independent financial advisory firms in the UK.

Market Update: To yield or not to yield

US bond yields rose again, yet UK and European bond yields did not. We reflect on what this tells us about the prospects for growth, and both near and long term investing.

/ 26th September 2023

Market Update: Central bank hawks determined to defang inflation

The European Central Bank (ECB) raised rates yesterday, with the majority of its Governing Council members concerned that the inflation parasite may be alive for a while longer. Of course, parasites can continue to be robust while their host becomes pale and wan.

/ 18th September 2023

Market Update: Energy in focus – oil prices up and an ill wind for renewables

Markets have been generally quiet at the start of September but energy is again becoming an issue for equity and credit markets. Oil prices have risen since the start of the summer, with Brent crude having bounced along a bottom of $73 per barrel for the first half of 2023.

/ 11th September 2023

Market Update: Employment stats back in the lime light

Summer is officially over, but we are none the wiser regarding the direction of the economy. Or are we? Well, we quite likely are, but just a bit and not enough to know if next month’s equity markets will be higher or lower than right now. Indeed, we never actually know that with a high degree of certainty.

/ 4th September 2023

Market Update: Transcontinental growth divergence

We don’t seem to be able to get away from writing about how bond yields have been driving equity markets due to their influence on underlying valuation dynamics. We wrote about it previously, on many occasions over the past two years, and we have to say that last week is no different.

/ 29th August 2023

Market Update: Tech stocks back under bond pressure

August has undone much of what July brought to equity investors, yet the latest correction looks more technical than fundamental.

/ 21st August 2023

Maximising your investments in your 50’s

As you approach your 50s, securing a comfortable retirement becomes more urgent, making it essential to strategically optimise your investments for a retirement that aligns with your envisioned lifestyle and aspirations.

/ 15th August 2023

How to navigate ESG investing

ESG investing targets companies valuing environmental, social, and governance factors, fostering responsible practices for a sustainable future, and offering potential financial gains through high ESG scores.

/ 15th August 2023

Market Update: Disinflation legs and lags

A week with both lower US inflation and the return of GDP growth in the UK, yet markets traded like a yoyo rather than up. We take a deeper look.

/ 14th August 2023

Market Update: Expect the unexpected

Compared with July’s buoyancy, the first week of August has demonstrated markets’ continued fragile balance between optimism and the fundamentals of valuations.

/ 7th August 2023

10 reasons to get your tax return filed now

Filing your tax return early offers many benefits, from avoiding penalties and reducing stress to maximising eligible deductions and protecting against identity theft.

/ 2nd August 2023

Market Update: Business belies negative data

Equity markets continue to be buoyant after the rate rises in Europe and the US. Some market participants have been calling this the ‘Teflon market’ because nothing sticks to it. We would rather think of it as a sort of running machine; no matter how steep the incline of the treadmill, markets seem able to keep running upwards.

/ 31st July 2023

Market Update: Another inflation driver turns over

Last week’s markets have, yet again, revolved around inflation, wages and profit margins. In the UK, we finally got a little of the good news that has been stoking US markets. Inflation wise, June turns out to have been not so bad. Inflation data showed a notable slowing while retail sales were perky, possibly because we were all pinky from the hot weather.

/ 24th July 2023

Normal Minimum Pension Age Update – what you need to know

A significant change is on the horizon that may affect when you can access your pension money. We’ll guide you through this change and its potential implications, so you can confidently prepare for retirement.

/ 19th July 2023

Market Update: Core inflation slowdown equals an upbeat week for equity markets

We wrote at the start of last week that markets had come to expect another round of significant interest rate rises from central banks, and that risk assets such as equities were likely to come under some pressure. At the end of last week, however, equity markets have risen sharply, with most more than reversing their losses of the previous week. 

/ 17th July 2023

Market Update: Markets sour on news of resilient economy

Last week we commented how the second quarter’s positive stock market returns were driven by a somewhat surprising improvement in investor sentiment. Surprising, because at the end of March there was much fear that the crisis amongst US regional banks would lead to a serious deterioration in lending conditions, leading to a quicker and more pronounced slowdown than had been previously anticipated.

/ 10th July 2023

Market Update: A glass half-full half year

Half-way through 2023 and, all in all, things have been fair-to-middling for markets. We’ll have a more detailed run-through of asset class performances in next week’s Weekly, but an assessment of the changing economic and markets landscape over the quarter seem appropriate for this week’s edition.

/ 3rd July 2023

Taking a personalised approach

No matter what stage of life you’re in, it’s never too early or late to start planning for your retirement. By taking a personalised approach, you can develop a retirement plan that will work for you throughout your life.

/ 29th June 2023

Market Update: Markets catching up to reality

Following three weeks of ‘not a lot of news’ being good news for stock markets, bad news dented investor sentiment last week. This has coincided with some reversal of global liquidity as the US government is once again stepping up fundraising to replenish its coffers and Pan-European business sentiment surveys ticked down. No surprise then, that risk assets experienced a mild sell-off that reversed some of June’s gains. Hardest hit were China, Europe and the UK, but for inherently different reasons.

/ 26th June 2023

Market Update: Market conundrum amid volatile growth

Last week saw equity markets move higher yet, despite central bank hawkishness. We had another 0.25% rate rise from the European Central Bank (ECB) and, although the US Federal Open markets Committee (FOMC) left rates unchanged, they gave us strong hints of at least another 0.25% hike in July. They also indicated their expectation for rates to stay higher for longer than many think.

/ 20th June 2023