Category: Business

Marks and Sparks

I don’t know why I bought Astra Zeneca in July 2010, maybe for the yield, but I did. The shares were about £32. The following summer they were £30 so I topped up. Since then it has been a bumpy ride but now they are circa £72 with a P/E over 25 and yielding 3%.… Continue reading Marks and Sparks

Published
Categorised as Business

Aurora Innovation

This is the not too distant future. This is a level 4 driverless car. Level 5 will be completely automated with no steering wheel.

Follow the Money

I prefer to talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey; as a shareholder I talk to the CEO.

Published
Categorised as Business

It’s Too Late Now

There was only ever one solution to Brexit. I often talk what what you might term bollocks; I’d merely call it nonsense. But in 2016 I made two good calls: that Parliament would obstruct Brexit and the best way forward was to join the European Economic Area (EEA).

Ducks in a Row

Two red-eared terrapins bookend a pair of ducks and a cormorant at Chiswick House yesterday. While the gardens have evolved the basic layout is William Kent’s and almost all his eye-catching features remain, including Burlington Gate.

Do Not Resuscitate

The local council, Hammersmith and Fulham, have one department with which I cannot find fault; tree maintenance. They regularly prune the crab apple tree on the pavement outside our house and plant new trees when necessary. Our streetscape would be impoverished without their diligence and care.

For a Few Dollars Less

Bertie likes to sleep by the door in case he gets left behind. I wouldn’t normally follow his advice but if, like me, you put your money in managed funds Bertie has a point.

Published
Categorised as Business

Belt and Braces

Belt and Braces is what I call China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It marks the second stage of China’s rise to out-grow the United States economically. The first was the industrialisation of China, building cities and transport infrastructure. This all happened within China’s borders.

Women at Work

My Jameson grandmother never went to school; she had a governess. My Hill grandmother may have been to school but she was no blue stocking.