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Investing in the UK

As an investor, how do you know which press reports you should take note of and which you should ignore? Do you react to individual events or is a broad sweep approach preferable? And although the value of investments can go down as well as up, when is a fall just part of the normal ebb and flow of business and when should it signal warning bells?

Take investing in the UK for example. In mid-September Lloyds Bank released its latest investor sentiment index. The headline news was that three months on from record highs the index revealed a fall in investor confidence in respect of UK equities and bonds. That loss of confidence would seemingly be reflected by a downgrading in the UK’s credit rating by Moody’s. However, when the Prime Minister stood up to make her Brexit speech, the immediate aftermath saw the FTSE rising, reflecting increased confidence in UK companies.

So what should investors make of the mixed messages? Commenting on the investor sentiment index Markus Stadlmann, CIO, Lloyds Private Bank acknowledged investor uncertainty but said “Investors should stay calm and focus on the long term.” That is advice which is in line with best practice. Investments should be structured as far as possible to meet the current and anticipated future situation of individual investors and should be viewed over the long term.

If you’re looking for pensions or investment advice, or if your situation has changed and you may therefore need to review your existing investments, contact Beckworth by using one of the links on our website.